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Empowering Rural Women in Ghana: Changing Perspectives Through Technology

Explore HIV/AIDS in Africa, stereotypes in media, and the empowering work of Engineers Without Borders in Ghana. Learn about the impactful projects, like the Multifunctional Platform, and the inspiring story of Christy Yaa. Take action against inequality and embrace the power of your voice for positive change.

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Empowering Rural Women in Ghana: Changing Perspectives Through Technology

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  1. 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

  2. Presentation Outline • HIV/AIDS in Africa – Gapminder • Introduction to Ghana • “African” – Steretyping in Our Media • Engineers Without Borders (not just engineers!) • My Work in Ghana • Who is Christy Yaa? – World on Fire

  3. World Development Index • www.gapminder.org

  4. Engineers Without Borders • Mission Statement: • Promote human development through • access to technology. • Mission Statement: • Promote human development through • access to technology.

  5. 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

  6. A city in Ghana?

  7. Accra – Capital of Ghana

  8. Kumasi

  9. Ghana Today – Two Worlds

  10. Stereotypes of Africa

  11. Who is EWB’s Boss?

  12. 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

  13. Dorothy: Women With a Vision

  14. Attitude is Everything • Potential. Not Poverty. • “We” are “not poor” • “They” are “poor”

  15. The Multifunctional Platform

  16. The MFP – Multifunctional Platform

  17. 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

  18. Akua & Peter Fukour

  19. Working With Entrepreneurs

  20. ACCESS– NOT GIFTS

  21. 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?

  22. Our Goal

  23. Work Ourselves Out of a Job.

  24. The POWER ofVOICE

  25. Who is Christy Yaa?

  26. 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)

  27. World on Fire • www.worldonfire.ca

  28. The POWER ofCHOICE

  29. Sarah McLachlan: • Among many others: • Sponsored 3 Multi-Function Platforms in Ghana: $15,000 • Christy Yaa: $1,000 Scholarship • Nana Yaa: $1,000 Scholarship

  30. 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!

  31. 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

  32. Resources: • www.gapminder.org • www.worldonfire.ca • http://homepage.usask.ca/~cjr312/ghana • www.ewb.ca • www.cida.ca

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