October 2007

This is me back in Canada. The picture was taken in mid-September after I returned from making a presenation to the Lincoln Rotary Club at breakfast. I had been invited to speak and made some effort to prepare a suitable presentation, including photos. And part of the presentation is a Ghanaian dress. Everyone seemed quite impressed with the outfit.

I prepared a talk covering certain things that I felt were important to share about my experience. Unfortunately, I didn't really plan my talk around the pictures I had chosen to show. Both depicted something of my experience of Ghana but they didn't necessarily go together. I chose to tell the story as prompted by the pictures I had chosen rather than forcing a speech and looking for supporting pictures. I have to admit, knowing that the presentation would be no longer than 20 minutes, I was a bit casual in my presentation. I had forgotten that it takes more to prepare a short, succinct presentation than it does to just ramble on.

The presentation was received warmly and several of the members indicated that they sensed my appreciation of the experience from what I said and the enthusiasm with which I said it. And I did use the opportunity to do some "preaching". A point that I wanted to make and continue to make is that African countries, and other developing countries, do not need the things that we no longer have a use for. If I want to send something to Ghana, I need to reach a little bit deeper into my pocket to send something that will be useful for an extended period of time, and not just something that is too good for me to throw in the garbafe.

The example that I used was a real one to me. Computers have a life cycle. Corporations upgrade their computer systems every three or four years. The old computers are still useable, but are not the fastest or the most current. They are often donated to not-for-profit organizations or to schools or to other beneficiaries. These donated computers are used until they are replaced because of new donations. The computers that came to me in Ghana were donated from schools. In general, I would suggest that a computer that is no longer of use to a school in North America is probably of even less use to a school or NGO in a developing country. It takes too much effort to keep the computers running. There is very little technical support for hardware or software for these older computers. They are often set beside a modern computer that has been donated by another agency and the discrepancies are too obvious. The life span of these donated computers is quite short, if they are able to be used at all. And the developing countries have no recycling program to properly dispose of the electronic equipment that was donated to them.

So, instead of donating "stuff" that is ready for recycling or garbage, let's all dig a bit deeper and give what can be used and what has a life span of years and not months or weeks.

I am still finding my feet here in Canada. The weather has been quite a change. From Ghana, I received reports of heavy rains with no breaks between. The result was the collapse of mud buildings because there wasn't a day of dry between the rains for the mud to dry out. Lives were lost, crops were lost, travel was difficult. None of my personal friends died, but some did lose parts of their houses and farms to the rain. The result of the early drought followed by too much late rain will be hunger for many this year and less seed to plant next year so probable hunger again next year. Recovery from this year will take two or more years. Yet the people remain positive and look to a good future. I miss that about Ghana too.

I am doing some work on a friend's farm cutting firewood. I enjoy the manual labour. It is satisfying to realize that I am tired at the end of a day of work, and I can look and see three or four cords of wood ready for sale or use. And I continue to look for suitable and satisfying employment. It will come in time.