It all started just before Christmas
“Friends of mine use their knowledge to support the local population in countries in the Global South with their technical projects. Why don’t we have that here?”
Conversations between friends, students and doctoral candidates at the Institute of Hydromechanics began like this at the end of 2003. Although there were some reservations (“we’re just students and have never implemented a plan before! And then in a country where the culture and language are completely different?”), it quickly became clear that they wanted to try at least once to introduce the idea of Engineers without Boders, which already existed in various places, to Karlsruhe.
No sooner said than done! The first project
Together we looked for an idea for a first project. After some time, contact was made with a small NGO in Worms. This was run by Herbert Perera, who was born in Sri Lanka and worked for a German company after studying mechanical engineering. Support? He could really use it! His organization had been working in Sri Lanka for some time, including in a village near Kandy in the center of the country. The well in this village dried up after a reservoir was built nearby. The students and doctoral candidates from Karlsruhe decided to cooperate with the organization. After several weeks of planning together with Mr. Perera, who was very familiar with the situation in the village, the decision was made to build water tanks to store the rainwater. In the summer of 2004, the opportunity arose to fly to Sri Lanka to implement the first half of the project. Once back in Germany, the planning for the second part continued.
A natural disaster in the middle of project planning
Less than six months after the first implementation phase, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered several tsunamis in December 2004, which also hit Sri Lanka. Even though information was quickly received that the inhabitants of the project location had been spared, the situation in Sri Lanka attracted the attention of many Karlsruhe students in particular. Together they were able to generate 700 kg of medicines and €8,000 in donations. Thanks to a Karlsruhe student with Sri Lankan roots, who personally traveled to Trincomalee in the remote north of Sri Lanka, it was possible to ensure that the relief supplies and money reached the people in need and were distributed fairly.
EWB Karlsruhe is founded
It became increasingly clear that there was an interest in development cooperation not just among a few students, but across the entire university campus, and that the commitment in Sri Lanka was only the beginning.
Development
In the more than ten years that have elapsed since the founding, our organization has developed enormously. Instead of the handful of students who initiated the organization, the EWB idea is now supported by more than 300 students. Students of all fields gather under the EWB banner and with their individual skills contribute to the success of the projects and the organization as whole. At the same time, the university affiliation is no longer a limit. In addition to KIT students, fellow students from the surrounding universities (HsKA, PH Karlsruhe, HS Pforzheim) also make their contribution. Therefore the diversity of the training paths is enormous. The projects benefit greatly from the great variety of creative ideas that the members bring from their university experience. The projects themselves also developed over the years and gained in scope and complexity. Currently, nine project groups are realizing their visions in countries all around the globe. In addition, our members can look back on a large number of successful projects in all areas of development cooperation: EWB builds wells and rainwater cisterns, renovates villages and schools, builds bridges, sanitation facilities and supplies villages with solar power. The ability to grow personally with the challenges of development cooperation is thrilling and motivating. The shared conviction of bringing a global society closer together brings our organization closer and looks into our future with a thirst for action.
Registration as non-profit organization – 2008
In the year of 2007 EWB got registered as non-profit organization but was not yet listed in the association register. This happened one year later in June 2008, after the therefore required constitution was passed in the general meeting. From then on, the individual members were no longer liable with their private assets to the obligations of the association. Other advantages, like the opening of an organization’s account, also resulted from this entry.
10th anniversary – 2015
In May 2015 the time had finally come! We celebrated our 10th anniversary and can look back proudly over the past years. It was a perfect occasion to sum up what happened, how EWB Karlsruhe was founded, what projects we mastered, how fast and strong we have grown as organization, and what a colorful mix of students from different disciplines we really are. In addition to the organizing team, which once again deserves a great gratitude, each project group prepared a country-specific meal of their project country for the anniversary celebration. In addition to an exciting evening program there was a lot food, drinks and laughter.
