ABOUT: PUC Team Thailand 2021
[ WHAT IS PUC? ]
Projects with Underserved Communities or PUC is a
year-long unique humanitarian program at The University of Texas at Austin that exercises the talent present in the Cockrell School of Engineering and the Steve Hicks School of Social Work to create sustainable solutions for social good around the world.
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PUC launched in 2010 and has served more than 18,300 people with projects impacting 10 different countries.
Past Projects include:
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creating access to clean water sources
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increasing sanitation and hygiene
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providing health clinics
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establishing learning/resource center with computers
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[ WHAT IS OUR, PUC TEAM THAILAND'S, PROJECT? ]
We will be converting the Bannonggo School’s termite-infested storage room into a well-functioning kitchen.
The storage room, about 20 feet by 23 feet, will be torn down by the Suphan Buri community due to termite damage, which will then allow us to build the kitchen from the ground up.
For reference, the pink building is the school and the grey building is the room acting as a storage space. The inside of the storage space is also pictured from walking through the mint green door.
The school currently does not have a kitchen and caters meals every day for their students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade.
Often times, the lunch received from the school is the only meal some of the students receive in a day, so a well-functioning kitchen is necessary to provide these students with a proper nutritious meal in a sustainable manner.
Also, any leftover food from the kitchen will go directly to the local families in the surrounding villages, so both the health and nutrition of the students and local families are impacted.
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Our project will cover all aspects of the kitchen.
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1) Design & Build three walls (since the storage room is connected to the school) and a roof with concrete and metal materials to eliminate any future termite concerns
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2) Design & Provide electricity to ensure the kitchen appliances properly work and a plumbing system to supply easily accessible water
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Currently, the school’s closest water source is from a well that is about 50 feet away
3) Design & Construct the sinks for cooking/washing dishes and counter tops for adequate cooking space
[ WHAT MILESTONES NEED TO BE COMPLETED FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT? ]
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Milestone 1: Project Selection (Fall 2019)
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This involves discussions with the team along with advisors to select a project with high impact​
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Milestone 2: Project Scope (Fall 2019)
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We met with the advisors and NGO liaisons to help us define the scope of our project
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Milestone 3: Project Design (Spring - Fall 2020)
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We will conduct research on the environment and take into account risk factors while iterating through designs ​
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Milestone 4: Project Approval (Spring 2021)
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We will present in front of highly experienced engineers to get feedback and approval on our design
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Milestone 5: Project Implementation (Summer 2021)
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Finally in Thailand to implement our project!
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[ WHO IS INVOLVED? ]
UT Austin
The International Office at The University if Texas at Austin is responsible to ensure we have a safe environment to work in by properly researching potential PUC countries and NGOs prior to the start of our projects. They also help us assess in-country risks to prepare us for any problems that can arise.
SLAB
SLAB (Service Learning Advisory Board) is a group of experienced professors and practicing engineers that advise us on project logistics and community relations. We present five large milestone projects and weekly update reports to SLAB to check our project's feasibility and durability.
Thai NGO
Our NGO (non-governmental organization), the New Life Church, works closely with the Bannonggo School allowing us to properly act on the needs of the school and the Suphan Buri community. They will also provide us with safe lodging, food, and transportation along with translators and contractors.
We will collaborating with three major partners who are always involved in order to ensure that our project is safe, successful, and meets the needs of the Suphan Buri community.