Help Engineers Without Borders UK deliver their incredible work by supporting me and Engineers Without Borders UK's local project partner SELCO Foundation in Bangalore, India.

In August I start a 12-month volunteer placement working with SELCO Foundation to help develop sustainable energy solutions for rural communities in the Karnataka region of India.

My project involves commissioning a solar-powered flour mill for small-scale farmers who do not have reliable access to electricity. The project has three main phases:

1. Understand user requirements: engage with rural communities to understand their requirements/ energy needs, and perform audit of pre-existing machinery
2. Identify appropriate solution: perform market research on locally available technologies, and define benchmarks for efficiency, cost etc. of machinery
3. Pilot installation: design user-appropriate solar system, coordinate pilot installation, and review efficacy of design.

Throughout my placement I will be kindly supported from the UK by Martin Findlay (Partnership Coordinator) and Ramon Porras (Mentor).

Engineers Without Borders UK (https://www.ewb-uk.org/) partners with organisations and communities around the world to increase access to engineering in water and sanitation, clean energy and built environments. Over the past five years through their international work they have contributed a staggering 160,000 hours to projects, supporting the delivery of engineering infrastructure and the research and development of sustainable technologies.

SELCO Foundation (http://www.selcofoundation.org/) is an NGO based in India that aims to use sustainable energy solutions to help eradicate poverty. It does this by collaborating with NGOs, local financial institutions, education institutions and social enterprises.

The money you help me raise will go to Engineers Without Borders UK to help support its projects abroad as well as its efforts to promote sustainable engineering in the UK and around the world.

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As an incentive to donate, I'm adopting a crowdfunding approach, where I'll send you something from India in return for your generosity:

• £25+ :    Postcard
• £50+ :    Postcard + trinket
• £75+ :    Postcard + trinket + Indian street art
• £100+ : Postcard + trinket + Indian street art + bespoke Indian clothing

^Note, amounts inclusive of GiftAid - e.g. a £20 donation + £5 GiftAid will qualify you for the £25 offer :-)