The little things

Prior to my trip to Ghana, I solicited more than just monetary donations for Women In Progress...I was told Global Mamas was in need of general computer equipment such as laptops, routers, keyboards, mice, etc.  I would collect these donations and personally bring them to Ghana because if you try to ship items, they, well, thin out along the way.

I had hardly put the word on the street and I was receiving these items from friends.  Four routers.  What on earth will they do with four routers?  Well, turns out they will happily use all four routers...and the keyboards, and mice.  You see, it is quite hot and humid in Ghana and computer equipment takes quite a beating.  Replacing items here is costly and hit-or-miss on quality.

It's these little things we often take for granted that can have a huge impact on a business's ability to function.  For example, if the router goes kaput at the production site, internet connectivity is lost and it is not possible to receive orders via email.  Business can essentially come to a halt.

You have to keep in mind that an internet connection itself is already light and spotty here and an "always up" secured connection between offices is not viable.  Just imagine how much more challenging work would be at your company under these conditions.

Fishing boats in Prampram

Life in the slow lane

I took a quick trip to Prampram shortly after arriving.  It is one of the locations for production, that is, batiking and sewing garments, bags, baskets (they make really cool collapsible baskets), etc.  I'm doing some database design work for them to help track orders and other information, so don't really need access to internet.  However, I realized just how dependent I've become on the internet as a frequent resource for information - how was I going to code this or that without looking it up on the internet?  I want my Google!

Well, the process to get my little web fix was to borrow (essentially) an air card from someone there.  This meant they were not on the internet while I was asking Google how to do my job.  I had to be brief, but the connection was slow.  It was only a few days into my trip and I was feeling completely handicapped by the whole technology situation.

So, to circle back around, I want to again thank those who donated items and assure you they are being put to good use!

-Charlotte