Archive for July, 2011

Recently my thoughts have been largely focused on the terrible events that occurred in Norway on Friday. Fortunately no friends or family were directly affected, but in such a small country it is certain that at most, only two or three degrees often separate people. Such a tragic event that occurred…

Our experience in Ghana on the other hand has been calm and peaceful. In fact, in my opinion, Ghana’s greatest asset is the people. They are extremely friendly and it has been comforting to feel safely surrounded by kind folks. Incredibly, people seem satisfied here even though they don’t have Wal-Mart or TGI Friday’s (we did find Walf-Mart though!), and people even smile on days when they don’t witness double rainbows. Of course, you always encounter aberrations from the norm (more explanation later), but overall we have been welcomed in this new culture.

Cultural observations have largely consisted of meetings with our client, taxi rides, accommodation searching and grocery shopping. To this point, we have only done sightseeing around downtown and greater Accra, including a trip to the Makola Market and a local Rastafarian celebration (strangely a bruni dj with a Macbook “spinned” – or played reggae songs from itunes for an hour). However, an exciting trip outside of Accra is in the cards as we will be traveling to Donkorkram and staying there for at least three days in order to witness some of PALMS’ agricultural operations and speak to Ras Benji.

As for the seldom found unwelcoming locals: make sure to not take pictures of the gentlemen at the Makola Market who are selling remotes or the ladies selling vegetables – you may be verbally chastised or spanked on the rear. At least, that’s what happened to Carlos.

*note: this blog should’ve been posted on Monday, but poor internet access in Donkorkram prevented it.

While not a religious person myself, I recognize that religion does a lot of good for a lot of people—it creates community, provides support networks and a safety net, and often gives back to society through service.

I am honored to work with Christian Volunteer Service International (CVSI), an NGO that exemplifies the type of positive influence that religion can have on the world—CVSI brings people together in the spirit of service, providing a forum where people volunteer their time and donate their funds for the greater societal good.

Unfortunately, religion also brings people together for other reasons.  Check out this link: http://vibeghana.com/2011/07/19/ghana-police-ordered-to-arrest-all-gays/

Christian and Muslim communities unite… over hate.  This article doesn’t make clear that the government of Ghana doesn’t actually plan to start rounding ‘em up; it is really just a lone MP mouthing off as a homophobe in response to mass protests against homosexuality.

Try reading the first few paragraphs of this article inserting the word “Jew” for “homosexual”.  Scary.  Similar vibes have surfaced in Uganda in the last couple years and culminated in the introduction of a brutal anti-gay bill, supposedly inspired by American evangelicals.

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-12/world/us.uganda.homosexuality_1_ugandan-parliament-human-rights-anti-homosexuality?_s=PM:WORLD

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/05/11/uganda-anti-homosexual-bill-inspired-by-american-evangelicals.html

Speaking of Western influence, a friend of mine who grew up in Africa mentioned that some Africans view homosexuality as a foreign disease that came with colonialism.  She also passed along an interesting article on the subject (http://www.economist.com/node/16219402 ), quoted here:

“In many former colonies, denouncing homosexuality as an “un-African” Western import has become an easy way for politicians to boost both their popularity and their nationalist credentials. But Peter Tatchell, a veteran gay-rights campaigner, says the real import into Africa is not homosexuality but politicised homophobia.”

People spend extraordinary amounts of time and money interfering in the lives of others… I’m embarrassed for people who involve themselves in these crusades of hate.  Is it really a zero sum game to give others rights and respect? Futhermore, when people fixate on this issue… I often suspect irony. Surely the resources and energy focused on this issue could be better spent elsewhere.   Like on finishing the Nsawam Road bridge in North Accra.  The traffic is horrible.

When we arrived last week in Ghana our team had prepped enough to know what it was we didn’t know. That way we could immediately start gathering the information necessary to develop a set of deliverables that would best meet the needs of our client. So we got on site, did just that, and showed up at our meeting last Friday confidant in our proposed deliverables that we were hoping to get our client’s sign off on. But of course, as a rule of thumb in consulting, we should have expected the unexpected. Despite discovering that PALMS’s moringa-focused business was still in the earliest stages of infancy and deserved our full consulting attention to get it off the ground, our client was very focused on having us work on developing a business plan for biodiesel production – something that almost seemed like a pipe dream from our vantage point.  As our team sat around (admittedly a little frustrated and confused) collecting ourselves to determine how to go forward, I was hit by a wave of inspiration and excitement when I recalled something I had learned in Professor Ramaswamy’s Global Strategy class – one of the foundational principles of operating in an emerging market is long term vision. This was exciting for two reasons: 1) the ideas on the table were starting to make sense and 2) I could breathe a quasi sigh of relief that the tuition money was starting to pay off.

In a western environment where business plans are developed to attract investors who want an exit in two years or less and a payback period less than 12 months, planning is linear, we focus on the most immediate need and speed to market is king. These things are important in the emerging market space, but the institutional voids are many and barriers are high, so you have to be ready to dig your heels in and hold on for the ride – no matter how long it may be. Planning is systemic, you need to be open to the whole picture in order to plant seeds well ahead of time (literally and figuratively in this case) to reap harvest even years down the line. In Ghana, where savings and credit culture is only budding (both indicators of longer term thinking), our lead client, Pastor Brenyah, is truly a visionary.

