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EWB-RHIT adopted Batey Cinco Casas as the community we will work
with until 2014. Batey Cinco Casas is a small community in the Dominican Republic that
has been hit hard by collapse of the sugar cane industry. The project we focus on
concerns a medical clinic in the community run by the Batey Relief Alliance. This clinic
offers affordable or free health services to impoverished citizens of the Dominican Republic
and Haiti. The clinic currently operates at its capacity and has been seeing considerable
growth in recent months. As a result, they have contacted us to help them expand their
facility in order to treat more patients and offer a wider variety of services. The
ultimate goal of the project is to convert an existing rundown building into a working
inpatient facility where people who need extended care can stay. Project Batey Cinco Casas
is divided into three phases:
Phase One: Construct a roof over the building. The roof is
hurricane and earthquake proof and also allows for natural lighting and ventilation. The
roof is designed to look both aesthetically appealing and be consistent with the building
materials and construction practices used in the area.
Phase Two: Upgrade the septic system currently used by the clinic.
Their current system is unsuitable for the increasing number of patients they see every day.
With the addition of this inpatient facility, the waste produced will increase even more rapidly.
The new septic system will be able to accommodate their ever-growing needs.
Phase Three: To be decided.
On August 19-29th, our chapter traveled to Batey Cinco Casas in order
to monitor the roof implemented the previous fall, and to implement the septic tank that we
investigated during the previous asssessment trip. The travel team consisted of
four students from Rose-Hulman as well as a faculty adviser and a professional project
mentor. Everything went with with the construction of the septic tank and the piping network,
but the hurricane and rain everyday did waylay us and cause the end date to be pushed a week back.
BRA was able to keep working beyond our departure and completed everything successfully.
Dominican Republic 2011 Project page.
On February 25 - March 4th, our chapter traveled to Batey Cinco Casas in order
to monitor the roof implemented the previous fall, make any fixes needed, and to acquire
the information needed to implement a new septic system. The travel team consisted of
four students from Rose-Hulman as well as a faculty adviser and a professional project
mentor. All of the surveying went well and a new technical advisor was established. He
was able to help us retrieve information dealing with soil permeability and the current
septic system. For more information, be sure to check out the
Dominican Republic 2011 Project page.
On August 9th - 21st, our chapter traveled to Batey Cinco Casas to implement
our design for a hurricane and earthquake roof for the medical clinic. The travel
team consisted of five students from Rose-Hulman as well as a faculty adviser and a
professional project mentor. We were also accompanied by three members from Architecture
for Humanity. The trip was a smashing success. The roof was completed on time with the
invaluable assistance of the local workers and the members of Architecture for Humanity.
For more information, be sure to check out the the
Dominican Republic 2009/2010 Project page.
During the summer of 2008, a team of seven students and one faculty member traveled
to Obodan, Ghana in order to implement the projects the club spent more than a year
engineering. While in country, the delegation was able to present an improved business
plan for the Brooder House built in 2006 as well as complete
a Training Center. For more information, be sure to check out the
Obodan 2008 Project page.
EWB-RHIT meets every Wednesday at 7:15pm in O229. Everyone is welcome to attend. Our next meeting will be at the
beginning of the next school year.
For more information, contact
Angelica Patino.
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