For the Love of Humanity

What happened on UCreateChange.com (3-9 May 2010)

We were going through our UCreateChange Fanpage last week. And we were particularly struck by this comment: “It's so good to know there is an Engineer group, other than Doctors without Borders.” on our wall.

It was about Engineers without Borders.

The name isn’t very original and like their more well-known group, they go to developing countries to create solutions for their current needs. What’s interesting is that they try to use locally-sourced materials or methods for their solutions.

Like this treadle device that farmers use to pump water from wells. It’s an example of how a very simple idea (a foot pump attached to a water hose) could be used by rural farmers at very low cost. That’s ingenious…but at the same time, humanitarian engineers need to be culturally-sensitive.

Millee.org is an example. It teaches English by using village games familiar to the kids. That version of the project only came about when the lead, Dr Matthew Kam (we’re still working on our interview with him! Akan Datang!), visited that village and saw kids being more at ease with their village games rather than the ABC song.

And if you think that Engineers without Borders are just good for hammering two culturally-sensitive pieces of wood together. Well, have a look at these Plug and Play Hospitals that inflates into a giant tent and comes with everything that a doctor ever needs.

These are just a few examples on how engineering and it’s very new discipline “Humanitarian Engineering” can make a positive difference in our world. So if you’re seriously thinking of helping someone, well... be a humanitarian and be an engineer.

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