2025 was a year in which Engineers Without Borders Denmark experienced significant growth — in the number of missions, projects, staff and volunteers alike. But most importantly, we grew in human impact. From towns near the frontline in Ukraine to villages in Sierra Leone and Togo, our volunteer engineers used their professional skills where they were needed most, working together with local communities to create solutions that address fundamental human needs such as clean water, heating, energy, schools … and hope.
The People Behind the Effort
This year’s annual report introduces the people behind the work. Among them is volunteer engineer Jens Erik Treldal, who describes his engagement with Engineers Without Borders as a way of taking action in a world marked by war and crisis — rather than simply feeling powerless in the face of global suffering.
The same commitment is reflected in Kristian Nissen, who spent six months in Sierra Leone as an intern on a climate-smart agriculture project. He explains that he originally became an engineer because he wanted “to solve real problems that matter.” What affected him most was meeting the local communities, and he describes his time in Sierra Leone as “one of the most meaningful experiences” of his life.
The dedication of our volunteers also means that technical expertise can quickly be transformed into concrete action. Former Danish ambassador to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen describes how less than 14 days passed from the first contact with Engineers Without Borders until a team of Danish volunteer engineers was on the ground in Ukraine, working on reconstruction efforts and the design of protective shelters.
“That was truly impressive — things do not normally move that quickly,” he says.
Hope and Change
The report also tells the story of how our work has created tangible change for people and communities around the world. Among them is a Ukrainian summer camp where children affected by war are given the chance to simply be children again — far away from air raid sirens and destruction. Here, our volunteers helped establish access to clean drinking water, a project that made such a strong impression on the local community that Mayor Valerii Rymchuk described it as “a huge source of hope and confidence in tomorrow” for the camp.
You will also meet people whose lives have been transformed through our long-term projects. One of them is Momoh, a student at Opportunity Training Center (OTC) in Sierra Leone — a school for young people with disabilities. He explains that life used to be extremely difficult and that he had neither skills nor opportunities. Today, he describes how OTC “has changed my life forever.”
A Record Year for Engineers Without Borders
2025 became a record year for Engineers Without Borders Denmark, with 26 international missions, 103 deployed volunteers and more than 1,100 days spent in the field.
But above all, the annual report tells the story of people who refuse to stand passively on the sidelines. Engineers — students, retirees, parents of young children and everyone in between — ordinary people, yet not ordinary at all. Because they choose to use their time, experience and professional skills to help others.
The annual report is filled with powerful stories, field photography and insights into how humanitarian engineering can create long-term change — one project, one village and one human life at a time.
