Wednesday, December 30, 2009

E-Waste situation in Ghana: Public Health Implications

“The fight against the digital divide has resulted in massive imports of used and new computers and other electrical and electronic equipment into developing countries, especially in Africa. E-waste has hence become one of the major challenges in the field of waste management in developing countries” These were the opening remarks of Mr. Abu Iddrisu, Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of the Northern Region. He said this when he took his turn at the Northern ICT4D Series held at the Institute for Local Government Studies in Tamale on Thursday the 26th of November 2009.


Explaining what constitutes E-waste, Mr. Iddrisu said E-waste included computers, scanners, fax machines, processors, monitors, mobile phones, cables, old fridges etc.

He indicated that 20-50 million tons of E-waste is generated per year and these constitute a huge garbage problem that find their way into most developing countries including Ghana and hence presents a unique challenge for end of useful life disposal.

On the E-waste situation in Ghana, he said end-of-life electric and electronic gadgets (mobile phones, TVs, computers, refrigerators, etc.) are generated locally by various institutions, repair shops, industries and households. He said the collection of E-waste materials is being done predominantly by the informal sector without regard to health and safety. He added that recovery of materials is also predominantly done by the informal sector using crude methods and without regard to health and safety and the environment.

Mr. Iddrisu further said that there are indications that the reliance on Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) is on the rise. Some of these indicators he said includes the less restrictions on imports of used EEE, some of which arrive as end-of-life (imported e-waste). He added that there is also a general growing demand for new and used EEE by households, institutions, industry, etc. Unfortunately, he said, the standards of new EEE imported into Ghana may be low compared to those used in developed countries - hence high rate of obsolescence.

On what E-waste contains, he stated that E-waste contains valuable metals including; mercury, Barium, lead, arsenic, beryllium and cadmium and related plastic casing. He added that it also contains heavy metals that are not easily decomposed in the soil.

On how E-waste is currently disposed in Ghana he said they are simply disposed into water or on the naked ground, burnt, and or parts extracted out of them and hence generating more waste.

Speaking on the effects of E-waste, Mr. Iddrisu mentioned that they create ecological disasters, create environmental disasters, and create health problems.

On the health implications of e-waste , the Northern Regional Director of EPA mentioned that while LEAD damages the nervous systems, CADMIUM affects the proper functioning of the kidneys. He added that while MERCURY damages kidney and the brain, barium in plastics produces dioxins which can trigger swelling of brains, muscle weakness and cause damage to liver spleen and heart. He added that TONER triggers irritation of the respiratory tract.

To manage e-waste, Mr. Iddrisu called for a map out of current electronic acquisition and disposal, identification of appropriate partners for e-waste disposal, politicization of E-waste by lobbying politicians to see e-waste as a key and emerging environmental problem in Ghana. He further added that the determination of optimum solutions for e -waste in Ghana and the development of an E-waste legislation in Ghana are key factors to consider if we want to manage E-waste in Ghana

He concluded by saying that E-waste is a serious problem that is gradually catching up with us and that there is a need for all stakeholders and government to act swiftly to prevent future catastrophes. He added that the responsibility is on all of us to act swiftly and be informed about the dangers of e-waste to our health and the environment.

He called on GINKS and its partners to take the discussion of E-waste to a higher level than the ICT4D series. He urged GINKS to organize Regional workshops and seminars on the dangers of E-waste. This, he believes, will make a bigger impact in reducing the rise in E-waste in the country.

Ensuring an increase in the use of ICTs in the Bawku West District

A one day ICT4D Forum has been organised in Zebilla in the Bawku West District of Ghana. This was organized by the Zebilla Community Information Centre (CIC) in Collaboration with the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS).

Mr. Kubuga Kennedy, the CIC Coordinator (IICDs leveraging opportunity for 10 CICs in Northern Ghana) in charge of the Zebilla CIC mentioned that an evaluation conducted by IICD of the CIC revealed that a lot of the inhabitants made some substantial use of mobile phones for their businesses. He mentioned that this was no wonder as Zebilla is not too far from Bawku and Sankansi, both trading towns. He however lamented on the low rate of participation in and use of ICTs by women and prayed that with the institutionalization of knowledge sharing platforms as the ICT4D Forums, the interest of women in ICTs would increase.



