Akelos

Akelos is a non-profit organization aimed at providing engineering design of water systems to communities in the global south, with a placed emphasis on the client community’s close involvement with the design. Born and practiced in a classroom in Champaign, Illinois, Dr. Ann Witmer founded a new approach to engineering in the global south that challenges the conventional approach to development. By ensuring the community has a hand in the design process, it creates a “contextual” engineering design, meaning the design will be more tailored to the needs of each specific community. This method of global south engineering design mitigates many common oversights and helps guarantee a more successful implementation of water systems. The university class started in 2013 and is now in its sixth year of implementation. Former members of Dr. Witmer’s class wished to further be involved with projects that implemented this effective design process, and from that Akelos was born. Established as a 501(c)3 organization in 2017, Akelos has now been involved with twelve communities and NGO’s (non-government organizations) in Guatemala, Honduras, and Senegal. The individuals who work in these project groups are typically graduated members of Dr. Witmer’s university class, of which there are now over 100 alumni, but we also happily welcome other individuals who resonate with the concept of contextualized engineering. These members come from a variety of backgrounds, often related to civil engineering or international development. Incorporating both technical and non-technical fields in global south engineering design is imperative for a successful contextual design implementation, ensuring both quality and relevancy to the community’s needs. Each project group is assisted by experienced professional engineers who serve as mentors and quality control. Contextual Engineering is key for the success of global south engineering design, and Akelos is proud to implement its methods.