In the second of her three posts reflecting on the recent civil engineering expedition to Borneo, Amy Hogg (Stage 4 MEng Civil & Structural Engineering) write about life with the remote village community her team were working with.

The Borneo expedition provided the unique opportunity to see first-hand the social side of engineering. Although the social aspect of sustainability has been addressed in a number of university modules, the expedition really opened my eyes to the difference that engineers can make in the developing world. The project involved the provision of appropriate infrastructure, however raising awareness of the importance of health and hygiene practices was important to maximise the impact of the new technologies provided. As such, community integration was vital to ensure project success.

Before the expedition, I was apprehensive of how the community would welcome us to the village, particularly as we were the first Western group in Bombong Empat. However, it was overwhelming how welcoming the community were, inviting us to the local church services, to play volleyball games each evening and allowing us to teach the children new games and dances – a great way to relax after a long day of work! We all formed a really strong bond with the community which heightened the importance of the task at hand, pushing us to work that little bit harder to ensure we could do as much for the community as possible in the short time we were on project.

The Newcastle University team and local community at the opening ceremony.

The highlight of my trip was the opening ceremony which was an opportunity to thank all those involved and to unveil the new system. It was really heart-warming to hear such kind words of appreciation from the community which truly highlighted the impact we had made, successfully supplying a reliable system that would ease pressures during the dry season. The community treated us to some amazing performances, playing gongs and teaching us traditional dances which was an amazing cultural exchange thoroughly enjoyed by all! The strong bond formed between the Newcastle team and Bombong Empat residents really enhanced our experience as it was so rewarding to participate in a project that made a lasting change for all members of the community.

Traditional dancing to the community played gongs at the opening ceremony.