Impact Stories
Making change happen across Australia and Asia Pacific.
Coming full circle: volunteer Meg Cummins returns to the project that started it all
When Meg Cummins first set foot in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as an Environmental Engineering Mentor with Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB), she was driven by a desire to create lasting change. Now, as she prepares to return to her role at Aurecon after a 12-month...
Coming full circle: volunteer Meg Cummins returns to the project that started it all
When Meg Cummins first set foot in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as an Environmental Engineering Mentor with Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB), she was driven by a desire to create lasting change. Now, as she prepares to return to her role at Aurecon after a 12-month...
Announcing our 2025 EWB Challenge community partner – WaterAid Australia
Since 2009, Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB Australia) has worked alongside communities in Timor-Leste to develop sustainable solutions to the unique social, economic, and environmental challenges they face. Through long-term partnerships and human-centred...
Building a reliable water supply for the residents of Darlau, Timor-Leste
In Darlau, a village in Timor-Leste, collecting water was until recently a slow and physically demanding task. Every day, residents would trek to the only springwater supply and carry buckets back up a steep hill. This job was generally done by women and children – a round trip that could take up to 2 hours, and in extreme heat during summer.
‘Impactful Futures’ Immersives return on Lama Lama Country
‘Look, listen, learn’ was the mantra of Traditional Owners on Lama Lama Country during EWB’s Impactful Futures Immersive in July, which took participants on a journey through the tropical landscapes and cultural sites of Cape York for a week. By observing and attuning themselves to the sights, sounds and voices around them, participants were able to experience a deep immersion in the culture and history of Lama Lama Country.
Inaugural Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program kicks off in Far North Queensland
A new place-based Outreach program – designed by Indigenous people for Indigenous young people – was recently piloted in a small community in Far North Queensland in collaboration with Engineers Australia’s Indigenous Engineers Group and Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation, with the goal to inspire and support the next generation of Indigenous Engineers.
Engineering partnerships critical for progress: the case at Rawa
Over the past four years, Rawa Community School - one of Australia’s most remote Aboriginal Independent Schools, located on the edge of Great Sandy Desert in the Pilbara Region of WA on Warnman and Manyjilyjarra Country - has been working on improving the decline of...
Piloting handwashing stations in rural Cambodian schools
Many school children in Cambodia do not have access to appropriate sanitation facilities, particularly in rural areas where a third of schools lack adequate hygiene facilities with soap and water. The link between sanitation and education became especially apparent...
Exploring opportunities for native plants at the ‘Nguluway’ Local Design Summit
The cultivation of native grains through careful land management was once central to Aboriginal life. However, following colonisation, the shift to European foods and farming methods damaged native grasslands and reduced biodiversity.
At Nguurruu farm, 40 minutes north of Canberra, Murray Prior is working with Ngambri custodians to implement regenerative farming practices and revive native foods and land management. Farming practices at Nguurruu are informed by Indigenous knowledges and seek to restore biodiversity and reverse ecological damage.
The second iteration of the EWB ACT Chapter’s ‘Nguluway’ Local Design Summit, held earlier this year in collaboration with Nguurruu farm, gave university students and industry professionals a firsthand insight into regenerative farming practices on Country.
Drones, disasters and design – new STEM outreach for regional classrooms
It’s a sad reality: regional students all too often miss out on important educational opportunities that their peers in the city get to enjoy. When it comes to STEM outreach, many programs are run out of capital cities, which means regional school students can easily...
A climate resilient and community-led solution to sanitation challenges in Vanuatu
For environmental activist David Kalsal, fishing and swimming in the Emten Lagoon on Vanuatu’s Efate Island has always been a part of local life for him and his family. In recent years however, the lagoon has also become an indicator of how climate change and sanitation challenges are impacting his community.
The Erakor Bridge community lies on the edge of the Emten Lagoon and is home to approximately 200 residents. The community consists of low-lying areas with a high groundwater table, meaning the area is especially vulnerable to cyclones and frequent flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. As a result of flooding and inadequate household sanitation systems, swimming and fishing is no longer safe for the community due to high levels of e.coli bacteria detected in the lagoon.