Duncan's World of Opportunity

Lusungu and I in Chisemphere, Malawi

Friends,

I find myself in a reflective, yet forward-facing mood as we near the end of this year. Perhaps the already Christmas-themed store window displays are making me prematurely pensive, but I think that this year in particular finds me in a unique position. As many of you know, poverty alleviation is something I am dearly passionate about, and I have been involved with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) for the past several years working towards this. Overwhelmingly, poverty is related to a lack of opportunity, and this year I am asking you to join me in helping to give precisely this. Opportunity.

In the summer of 2008 I volunteered in Malawi with EWB in support of a project on agricultural value chains. More on my experience can be found at:

Blog: http://duncaninmalawi.blogspot.com/

Video: http://www.terry.ubc.ca/terrytalks/2009/01/19/duncan-mcnicholl-using-value-chains-to-alleviate-poverty/

For me, this experienced confirmed that not only is change possible, but it is actively being driven by passionate, intelligent, and resourceful Africans. At its core, development is about people. I strongly believe in EWB’s philosophy that it is by providing support for these leaders that lasting and meaningful change can be achieved.

This year, I completed my degree at the University of British Columbia in Civil Engineering and am preparing to fully commit myself to participating in development work overseas. I have committed to a 14-month Overseas Volunteer position with Engineers Without Borders in Malawi to pursue my passion in creating opportunities that can drive positive change.

As many as 35% of the water points in Malawi simply don’t work. Without lasting access to clean water, thousands of families are needlessly trapped in a cycle of sickness and poverty.

EWB is mapping water points and monitoring their functionality across Malawi, to best understand why they break down. The team of volunteers I will be joining is creating innovative tools to better manage the flow of this critical information to help bring long-term access to clean water in Malawi’s most remote communities. In 2010, 30 EWB volunteers will improve the sustainability of Malawi’s wells, contributing to our overall goal of having 90% of water points working within five years.

This is why I am asking for you to support EWB’s work this holiday season. Your support, no matter seemingly how small, can have a tremendous effect in making such ambitious change a reality. To put it in perspective, the average overseas volunteer receives ~$10 per day as a living stipend, so even a few dollars can do a lot to support overseas programs!

I have set a personal goal of fundraising $3000 in support of EWB’s work, and I hope that you will join me year in helping to create a world of opportunity. I wish you every happiness this holiday season and I hope to catch up with many of you again before I leave at the end of January!

With much love,

Duncan