EWB (Cardiff) - Wales For AfricaPost Disaster & Community Development Shelter Weekend (A Welsh Assembly Government Initiative)

Photo's by Mike Chapman (Momentum Photography / News And Pictures), Gareth Strangemore-Jones and Marcus Simmons

Wales For Africa funds Special Community Development and Post Disaster Shelter Weekend for Cardiff University Students from Engineers Without Borders (15 - 17th February 2008)

More than thirty students, mainly from Cardiff University’s branch of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), benefited from funding from Wales for Africa, a Welsh Assembly Government initiative.

The EWB (Cardiff) students are studying Engineering and Architecture at Cardiff University and were joined by colleagues from Bristol and Bath. They spent the weekend at Coed Hills Rural Artspace at St Hilary in the Vale of Glamorgan and received practical and vocational training from Engineers Without Borders UK, Ecoshelter International, The Shelter Centre and individuals with experience of the development and disaster sectors.

Ecoshelter, the Cardiff-based charity coalition that provides sustainable living solutions for communities in need, ran workshops in building with straw bale and making compressed earth blocks (bricks made out of mud). Ecoshelter also set the students a team competition where they were to assimilate a post disaster situation, were given some very basic materials such as plastic sheeting, plastic poles, string and sticks and were challenged to come up with the best makeshift shelter in a set time.

Specialists from The Shelter Centre, an international umbrella group of NGO’s and United Nations departments involved in post disaster and community development shelter provision, spoke of their experiences in the field and of the continuously developing standards for the sector and ran role play workshops to highlight the issues faced in the field.

There was also a presentation from Peter Brewin, director of the award-winning Concrete Canvas, the Treforest-based start up company recently featured on Dragon’s Den, which has developed a range of quick-to-erect structures that are attracting a lot of interest from charities and military forces all over the World. John Whitehead from Sustainable Futures outlined their plans for a College for Sustainability in the South Wales Valleys.

“We are very grateful to Wales for Africa for funding this special Shelter Weekend and to Coed Hills for hosting this event,” said organiser Barry Lovern from EWB (Cardiff).

“The chance to get out of the classroom and to learn practical, vocational skills has been good for our students. I personally understand more about the issues faced in the field and I’m sure I’ll be even more interested in the academic side back in college now I see how it fits in to real life situations,” he explained.

“The Ecoshelter workshops showed us what can be done with simple, abundant materials such as mud and straw and the makeshift shelter competition challenged our engineering and design skills.”

“This sort of activity and engagement from the likes of EWB, Ecoshelter and The Shelter Centre and promotion of their work in disaster and development situations around the World should help attract more young people into Engineering as a profession when they see that these skills can save lives and improve livelihoods for people less fortunate,” he added.

The Wales for Africa-sponsored Shelter Weekend is the second in a series of three events organised by EWB (Cardiff). Last November, they held a weekend workshop focussing on energy and in April there will be another concentrating on the issues of water.

EWB (Cardiff) have also recently sent students on a trip to CAT (The Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlledd) and to a RedR event called “So You Want To Be A Relief Worker”.

“We were delighted to take part in this training weekend and have had a lot of positive feedback from the participating students,” said Gareth Strangemore-Jones from Ecoshelter.

“Some have already expressed interest in work experience and future employment once they’ve completed their studies. Ecoshelter also recognises the work of EWB in the field and of The Shelter Centre in co-ordinating efforts to continually improve the quality and standards of the sector. We were just as keen to learn from their experiences and have gained valuable insights into some of the practicalities faced,” he explained.

“Ecoshelter and EWB (Cardiff) have already agreed to forge a long-term training partnership and would welcome donations or assistance from Welsh businesses such as engineering and construction companies, architects, surveyors, estate agents and even hotels – anybody involved in putting roofs over people’s heads,” said Mr Strangemore-Jones.

“We also have workshops suitable for companies wishing to send staff on team building and bonding exercises where they could enhance their Corporate Social Responsibility status at the same time,” he added.

About EWB (Cardiff)

Formed in 2004, the Cardiff branch boasts over 50 active members.

EWB Cardiff provides opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the Development sector locally, nationally and internationally. These opportunities include 12 week summer placements, both in the UK and overseas. Other activities include a program of awareness raising and training events, including an annual residential training weekend.

For more information about EWB (Cardiff), see www.ewb-uk.org/cardiff

For picture galleries, see below and click on the thumbnails for larger pictures...

For more pictures on Picasaweb, click here

YouTube Videos of the Emergency Shelter Competition coming soon...