Former Board Members
June 2023 – June 2024
Johannes Bertsch, Chairman
Philipp Zell, Deputy Chairman
Max Burkardt, Treasurer
Lukas Gromes, Secretary
Eszter Kósa, Project Coordinator
June 2022 – June 2023
Maya Ludwig, Chairman
Eva Antoine, Deputy Chairman
Jonas Stanicki, Treasurer
Lukas Kleinhans, Secretary
Eszter Kósa, Project Coordinator
July 2021 – June 2022
Philipp Dorwarth, Chairman
Annika Hönl, Deputy Chairman
Cosima Vay, Treasurer
Katarina Rozic, Secretary
Victor Mas, Project Coordinator
August 2020 – July 2021
Lea Winter, Chairman
Moritz Klug, Deputy Chairman
Niklas Könnecke, Treasurer
Franziska Ott, Secretary
Leon Hertle, Project Coordinator
May 2019 – August 2020
Juliane Jakowski, Chairman
Laura Berndt, Deputy Chairman
Kim Skade, Treasurer
Tom Grünert, Secretary
Steffen Kramer, Project Coordinator
June 2018 – May 2019
Andreas Netsch, Chairman
Marek Fritz, Deputy Chairman
Linda Babilon, Treasurer
Hannah Trick, Secretary
David Kienbaum, Project Coordinator
June 2017 – May 2018
Johannes Klein, Chairman
Fabian Besse, Deputy Chairman
Antoine Duchesne, Treasurer
Manon Weichert, Secretary
Andreas Netsch, Project Coordinator
June 2016 – June 2017
Marcel Mott, Chairman
Jorge Cardenas Prieto, Deputy Chairman
Johannes Klein, Treasurer
Marina Walter, Secretary
Michael Kalkbrenner, Project Coordinator
June 2015 – June 2016
Philipp Heberle, Chairman
Simon Aurand, Deputy Chairman
Benjamin Hötzel, Treasurer
Susanne Benz, Secretary
Andreas Schäfer, Project Coordinator
June 2014 – June 2015
Tim Stihler, Chairman
Sally Gündel, Deputy Chairman
Caroline Hirsch, Treasurerin
Lisa Bönisch, Secretary
October 2013 – June 2014
Tim Stihler, Chairman
Sally Gündel, Deputy Chairman
Lisa Bönisch, Treasurerin
Vinzenz Pfannenstein, Secretary
October 2012 – Oktober 2013
Lennart Willms, Chairman
Martina Marek, Deputy Chairman
Marius Lang, Treasurer
Dominik Gatz, Secretary
October 2011 – October 2012
Kaili Shen, Chairman
Alexandra Mrzigod, Deputy Chairman
Tim Eck, Treasurer
Christian Schänzle, Secretary
October 2010 – October 2011
Christian Kelleter, Chairman
Christian Schänzle, Deputy Chairman
Stefanie Grün, Treasurerin
Nicolas Bouton, Secretary
October 2009 – October 2010
Michael Schnapper, Chairman
Matthias Schulz, Deputy Chairman
Janna Krummenacker, Treasurerin
Marco Vögele, Secretary
2008 – 2009
Julius Kramer, Chairman
Sebastian Horn, Deputy Chairman
Dominique Sghair, Treasurerin
Dominik Ziemke, Secretary
2007 – 2008
Thomas Herzig, Chairman
Marcel Müller, Deputy Chairman
Alexandra Bertsch, Treasurerin
Daniel Popp, Secretary
2006 – 2007
Pierre Frank, Chairman
Christiane Leukel, Deputy Chairman
Matthias Wolf, Treasurer
Miriam Leicht, Secretary
2005 – 2006
Mussie Kidane, Chairman
Pierre Frank, Deputy Chairman
Matthias Wolf, Treasurer
Miriam Leicht, Secretary
2005
Fabian Sommer, Chairman
Mussie Kidane, Deputy Chairman
Matthias Wolf, Treasurer
Eletta Negretti, Secretary