Thank you! Deeply inspired! Having visited Ghana in 2013 for a month bringing my own volunteer literacy project and then staying on to interview young Ghanaians about their entrepreneurial projects I was constantly moved and motivated by their determination, perseverance and kindness. Two of the most inspiring projects were Ideas Banking; created by Prince Boadu (not a prince, though that is his name) and Kwadwo David. They visit college campuses bringing in young entrepreneurs who speak of their start ups in Education, Agriculture, Hospitality, Health Care, Technology. They get the students fired up. Then they divide the students into groups according to their area of interest, the Speakers become facilitators of brain storming sessions and by the end of the day the students are then invited to share their visions for projects & products on-stage. An idea is chosen and then funding is secured to bring it to fruition. The other ideas are then cataloged in the Ideas Bank; after all, we are never short on ideas :)
The second story that hit me was of a PhD Physics candidate at KNUST one of the best tech universities in Ghana. His particular area of study included the need for a very specific machine on which to calculate measurements. The university did not have the machine nor could they buy it, undaunted the student found specifications through google and university design students built the needed machine out of local clay!!! The PhD candidate then taught others how to use it!!!
We in the so called First World have much to learn about the determination, perseverance of the Third World. Here's to building those bridges between!
ORIGINAL COMMENT
Thank you! Deeply inspired! Having visited Ghana in 2013 for a month bringing my own volunteer literacy project and then staying on to interview young Ghanaians about their entrepreneurial projects I was constantly moved and motivated by their determination, perseverance and kindness. Two of the most inspiring projects were Ideas Banking; created by Prince Boadu (not a prince, though that is his name) and Kwadwo David. They visit college campuses bringing in young entrepreneurs who speak of their start ups in Education, Agriculture, Hospitality, Health Care, Technology. They get the students fired up. Then they divide the students into groups according to their area of interest, the Speakers become facilitators of brain storming sessions and by the end of the day the students are then invited to share their visions for projects & products on-stage. An idea is chosen and then funding is secured to bring it to fruition. The other ideas are then cataloged in the Ideas Bank; after all, we are never short on ideas :)
The second story that hit me was of a PhD Physics candidate at KNUST one of the best tech universities in Ghana. His particular area of study included the need for a very specific machine on which to calculate measurements. The university did not have the machine nor could they buy it, undaunted the student found specifications through google and university design students built the needed machine out of local clay!!! The PhD candidate then taught others how to use it!!!
We in the so called First World have much to learn about the determination, perseverance of the Third World. Here's to building those bridges between!