Mr. Agbenyo John Stephen, the Northern Coordinator of GINKS gave a background to the ICT4D forums organized by GINKS over the years and the purpose of decentralizing this in the various districts through the Community Information Centres. He mentioned that this is to encourage knowledge sharing on topical issues in the digital economy and to increase the interest of people in using ICTs for Development.



When he took his turn to speak on the theme “Ensuring an increase in the use of ICTs in the Bawku West District”, Mr. Bukari Abdulai, the Assistant Headmaster for the Zebilla Senior High School begun by giving a brief explanation of what ICT is. He explained that an ICT tool is any kind of technology that makes it easy for information to be gathered, processed or disseminated from one place to another.



On the advantages of using ICTs, he stated that while workers can use computers to make their work easier, business people can make their networks through the use of ICTs such as mobile phones and Internet. He added that while students can use the Internet to search for information related to their subject area, teachers can use computers to make the computation of their students’ marks and grades very easily, quickly and more efficiently. “We can all take advantage of ICTs to do distance learning and acquire degrees and certificates while sitting in the comfort of our homes”. He cautioned that all the advantages of ICTs listed could elude the people of the Bawku West District if ICT centres are not present in the district.



On the current situation of ICTs in the district, he stated that the statistics of the district paints a very gloomy picture of the state and use of ICTs in the district. He said that out of a total population of about 88 thousand people in the district, there are only three computer schools and only one Internet café serving this huge number of inhabitants. He added that there is no radio station in the district to produce content that is specifically related to the district. He said land lines are very limited while the mobile phone services are not the best. He further said that the unavailability of broadband Internet Service in Zebilla also makes it difficult for anybody to set up an Internet Café. He added that most workers in the district have very little computer skills. He mentioned that while some of the basic schools in the district do not have the luxury of electricity, not even a single one has a computer lab·



Mr. Abdulai added that ICT tutors in the district are just forcing themselves to prepare their students to compete with students from other well endowed schools in the country and said the current situation has made it difficult for even those who are interested in the use of ICTs to make good use of ICT.



He said the only ICT facility that is owned by the District Assembly is the Community Information Centre which has no Internet.



Speaking on how to improve upon the use of ICTs in the district, Mr. Abdulai urged the District Assembly to as a matter urgency look into the quickest way possible to get Internet connection to the CIC as quickly as possible. He called for more ICT related events such as the ICT4D forums to be organised frequently.



Contributing to the discussion, the Information Officer of the District, Mr. Abdul Aziz Abubakar concurred with the speaker and called upon all the stakeholders present, to as a matter of urgency, take the unavailability of internet at the community information centre as a very serious issue and hence exert pressure on the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) through the District Assembly to provide the centre with Internet.



Community Information Centre (CIC) Managers from nine other districts who were also present at the forum gave various suggestions on how the Zebilla CIC Manager could improvise in the midst of scarce resources at the centre. They urged him to liaise with the District Education director on how best the centre could serve schools within the district.



Other participants spoke on how unfair it would be to have students from the district and other districts in similar woes to write the WAEC organized exams on ICT next April especially that ICT has been made a core subject in the school curriculum.



The forum ended with a resolution by all participants to take up the issue of ICT seriously in the district and to exert a lot of pressure on the torch bearers to vigorously deploy ICT facilities in the District.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Northern Projects Node meeting held

The Northern Projects Node successfully organized a one day projects node meeting in Tamale at the Arewa Sunshine Hotel on Thursday the 24th of September 2009.

Present at the node meeting were IICD supported projects (ACDEP, MAPRONET, WADEP, CIC Managers from Zebilla, Bolgatanga, Bongo, Sandema, Damongo Walewale, Salaga, Yendi and Bimbilla and Bernadette Huizinga, Capacity Development Officer, IICD.


