EWB KENYA NIGHT 2010!

It is that time of year again when we at EWB-UMASS are planning our annual EWB Auction Night! This is our biggest (and funnest!) fundraiser of the year. Last year we raised ~$10,000 to support EWB-UMass Amazon and Kenya Projects. The event is a silent auction with a lot of great items, from Brazilian jewelry to Kenyan wraps and lots of great items donated from local businesses that offer their support. We always have great music, drinks, food, and entertainment, and to top it all off--it takes place in a barn!
This years theme will be Kenya night (last year's was Brazil Night). We are already preparing the night's details and procuring items to be auctioned. Stay tuned for more details about this event.
Go to our website at www.ecs.umass.edu/ewb. to find out more about the auction, past donors and info about our current projects.

Assessment of Spring Boxes in Western Kenya

While in Western Kenya during January EWBers Ben Taylor, Patrick Border, and Peter Rasmussen traveled to local spring box sites in and around the town of Webuye, which is the town near Namawanga where we stay when working in the village. Spring boxes are structures, typically made of concrete, which are built around natural springs and function to collect and filter the natural spring water. Ben, Patrick, and Peter collected data and pictures of the spring boxes in order to determine improvements needed at each water source. They found several recommendations that could be made to improve the quality of the water coming from the spring boxes and protect the water sources. We are currently working on a report to send to the Webuye Municipal Council that outlines recommended improvements that could be implemented to improve these spring boxes. This is the first step in expanding our work outside of the Namawanaga village and into neighboring communities. To learn more about our projects or make a contribution go to www.ecs.umass.edu/ewb.