Naomi Arnold: Building Sustainable Solutions - Engineers Without Borders and Community-Led Development

Naomi Arnold, presented on leading Tufts Engineers Without Borders (EWB) teams focused on sustainable projects in Nicaragua and Malawi. She discusses the importance of community collaboration, addressing clean water challenges, and fostering long-term impact through education and engineering.
Like

Share this post

Choose a social network to share with, or copy the URL to share elsewhere

This is a representation of how your post may appear on social media. The actual post will vary between social networks

Naomi Arnold's Leadership-in-Action project centers on her role as President of Tufts University’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), where she leads efforts to address clean water access. Although travel restrictions prevented Naomi from visiting Nicaragua this past summer, her work on the Nicaragua and Malawi projects embodies the mission of EWB: partnering with local communities to create sustainable, long-term infrastructure solutions.

Naomi’s presentation dives into the Nicaragua Project, where EWB Tufts has been working in the Silvio Mayorga community since 2016. The project originally focused on addressing unsafe water caused by high calcium concentrations, leading to the construction of a water tower pre-COVID. However, recent water testing revealed high levels of E. coli and unsafe household water storage practices, prompting a new phase of the project: the installation of a chlorination system to ensure ongoing water sanitation. Naomi discusses how the team collaborates with local engineers to remotely monitor and implement these improvements, planning to complete the chlorination system in early 2025.

Naomi also explains how community involvement is at the core of EWB’s process. She emphasizes that the team works closely with local NGOs and residents to ensure that the projects address the real needs of the community rather than imposing external ideas. Whether through frequent communication or on-the-ground assessments, Naomi and her team ensure that their work supports the community’s goals while educating residents on proper water sanitation practices (WASH).

In addition to the Nicaragua Project, Naomi highlights EWB’s efforts in Malawi, where the team recently constructed a water tower for a school community. They faced challenges, including replacing copper handles on the tower with plastic ones to prevent theft. Despite setbacks, the project is nearly complete, and the team is transitioning to a new long-term project in another Malawian community, aiming to continue their impactful work for the next decade.

Throughout her talk, Naomi emphasizes leadership, collaboration, and delegation. As the President, she navigates the complexities of leading multiple projects, ensuring that each team is supported while fostering a cohesive club community at Tufts. She shares how Engineers Without Borders also engages the Tufts campus through events like their annual 6K fundraiser, which raises awareness about water access issues globally.

Come hear how Naomi and her team are creating lasting change, not only through engineering but through empowering local communities to take ownership of these solutions for generations to come.

Please sign in

If you are a registered user on Laidlaw Scholars Network, please sign in