Chantilly, VA – May 19, 2025 – ECS Group of Companies (ECS), a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities engineering, partnered with Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) and the Northern Virginia Professional Chapter (EWB-NOVA) in August 2024 to restore an impassable roadway in Kaseye, a remote village in northern Malawi.
This roadway is more than infrastructure—it is a lifeline. Each rainy season, the village’s earthen road becomes impassable, cutting off access to essential services including the Kaseye Mission Hospital, local schools and churches. These conditions have posed life-threatening challenges for villagers seeking medical care, education and daily necessities.
In April 2025, a dedicated team of engineers—including ECS’s own Bryan Layman, PE—traveled nearly 9,000 miles and crossed rugged terrain over two days of air travel and four days overland to reach Kaseye. The team spent a week on the ground:
- Conducting GPS surveys over a four-mile stretch of road
- Meeting with community members and local leaders to understand their needs
- Consulting with regional contractors about construction practices
- Collecting critical data to inform drainage and road design improvements
This trip marked the successful completion of the assessment phase and now paves the way for engineering evaluation, hydrologic analysis and phased construction planning. As EWB-NOVA and ECS move into the next stage, the focus is on designing durable, cost-effective improvements that are locally sustainable and respectful of regional conditions and governance.
“This is a deeply human project,” said Bryan Layman, Senior Vice President and Subsidiary Regional Manager at ECS. “EWB-USA has allowed me to apply my engineering, problem-solving and leadership skills to serve communities that are often forgotten. I’m proud to contribute to a project that could dramatically change the quality of life for the Kaseye villagers.”
The ECS Foundation and EWB-USA are calling for support—whether through engineering expertise, fundraising or advocacy—to bring this effort to life. Learn more about how you can contribute at EWB-USA’s website and ECS Foundation.
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About ECS
ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 2,800 employees in 100+ offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #64 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms (April 2024), #144 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms (October 2024) and #28 in Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List (June 2024). For additional information about ECS, visit: www.ecslimited.com.
About EWB-USA
Founded in 2002 by University of Colorado professor Bernard Amadei, EWB-USA was born out of a desire to address the disparity in engineering resources allocated to the world’s most underserved populations. Inspired by a 2001 water and sanitation project in a Mayan community in Belize, Amadei and his students wanted to create sustainable engineering solutions for the billions who lack fundamental services. EWB-USA addresses serious issues such as unsoiled drinking water, sanitation systems, sustainable energy and transportation infrastructure.
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