Kidd went to El Salvador with the Rowan chapter of EWB, Engineers Without Boarders, to aid a small town from March 14 to the 22. The town relies on a polluted river and shallow hand-dug wells as a main source of water. The town's dilemma became apparent to Rowan EWB when a Peace Corps volunteer reached out to the members of EWB. Then in May 2007, Kidd and six other Rowan EWB members used their time to make the initial assessment of the town and detail the conditions and problems. During the most recent trip the group conducted a detailed land survey of the community to determine the distances between the main road and the houses and to plot the elevation differences throughout the town.
A Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador reached out to the members of Engineers without Borders
Student volunteers over break
Friday, April 25, 2008
By Ben Carpenter
bcarpenter@sjnewsco.com
While many college students spend spring break partying, Jesse Kidd, 21, a senior studying civil engineering at Rowan University dedicating his time to aiding a town in El Salvador.
Kidd went to El Salvador with the Rowan chapter of EWB, Engineers Without Boarders, to aid a small town from March 14 to the 22. The town relies on a polluted river and shallow hand-dug wells as a main source of water.
The town's dilemma became apparent to Rowan EWB when a Peace Corps volunteer reached out to the members of EWB. Then in May 2007, Kidd and six other Rowan EWB members used their time to make the initial assessment of the town and detail the conditions and problems.
During the most recent trip the group conducted a detailed land survey of the community to determine the distances between the main road and the houses and to plot the elevation differences throughout the town.
While there, the group interacted with members in the community to understand the true needs of the town.
One of the problems with the current water situation in the town is that it can take hours to collect for usage. During the annual four-month-long dry season it becomes an even greater challenge for residents.
"Going on a trip like this lets you know what you take for granted," said Kidd. "Living without water for a week makes you think about it every time you wash your hands."
Rowan's EWB is currently working on a project in Senegal, West Africa, to help bring clean drinking water to the village. The group hopes to travel to the village in the upcoming summer.
"It was the most amazing experience of my life," said Kidd, when asked about his spring break. "Last time the trip was fun and productive, but I was ready to leave at the end."
