What inspired you to work for Community & Humanitarian Engineering?
I was inspired by the idea that engineering can be a tool for social transformation.
During my academic years, I realized that technical knowledge alone is not enough—it needs to be connected to real human needs, real communities, and real contexts. Engineering Without Borders Argentina represents that intersection: combining technical rigor with participation, human rights, and long-term sustainability.
The possibility of working alongside communities, co-designing solutions, and seeing how infrastructure can open opportunities was what truly motivated me to get involved and to stay.
Describe a typical day at work.
There is no fully “typical” day—and that’s part of what I enjoy.
Some days I’m in meetings with community leaders, volunteers, municipalities, or international partners like CHE. Other days, I’m reviewing technical plans, budgets, and project timelines. I also spend time working on fundraising proposals, institutional strategy, and team coordination.
Field visits are always important: being on site helps ensure that projects are progressing properly and that decisions are aligned with the community’s priorities. My role combines technical engineering work, management, and relationship-building.
Conducting on-site layout and measurements with the Swiss team, working directly on the project’s engineering in the field.
Why do you do what you do?
Because infrastructure is not just about buildings or systems, it is about dignity, opportunity, and access.
In many communities, the lack of water systems, safe community spaces, or basic infrastructure limits people’s possibilities. Working to change that, in partnership with the community, is deeply meaningful.
I believe professionals have a responsibility to use their skills beyond private gain to contribute to building more just and resilient societies.
What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?
One major challenge is balancing ambition with available resources. Social projects often operate under financial constraints, while community needs are significant.
We overcome this through strong planning, diversified funding, partnerships, and, most importantly, community participation. When projects are co-designed and locally supported, they become more sustainable and resilient.
Another challenge is navigating complex social and environmental contexts. This requires patience, listening, and adaptability.
What are some current projects you are working on?
Currently, we lead community-based infrastructure projects across Argentina, in both rural and urban contexts.
In semi-arid northern regions, we implement rainwater harvesting systems that enable families to access and store safe water. These initiatives combine technical design, local training, and community participation to strengthen long-term sustainability.
In the Buenos Aires area, we are developing a community sports and educational center in Tigre with Libertad Eterna, and a cultural and educational center in La Boca with Asociación Civil Isauro Arancibia. Both projects are built through participatory processes to expand opportunities for children and adolescents.
In Córdoba, we are improving and expanding a community center that supports children and families through safer, more functional spaces.
We also co-designed and built a child-friendly visiting area inside a correctional facility, creating a space that protects the bond between mothers and their children.
Across all projects, we integrate engineering expertise with participatory design and strong local partnerships, ensuring infrastructure contributes to social inclusion and lasting impact.
An Australian team collaborating on a community center project in La Plata, Buenos Aires. The group included around 10 participants.
What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?
I would say: listen more than you speak.
When working in international and community contexts, technical knowledge is important, but humility and openness are essential. Every community has knowledge, history, and strengths.
I would also remind myself that impact is built through long-term relationships, not quick interventions.
And finally, embrace uncertainty. Growth often happens outside your comfort zone.
What makes Community & Humanitarian Engineering special?
CHE is special because it bridges international volunteers with high-impact, community-driven engineering projects. Rather than offering generic volunteer experiences, CHE partners with long-standing local organizations like ISF-Ar, ensuring that projects are technically sound, ethically structured, and embedded in real community processes.
Participants are not observers; they are integrated into meaningful, well-planned initiatives that combine engineering, social awareness, and intercultural exchange.
Why should someone choose Community & Humanitarian Engineering over competitors?
CHE offers structured, ethical, and community-driven engineering experiences. Through long-term partnerships with trusted local organizations like ISF-Ar, participants engage in real, ongoing projects rather than short-term volunteer activities.
The focus on meaningful impact, professional growth, and intercultural learning makes CHE a strong choice for those seeking depth and responsibility in their international experience.
What makes Community & Humanitarian Engineering easy to market to potential participants?
CHE offers a clear value proposition: real engineering projects, real community partnerships, and real impact.
The combination of hands-on technical work, cultural immersion, and structured support makes the experience both professionally enriching and personally transformative. Participants can clearly understand the scope of their contribution, the communities involved, and the learning outcomes they will gain.
Additionally, partnerships with organizations like ISF-Ar provide credibility, transparency, and measurable impact, which resonates strongly with socially conscious students and professionals.
What is Community & Humanitarian Engineering's mission and how do you continue to work toward it?
CHE’s mission is to connect engineers, students, and other interested people with impactful humanitarian projects while promoting responsible global engagement.
CHE advances this mission by partnering with established local organizations, ensuring projects respond to real community needs, and providing structured placements that combine technical work, cultural awareness, and long-term sustainability.
Working with students from Switzerland (ETH Zürich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in a rural community. Together, we built a school for the local community. Twenty-five students traveled from Switzerland and developed this project as their final engineering thesis. I’m the one wearing white pants.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We hope participants leave with a deeper understanding of how engineering and social impact intersect. Beyond technical skills, we want them to gain cultural awareness, humility, and the ability to work responsibly in diverse contexts.
Ideally, they return home with a broader perspective on their profession and their role in society.
If you could participate on one of Community & Humanitarian Engineering's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I would choose a rural water project in northern Argentina not only for the technical experience, but for the opportunity to learn. Being immersed in a community facing water scarcity would challenge me to think beyond design calculations and understand the social dimension of engineering. It would be a reminder that infrastructure is ultimately about people, relationships, and shared responsibility.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Traveling abroad challenges assumptions and builds empathy in ways that no textbook or classroom can.
Experiencing different social realities firsthand pushes professionals to step outside their comfort zones, question their perspectives, and adapt to unfamiliar environments. It fosters global awareness, cultural sensitivity, and a deeper respect for diverse ways of thinking, living, and solving problems, qualities that are essential in today’s interconnected world.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Learning a new language is like opening a window into another way of feeling and thinking. It teaches you to listen differently, to notice nuances, to step outside your own assumptions. Even a few shared words can build trust and turn strangers into collaborators.
A new language doesn’t just expand your vocabulary, it expands your world.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Go with curiosity, humility, and patience. Avoid the mindset of “going to help” and instead focus on going to learn, listen, and collaborate. Prepare yourself both technically and culturally before you arrive. Take time to understand the local context, build trust, and respect community knowledge.
Real impact grows from strong relationships and shared responsibility, not from quick or symbolic actions.
We built a vehicle bridge in a rural community in Santiago del Estero with another group of students from ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). The bridge connects 500 people who were previously isolated. I’m the one wearing the blue sweater.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is not about consumption; it is about connection. It means engaging deeply with people, taking time to understand social and cultural contexts, and allowing the experience to challenge your assumptions and perspectives.
It involves contributing responsibly, listening with humility, and remaining open to being transformed by what you encounter along the way.
