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