C h r i s R i c h a r d s J u n i o r F e l l o w s h i p, G h a n a 0 4.

C h r i s R i c h a r d s J u n i o r F e l l o w s h i p, G h a n a 0 4

Presentation Outline

1. HIV/AIDS in Africa – Gapminder

2. Introduction to Ghana

3. “African” – Steretyping in Our Media

4. Engineers Without Borders (not just engineers!)

5. My Work in Ghana

6. Who is Christy Yaa? – World on Fire

World Development Index

www.gapminder.org

Engineers Without Borders

Mission Statement:

Promote human development through

access to technology.

Mission Statement:

Promote human development through

access to technology.

Ghana, West Africa

• 1/3 the size of Saskatchewan

• 20 M people

• 2/3 of the population is rural

• 40% Unemployment rate

• Gained independence from Britain in 1957 (English)

• Life expectancy at birth: 58

A city in Ghana?

Accra – Capital of Ghana

Kumasi

Ghana Today – Two Worlds

Stereotypes of Africa

Who is EWB’s Boss?

Who Does EWB Work For?

Our Focus is Empowerment of Rural Women:

– Women represent 70% of the world’s “poor”

– They earn only 10% of the world’s income

– They own 1% of the world’s property

– Yet they work 2/3 of the world’s working hours and produce half

the world’s food

Dorothy: Women With a Vision

Attitude is Everything

Potential. Not Poverty.

“We” are “not poor”

“They” are “poor”

The Multifunctional Platform

The MFP – Multifunctional Platform

Why Machines?

• Work is hard and painful

• Takes a great deal of time

• Girls miss school

• Turn 4 hours of work into 15 minutes

• Time to earn income in other ways

• Increased income for family

Akua & Peter Fukour

Working With Entrepreneurs

ACCESS – NOT GIFTS

Maintenance and Repair

Over 50% of the water pumps installed in

Africa have failed and cannot be fixed by

local people.

Where are they going to get spare parts?

Ownership?

Need?

Our Goal

Work Ourselves Out of a Job.

The POWER of VOICE

Who is Christy Yaa?

A Letter From the Field

I visit a woman with a stunning smile every night to buy oranges. Her name is Christy Yaa and she never lets me pay for my oranges because she wants me to take them as a gift.

She works everyday from 6am until 2pm as a cleaner, and then from 4pm until midnight selling oranges. She does this seven days a week.

She is a single mother and every penny she earns goes towards putting her 20-year-old son through secondary school near her home village.

As an engineer in Canada I would have made more in a day than she does in a year. And still, she does not let me pay for my oranges.

- Mike Quinn (Summer of 2004)

World on Fire

www.worldonfire.ca

The POWER of CHOICE

Sarah McLachlan:

Among many others:

Sponsored 3 Multi-Function Platforms in Ghana: $15,000

Christy Yaa: $1,000 Scholarship

Nana Yaa: $1,000 Scholarship

Take Action!

Don’t tolerate stereotypes, racism, or inequality!

Educate yourself and others (friends & family)!

Write to politicians and actively use your voice!

Volunteer locally and globally!

The Power of Voice!

Powerlessness and silence go together.

We should use our privileged positions not as a shelter from the world's reality, but as a platform from which to speak.

A voice is a gift. It should be cherished and used.

- Margaret Atwood

Resources:

www.gapminder.org

www.worldonfire.ca

http://homepage.usask.ca/~cjr312/ghana

www.ewb.ca

www.cida.ca