The Northern Projects Node Coordinator, Agbenyo John Stephen thanked all who came from far and near for being a part of the meeting. He explained to participants the essence of the node meetings and urged all and sundry to actively and freely participate in the discussions.

A video documentary of telecentre sustainability was shown. The video explained how the Kilosa Rural Service and Electronic Communication (KIRSEC) which started as an Internet café and provided farmer news and other secretarial services grew on the back of a business plan to become a thriving ISP.

In the video, Mr. Mark Farahani, CEO of KIRSEC explained how he developed a business plan for KIRSEC and watched the telecentre grow as a result of the implementation of the business plan.

A discussion was held on the video by the participants. Participants were of the view that based on the video, it is clear that there are a lot of resources, but we are not really profiting from them because we are not making the best use of them. Also, Internet enabled computers are not just for special people, but they are for all including the local people. CIC Managers present agreed that their CICs could be used to provide fishing and weather information for farmer groups in their communities.

The mention of telecentre sustainability hinged on business plan set the tone for another fruitful discussion. Mr. Mubarak Muntari, CIC Manager of the Bolgatanga CIC mentioned how fruitful a recently organized Business plan development workshop organized by IICD for CIC managers from 10 districts in the Northern Region has been. He said most of the CICs are considered a waste by the assemblies but urged his colleagues CIC managers to use their business plans to prove to the Assemblies that the CICs are a very viable business ventures. The CIC managers were urged to factor into their business plans, the role of the other IICD supported projects and networks.

PEER ASSIST – WADEP
Mr. Obed Tuabu of WADEP presented a challenge for a peer assist. The following were his questions;
1. Has TRADENET served ECAMIC well?
2. What has been the bottlenecks and setbacks in the Market Price Information distribution to their farmers?
3. What are some of the pitfalls WADEP should avoid in their Market Access Information Project implementation process?
4. Is Esoko a good option, are they giving a good service?

Though the ECAMIC representation was not present at the project node meeting, the other project partners available brought in various suggestions that could be considered by WADEP
Mr. Norbert Apentibadek mentioned that an alternative for WADEP to consider is to contact Savana Farmers Marketing Company. He mentioned that they work with small farmers and producers and help them to have access to markets. They do this buying the products. He mentioned that volume and the quality are assured with the help of MoFA.

Mr. Norbert pledged to link the two organizations (WADEP and Savana Farmers).

The CIC Managers also had another alternative for WADEP. Mr. Mubarak urged WADEP also take a look at http://www.shopafrica53.com/

He mentioned that they are into the sale of traditional goods within localities. He said data and form are designed so that personal data of producers are captured and the goals include Reliable design and Uniform competitive price

The CIC managers were tasked to send full data about this platform to the dgroups for further study and discussion

Mr. Bala Ibrahim and Mr. Latif Baako took turns to educate WADEP on the Esoko platform. They mentioned that MAPRONET is almost about concluding discussions with the managers of the Esoko platform; thus, MAPRONET will soon be joining the Esoko platform

Showcase of Blog of Damango District
Mr. Malik Ewuntomah Joe, the CIC Manager of the Damongo CIC was given the opportunity to do a showcase of the district and CIC blogsite http://www.damongodistrict.blogspot.com

He stated that it is one thing haveing the blog and another thing keeping it updated. He urged his colleague CIC Managers to collaborate effectively with their District Information Officers to keep their blogs updated with news of the District and the CICs

Saturday, October 3, 2009

The Introduction of ICT into the Ghanaian Educational Curriculum; successes, failures and the way forward

Alhaji Mohammed Haroon, a director at the Tamale Metropolitan Education office has identified the lack of ICT trained teachers, cost of broadband internet connection, inadequate computers and electricity as some of the challenges facing the implementation of the introduction of ICT into the Ghanaian school curriculum. Alhaji Haroon said this at the July session of the Northern ICT4D Series held at the Institute for Local Government Studies in Tamale.

