Here are images of the water project designs that the donations will go towards:

Here is a biography as well as some questions answered from one of our main water device designers:

Jacob Pekrul was born and raised in northwest Oklahoma. He attended Kremlin-Hillsdale and graduated in 2015. Upon graduating, he attended Northern Oklahoma College in Enid and received an Associates of Science in Mathematics in May of 2017. He is currently pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and plans to graduate May of 2020. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, and beating his roommates in Mario Cart.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Why do you want to go to Guatemala?

"I have always had a heart for serving people and this a a great opportunity to do that. I really want to be able to use the skills I have been learning over the last three years. I have gained real world experience alongside school that I know I can use to significantly change someones life."

What do you want to achieve on this trip?

"I want the community members to not have to worry about if they have enough water to cook a meal or flush a toilet. We take our infrastructure in the United States for granted and don't ever have to worry about when we can get our water. With the other intelligent and driven students on the project I am confident that we will be able to make a real difference in a community. "

How will this project impact the people in Guatemala?

"This project will immensely change the lifestyle of the communities. They will not have to waste time going to the river every time they need to use the bathroom. The project will also have a huge impact on the school in the community. Having the water more readily available will allow for more focus on the children's education and less on water retrieval. Aside from the biggest medical threats of being dehydrated, this project could benefit the communities on a much bigger scale."

How do you believe this project will impact you after returning from Guatemala?

"Aside from the satisfaction of knowing I greatly helped communities in need, I hope to gain more hands-on skills. In building the systems we have designed I will have the opportunity to learn how to do a variety of things. With the other intelligent and driven students on the project I am confident that we will be able to make a real difference in a community. On top of the skills and the personal satisfaction, I plan on developing closer relationships to the other students on the trip. I know that this trip will be a life changing experience that will have profound effects on my future."

Here is a biography as well as some questions that our water project lead answered:

Shannon is a civil engineering student in her junior year. She grew up in Broken Arrow, OK and graduated from Broken Arrow High School. In her free times she enjoys photography, learning to play guitar, and watching good movies. Shannon has a passion for helping people which is the driving force behind her leadership in this project.

What do you love about EWB?

"I love that not only does EWB strive to help others internationally but we also put our efforts into helping people in our local community."

Why do you want to go to Guatemala?

"I went to Guatemala last year on an assessment trip before I became the project lead and seeing how people lived in these rural communities on the outskirts of the big cities really made me emotional. It made me realize how truly privileged I am having access to all the resources I need when I need them. I can drink a gallon of water a day if I am thirsty enough but in Plan de Avila, a family of 5 has to live off of 3 gallons of water per day to meet all their drinking, washing, and cooking needs. I want to go back to Guatemala to help lessen the burden these families carry of not being able to fully meet the basic needs of their children and themselves."

What do you want to achieve on this trip?

"On this trip I hope to be able to successfully implement both of our sustainable rainwater catchment systems which will provide a significant supplement to the water that community members currently have. With our systems, community members will have an extra 4,406 gallons of clean water per month to use. The community will learn how the systems work as well as how to build and maintain them so my hopes are that this community can take our ideas and help other communities implement their own water catchment systems."

How will this project impact the people in Guatemala?

"This project will allow school children to spend more time in the classroom learning rather than taking time away from their education to gather contaminated water from the river when they are thirsty. It will allow families to meet the basic human needs of their children without having to sacrifice their own needs."

How do you believe this project will impact you after returning from Guatemala?

"This project has already impacted me. I believe it has made me more grateful for what I have and more passionate to help others that don't. I know this project will stick with me for the rest of my life and I know that it will fuel my passion to keep doing work like this not only internationally but locally as well."

Thank you to everyone who has donated to this wonderful cause.Your donations will  go a long way in helping people in Guatemala get access to clean water.We encourage you all to share this page to other family and friends since our fundraiser ends in 4 days.

Thank you again :)

Best Regards,

EWB Family

We are currently in the process of designing our two water catchment systems in Plan de Avila. The World Health Organization recommends that people need about 1 gallon of water to drink per day. That number increases when the needs for washing and cooking are factored in. Currently in Plan de Avila families with anywhere from three or more members have access to only two to five gallons per day total to meet their needs. Our water catchment systems should yield from 1500 to 2500 gallons per month in one sector and 1100 to 1900 gallons per month in another sector which will greatly aid the water crisis the families of Plan de Avila face.