Monthly Archives: June 2015

Contrarian Thoughts Concerning Do-gooding (Altruism, Charity)

Posted on 30-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

Providing humanitarian aid and economic assistance to developing countries has always been a controversial subject.  Two recent articles in a popular magazine and journal provide some contrarian reactions to popular beliefs. Sarah Begley in Time (6 & 13 Jul, 2015) … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Social Justice | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Do Robots Need to Resemble Humans?

Posted on 29-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

By Lev Grossman (Time, 8 Jun 2015) If it takes so much backbreaking math, why teach a robot to walk?  Why bother? Predator drones don’t walk.  Roombas don’t walk.  R2-D2 doesn’t walk.  The attachment to legs and really the human … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, transhumanism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Quick Visit to Playgrounds in Kigali, Rwanda

Posted on 24-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

I met a UN contractor through this blog.  We agreed to meet in Kigali, Rwanda, and he would going me some of UN’s work with preschools and primary schools (including playground equipment) in the rural areas around Kigali. On Sunday … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Playground, Social Justice | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

An Assessment Visit to the Batwa Pygmy Community in Southern Uganda

Posted on 21-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

The Batwa pygmies were moved from their original homeland when the Impenetrable Forest National Park (best known for its mountain gorilla population) was established.  They’ve had an awkward time adjusting to their new environment which is just adjacent to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Playground, Social Justice, uganda | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Changes in Ugandan Mountain Community of Kyarumba

Posted on 19-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

The small community of Kyarumba, Uganda, is located in the southern end of Rwenzori Mountains (aka Mountains of the Moon).  It straddles a wild river that is prone to flooding.  The community recently got electricity. In January 2015, I met … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, mormonism, Playground, Religion, Science, Social Justice, Technology, transhumanism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Computer-training Center in Masaka, Uganda

Posted on 18-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

In January (2015), my son-in-law and grandson installed a small computer-training facility in a LDS Chapel in Masaka, Uganda.  The LDS chapel was chosen for several reasons: secure location; rooms available Monday thru Saturday, availability of a relatively high-speed Internet … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Internet, mormonism, Social Justice, Technology, uganda | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Constructing at Swing Set at an Islamic Primary School near Arua, Uganda

Posted on 15-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

Today we met up with staff from the Islamic University in Arua, located in the northwest corner of Uganda, and headed 30 kilometers over a rough to a large Islamic primary school (Hirai).  The goal was to construct a 4-seat … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Playground, Social Justice, uganda | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Possible Shade Structures for African Schools

Posted on 11-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

Because of the heat and humidity, much of Africa’s education occurs in the shade out-of-doors.  Thus, I wondered about constructing shade structures. At a Christian restaurant in Lira, Uganda, I saw two wall-less shades structures that are easy to construct. … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, uganda | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Sad State of the School for the Deaf in Lira, Uganda

Posted on 07-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

Today (6 Jun) we spent the day working at the Nancy School for the Deaf in Lira, Uganda.  The school is a sad place.  The dormitories are in poor condition and there are few recreational possibilities.  The school has no … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Playground, Social Justice, uganda, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Installing Swing Sets in the Gulu, Uganda, Area

Posted on 05-June-2015 by rogerdhansen

A few years ago, Gulu was the center of an ugly uprising that left northern Uganda in dire straights.  Since the defeat of the rebel group–the Lord’s Resistance Army–the area is in recovery, but is still poor. Our objectives in … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Engineers Without Borders, Playground, Social Justice, uganda | Tagged , , | 3 Comments