Speaking on the theme “The introduction of ICT into the Ghanaian Educational Curriculum; successes, failures and the way forward”, Alhaji Haroon mentioned that this is the first time government policy is including ICT in the content of education as a matter of national priority. He further explained that due to the importance of ICT in Education, the Ministry of Education has been facilitating the process of integrating ICT in the educational system because this will facilitate Teaching and learning at all levels of education.

On the successes chalked so far, Mr. Haroon said children hitherto who were ignorant on ICT tools have now been introduced to ICT tools hence their enthusiasm has been whipped up since they are now aware of its usefulness. He mentioned that students now access educational websites for text books and other educational information. He further said an ICT policy has been developed by the Ministry of Education with the support of the Global e-schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), coupled with the setting up of the National ICT in Education coordinating Committee.

In his concluding words, Mr. Haroon said “Even though ICT is going to play a major role in this current educational system, a lot more things are yet to be put in place. The planning should have been done years ago before the policy pronouncement and implementation”

When he took his turn to speak, the Assistant Headmaster of St. Charles Minor Seminary in Tamale, Mr. George Nego Fugluu gave a background of educational reforms since the colonial days and educational reforms since independence. He said on January 7, 2002 a committee composed of 29 knowledgeable Ghanaians drawn from across a section of stakeholders in the education sector chaired by Prof. Jophus Anamuah-Mensah then Vice Chancellor of University of Education Winneba were to address deficiencies of the 1987 Reforms in the area of Objectives, Content, Administration and Management, quality, equitableness and economic utility, to discuss among other issues the structure of education and issues affecting the development and delivery of education, constrained access to different levels of the educational ladder, Information and Communication Technology, and distance education, Professional development, Management and financing of education.

Mr. Nego said while at the basic level the introduction of ICT sought to introduce pupils to Computer hardware and other peripherals (Touching, feeling and manipulation of the hardware components) and having fun, games, and creative works (drawing etc) using the computer, the inclusion of ICT at Secondary Education Level aimed at the aacquisition of basic ICT literacy, developing interest and use ICT for learning in other subjects, acquisition of knowledge for application of ICT in education and business, the use of the Internet to communicate effectively and the ability to follow basic ethics in the use of ICT.

He mentioned that it is expected that the knowledge and skills gained will help students to use ICT in almost all their courses at school and to access information for further learning.

Speaking on the achievements of the introduction of ICT into the school curriculum, he mentioned the following:
• Increasing computer awareness among students.
• Teaching and Learning has been made much easier with the use of ICT in schools.
• Students with high IQ can now find something to engage them meaningfully instead of indulging themselves in some social vices.
• Educational institutions have economic network with other organizations
• There is keen and healthy competition among schools in ICT knowledge sharing
• ICT at the school level sets the basis for further training in the Universities and Post Sec. Institutions
• A wide area network known as research and Educational Network (REN) has been established in Ghana with the support of World Bank to serve as nodes for the broad network for the Ghanaian Universities, Research institutions (CSIR) and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission

On the challenges, Mr. George Nego stated the following:
• Inadequate Trained Personnel to handle the Facilitation of the subject.
• Inadequate supply of teaching and learning materials
• Lack of Infrastructure
• Lack of Administrative support
• Lack of power supply in the Rural Areas.
• The lack of internet connectivity in most schools to broaden access to information
• High cost of ICT services and components.
• The brain drain syndrome in the area of ICT professional

On the way forward, the Assistant headmaster disclosed that ICT should be seen as an enabler, as a tool to benefit the whole of society and not only the elite and the urban areas. He also said the less privileged should be encouraged to use ICT tools to trade and to create wealth for the country, others must be proactively helped to use and benefit from ICT. He further stated that the quality of education should be continuously improved and this is aided by intensive and extensive use of ICT.

THE NORTHERN YOUTH AND MOBILE TELEPHONY

Mr. Aziz Ibn Shiraz, President of Youth Action Movement has bemoaned the way the Northern youth perceive and use cell phones. This came to light during the August session of the Northern ICT4D Series held in Tamale on 27th August 2009.

