Telpochapa, Nicaragua
In August 2015, EWB-UH sent a team of engineering students and a professional engineer to Telpochapa, a small community in San Francisco Libre, Nicaragua, to design and fund a schoolhouse for local children. The project was successfully completed and the school now serves the community’s educational needs.
From August 8-16, 2015, EWB-UH completed the final implementation phase of a six-year project in Telpchapa, Nicaragua. The team included UH engineering students Ishan Chakrabarty, Conner Judson, Rafi Mohammed, James Schouten, and Ayesha Sohail, joined by Jody Muniz (industry mentor) and Juan Guzman (translator).
Telpochapa, a remote village in a valley accessible only by unpaved roads, required the UH team to travel through rough terrain by 4×4 truck. The location’s isolation made material delivery and coordination challenging.
Several trips by a semi-truck were required to bring all of the materials from the nearest participating hardware stores to the worksite. During those trips, the semi-truck blew out several tires and lost its headlights.
Once materials arrived, Chakrabarty, Judson, Mohammed, Schouten, and Sohail began on-site construction activities, including mixing and pouring concrete, transporting cinderblocks, and clearing aggregate materials. They worked alongside local construction workers and skilled laborers, who provided technical guidance and support throughout the implementation phase.
“Honestly, the attitude of the group was that we wanted to help in a hands-on way”
“Being able to help the village get a school where their children are safe and being able to show the community that we genuinely care was the most rewarding part of the experience”
Telpochapa’s residents sought assistance from EWB-UH after the original schoolhouse became unstable due to foundation erosion. In response, the team designed a new one-room schoolhouse engineered to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 7.0 and winds up to 150 mph. During the implementation, the students added additional structural reinforcements to enhance the building’s long-term stability, strength, and safety.
Although the Schoolhouse Project came to a successful completion by the end of their trip, this chapter isn’t slowing down our efforts to give back to other communities. We are currently in the pre-assessment phase of our new project: The Water Distribution Project.
