Programme Overview:

• The Just Infrastructure Lab (JIL or “the Lab”) Programme is an Engineers Without Borders South Africa (EWB-SA) initiative.
• The Programme aims to work collaboratively with under-resourced communities to address the complex community challenges in those areas, with an emphasis on infrastructural projects.
• Each project has a distinctive design question that it aims to answer, while leaning into the EWB-SA core concepts of empowerment, justice, and sustainability.
• EWB-SA has a community of engineers and other professionals who can contribute their skills and knowledge to the scoped projects, following a human-centred-design approach.

Call Summary:

We are building a committed volunteer network of professionals who are passionate about contributing their expertise to community-based infrastructure and development projects. Through the Just Infrastructure Lab (JIL) Programme, we engage in projects that respond directly to the needs and aspirations of local communities—supporting everything from technical site investigations and design reviews to systems optimisation and construction advisory.

We are building a committed volunteer network of professionals who are passionate about contributing their expertise to community-based infrastructure and development projects. Through the Just Infrastructure Lab (JIL) Programme, we engage in projects that respond directly to the needs and aspirations of local communities—supporting everything from technical site investigations and design reviews to systems optimisation and construction advisory.

We are inviting volunteers across all engineering disciplines—civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, water, environmental—as well as professionals from the broader built environment fields, including architecture, planning, quantity surveying, and related areas.

By joining our volunteer community, you will:

• Be among the first to hear about new opportunities to contribute to meaningful, real-world projects
• Participate in short-term or ongoing project work, based on your skills and availability
• Stay connected through programme updates, learning exchanges, and community-building events
• Help us expand our impact across Johannesburg and beyond

Whether you’re based locally or in another region, your involvement can support the growth and reach of our programme.

Sign up below to be part of a growing network of professionals committed to building more just, sustainable, and community-centred infrastructure

Apply now