He traced the history of cell phone penetration into the Northern Ghana and mentioned that youth of today go in for fashionable designer cell phones with very sophisticated ring tones instead of first pondering over why they need to even use cell phones. He mentioned that while youth elsewhere brainstorm on daily basis, how to use cell phones for development, the youth of the north only see it as an entertainment tool.

Mr. Aziz mentioned that some of the basic use of cell phones includes voice calls, text messages, radio and Internet. On what it can be used for, he mentioned that sending text messages reduces cost, minimizes time and saves energy. He added that in an era where the youth has become so obsessed in “Ghana Man Time”, using cell phones to set reminders will help the youth over come the issue of responding to appointments late.

He ended his presentation by charging the youth to, at the end of the expiration of their talk time, ask themselves of what value the talk time had added to their lives. His concluding words were, “Technology was intended to make our lives better, to save cost and energy. Let us make the most use of it”

When he took his turn, A Doctor in Alternative medicine, Dr/Alt. Amomba Bruno gave a presentation on the use of cell phones and their health implications. He compared cell phones to microwave devices and disclosed that cell phones have thermal effects. He further mentioned that other effects of the use of cell phones include reproductive effects, cataract, nerve degeneration, brain tumor and headache.

He urged all who make use of cell phones to alternate the ears when receiving and making calls. He also asked all who make use of cell phones to decrease the length of time used and rather send text messages, use hands free cell phones. He also advised all to receive and make calls under trees as trees block and absorb the radiations and gives proper oxygen.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Baby Last


I read this piece, Friends: by rebirth Africa and thought to myself "This piece has just been written for me".

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.


Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.


LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
But thank the people you meet for being a part of your life, whether they were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Challenges Facing the Northern woman in the effective utilisation of ICTs

Miss Margaret Ama Kyiu of the Development Alternative Services Foundation (DASF) has disclosed that women, especially northern women need to cultivate some attitudinal change to embrace ICTs by showing a more a positive will. She said this at the May session of the Northern ICT4D Series held on Thursday the 28th of May 2009 at the Institute for Local Government Studies.

Speaking on the uses of ICTs, she explained that ICTs facilitate public and private sector activities, promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, improve the quality of life for citizens, sharing knowledge and improving access to information, facilitating activities in the business sector.

Miss. Kyiu mentioned that ICTs present direct benefits to women. She mentioned that socially, ICTs can substantially improve lives of women (northern women) by providing learning opportunities (education, research), health care delivery, environmental protection, etc. Economically, it provides increased incomes through increased volumes of trade, less cost of trade, increased productivity, access to market/market information and access to finance. Politically, it provides increased participation in governance both at the local and national levels.

On challenges facing women in the effective utilization of ICTs, Miss Kyiu mentioned the biological and social roles of women in the family and the community as the key barrier. She also mentioned that educationally, there is minimal learning and skills development in ICTs for women and the inability of women to effectively apply ICT knowledge and skills for their own benefits.
Another challenge Miss Kyiu identified as a barrier to women is Technology. She stated that there is limited access to ICTs for women especially in northern Ghana, high cost of the services (acquisition and knowledge) especially in rural areas, lack of good publicity and incentives to attract potential users of ICTs, inability to identify information sources that meet the needs of women, difficulty in finding the right ICT tool(s) to support line of business, poor quality of service - internet and telecommunication services, high cost of maintenance and sustainability and the lack of access to family property or institutional finance thereby making it difficult to engage in self-employment in the ICT sector.

On the way forward, she stated that providing an enabling environment which supports and encourages strategies to promote women’s equal access, creating a regulation and policy environment which supports women’s use of ICTs, developing local content which speaks to women’s concerns and reflects their local knowledge, and which is of value for their daily lives, supporting increased representation of women and girls in scientific and technical education, promoting increased employment in the IT sector for women, the implementation of e-governance strategies which are accessible to women and promote women’s lobbying and advocacy activities.

