The First Mission Has Landed in Ukraine
10 EWB volunteers, two taxis, and off to Copenhagen Airport. First stop: Vienna for a layover, then onward to Chișinău in Moldova. From there, a minibus took us to the Ukrainian border, followed by another three hours of travel through checkpoints and long rural roads before the Engineers Without Borders mission finally reached our destination in Mykolaiv on Sunday evening.
Yesterday, the first group of dedicated volunteers began their work. Among their tasks was assessing the destruction at Ukraine’s National Shipbuilding University, which suffered missile strikes twice in 2022. Our role is to evaluate the damage, advise the university leadership on winterizing the buildings, and guide them on how teaching and research can resume as quickly as possible once funding for extensive repairs is secured.
The mission has two objectives:
- Provide direct technical support and advice to benefit Mykolaiv’s vulnerable civilian population through existing partnerships, including the university, the utility sector, and projects under larger humanitarian initiatives led by the Danish Red Cross and DanChurchAid.
- Establish new collaborations to support the reconstruction efforts in Mykolaiv. This involves close cooperation with the Danish embassy office in Mykolaiv, which connects us with local partners and helps identify specific areas where EWB’s members and volunteers can make a meaningful impact.
On Tuesday, the team met with the city’s Deputy Mayor and the Regional Governor’s Office to discuss reconstruction plans for both urban and rural areas. Additionally, the team inspected more damaged infrastructure related to water, electricity, and heating and explored future opportunities in wastewater, waste management, and sustainable construction.
As always, EWB’s role is simple: we voluntarily provide our knowledge, technology, and expertise wherever humanitarian needs are greatest and where commercial solutions are not currently viable. We work closely with local communities to lay the foundation for long-term and sustainable rebuilding efforts when the situation permits.
The mission is supported by the Rambøll Foundation and driven by the incredible dedication of our invaluable volunteers.