To conclude, she urged all especially women to see themselves not as passive recipients of information, but as active knowledge and technology developers and sharers.

When he took his turn, Mr. Agbenyo John Stephen of GINKS explained that a series of factors constrain women’s access to ICTs. These include illiteracy and education, time, cost, geographical location of facilities, social and cultural norms and very few female role models.

Mr. Agbenyo disclosed that although IT is a new field, a gendered division of labor has already emerged and this has resulted in women being just end users, taking up low skilled IT jobs, a small percentage of women engaging in maintenance and design of networks, operating systems or software development.

He further explained that various reasons can be assigned to the low female participation in ICTs. He mentioned that teaching methodology used to teach ICT in schools is one of the causes of low female participation. He said ICT teachers rely on boys for technical difficulties while they are quick to take away tasks from girls when they (the girls) face operational/technical difficulties. He charged the Northern Ghana Trainers Group (NGT) of which he is a member to always give women and girls the opportunity to explore and overcome their own challenges.

Mr. Agbenyo also said computer games have been directed to a largely male market. He said these play a significant role in stimulating boys’ interest in computers and in developing their skills and effectively give boys a head start in getting to grips with the complexities of computing. He further mentioned socially constructed roles as another cause of low female participation of women in ICTs.

On the way forward to increase the participation of women in ICTs, Mr. Agbenyo John Stephen urged women to focus their minds on the positives that ICTs can provide them such as economic empowerment and political empowerment.

He concluded by stating that women need to help leapfrog their own participation in ICTs by being a little tough as well as sacrificing time. He also urged role models in the field such as the Dorothy Gordans to be more and more visible so the young ones can look up to them. He urged content providers to produce “Women friendly” user content.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

All i want is YOU!

All I want is someone to to talk to
Someone to listen to me

All I want is someone to to talk to
Someone to share my troubles with
Someone to pour out my hear to

All I want is someone to to talk to
Someone to give me a hearing ear
Someone to say, i am lietening
Someone to oh, sorry that happened to you

All I want is someone to to talk to
Someone to say i " i share your troubles"
Someone to say " i share your dissappointment
Someone to listen to me
Someone to hear me

All I want is YOU!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Electronic waste


Reading through a story written Emmanuel K. Dogbevi on
http://ewasteguide.info/e-waste-campaign-gra
has kept me thinking about the future of telecentres and e-waste.

Look at the pictures on the link where Emmanuel wrote his story. What are we going to do about those? There are several computer schools and Internet cafes springing up in Ghana and especially in Tamale where i live and work. This is good new to me because gradually the myth surrounding computers is being broken as people will not think of computers as some "magic" in the sky. Gradually, the digital divide will be broken. The sad part of this happening though is the fact that these computers are almost "dead" computers. These raises the question of e-waste. Are we embracing these "slightly used" or "home used" computers while thinking of the environment and the future generation? These things do not decompose and have their own effects.

The good news though is that, the three telecentres (Salaga CIC, Yendi CIC and Bimbilla CIC) that i have had the opportunity of working with in Ghana, are all using brand new computers. The use of brand new computers at the Community Information Centres/telecentres established by the Government of Ghana in the various districts in Ghana is one that should be applauded. Assuming all of the 210 district CICs were using the "home used" computers. What then would happen to our environment?

The vision of the Community Information Centre (CIC) concept is to create rural access centres and use the medium of ICT to promote community-based ICT applications that will promote operational efficiencies delivered through effective and timely availability of information. The purpose is to provide community development information and business services to remote communities. CIC’s will provide access to: Internet-enabled computers, software based on the local information needs, Fax machines, Printers, Copiers, Telephones, Television and Radios. In addition there will be an adjoining library with books and daily newspapers and magazines.

The International Institute for communication and development(IICD) is partnering with GIFTEL to support the Community Information Centres (CICs) in the the north of Ghana.

Let your comments come in.

Cheers!