As a result, we’re now on a massive learning curve studying the worldwide market for biofuels and creating a forecasting model that can be used as a tool to guide decision making for this plant in the future. As an alternative energy enthusiast, I’m incredibly excited to watch our project take shape.

On a more personal note, my cultural experience in Ghana thus far has proven to be equally rewarding. My excitement for riding tro tros, taking the back roads, and seeing Ghana for everything it is has led to some incredible experiences. I think it’s fair to say I’ve adjusted quickly and, as I’m probably the most open to experiencing life as a local out of my colleagues, I’ve had the opportunity to venture out on my own and experience the incredible street nightlife in downtown Accra, attend a very lively local church service with some of the hotel staff, make friends with school children on my morning runs and of course learn a little bit of Twi and Ga from every taxi driver. More on the fun stuff next time.

My affinity for travel stems partly from the fact that I feel most like myself when I am on my way to somewhere.  During these relatively brief moments in transit I am usually unburdened by the expectations of others or those that I put on myself.  It is a feeling I have found difficult to replicate doing anything else.  However, I did not have this same sense of contentment during our flight across the Atlantic.  Instead, I sat contemplating my own preconceptions about the challenge we would face as outsiders working/collaborating in a high-context environment in Ghana, and more specifically, how I would adapt to it.

The informal discovery process can at times feel disingenuous and daunting to me. Nonetheless, on the ground in Ghana, one of the team’s primary goals during our first week has been to get to know the culture and build the relationships that are necessary to truly add value to PALMS. To this end, we have strived to take advantage of any opportunities to get to know the client, maximizing conversations during car rides, lunches, dinners, and even weekend activities. In Ghana, informal relationships seem to carry significant weight in the formal business environment, so even the most obscure opportunity to strike up a conversation can contribute more than what takes place in even the most productive business meeting.

Being able to see some of my teammates begin to build these important relationships has certainly made it easier for me to do so. I am now less concerned about the challenges that will arise over the next four weeks, and am more focused on building relationships. I am confident that this will better serve our ultimate objective, which is to help PALMS succeed.

Having spent time living, working, studying and traveling in several places around the world, I have been able to see and experience how different people live and interact.  My international experience has improved my ability to adapt somewhat quickly to cultural differences when they appear.  Coming to Ghana, in my mind, would be no different in that I would be able to “hit the ground running” by quickly adapting to the local culture and communication style.  I must admit that having never been to Africa prior to this project, I have found that the Ghanaian culture is unlike any other that I have experienced.  It has been surprisingly difficult to gain a grasp of cultural communication norms, but that being said, I love a challenge and am having a great time.

The Ghanaians themselves are similar to South Americans in a lot of ways.  They are extremely kind and accommodating and are always willing to help.  One of the major differences however is the Ghanaian communication style, which is what myself and the rest of my team are struggling with the most.  Ghanaians are very high context communicators, meaning they are the polar opposite of being direct or blunt.  Even though we are speaking the same language it is sometimes difficult for our team to determine exactly what someone is trying to tell us.

I can vividly remember Professor Leclerc, Professor of the Cross Cultural Communication class at Thunderbird, teaching on the very subject of high context communication when you come from a low context communication culture.  Asking lots of questions is key to pinpointing meaning and understanding what is being said.  The questioning technique of triangulation is something that we are aggressively pursuing.  I admire and greatly appreciate the patience of our hosts at PALMS for bearing with our incessant questions, which must be getting old!

PALMS has been extremely accommodating and helpful which has aided in our ability to make significant progress on our project despite our difficulties.  Slowly but surely we are adapting and making life easier for our hosts and other locals.  PALMS is an amazing organization that is actively working to make a difference in the lives of the locals here.  We are all very happy about being here and being a part of the growth of this remarkable organization.

I am the team member that has been MIA due to “extended calls” recently (see Eric Ams’ blog). Although the negative aspects of my illness are numerous – e.g., being unable to attend meetings, not going on after-work excursions, sleep deprivation, and being prevented from my usual 3 hour 350 lbs. squat and dumbbell workout – certainly the silver lining in my condition has to be the cultural experience of visiting a medical clinic in the outskirts of Accra.

I went to a private clinic because we were told that the local public hospital was not of high standard and it would take too long to receive treatment. Thus, Ams and I took a taxi to the St. Moses Clinic in Pokause, which is one kilometer away from Fise, our current residence. Situated behind a house, a few shacks and a large sinkhole, the clinic was a two story concrete structure with dilapidated white paint. Under a 9 square meter unenclosed roof, sat close to 30 people, most of whom were women. As expected, Ams and I were the only “brunis,” or white people.

Observing the clinic and its operations gave insight into the medical options available in our area. Although the toilet didn’t function, and there appeared to be only one doctor on site, the care given to me was enough to get me back on my feet. Some inefficiency in communication was apparent and there certainly was a thick bureaucracy (perhaps not so different from the US!). But for the time being the medical attention was suitable for my needs and surprisingly affordable; I paid a total of 28 Ghanaian cedis, or about 18 USD for administration of an IV of saline solution and a supply of metronidozole and tetracycline.

Initially, I thought my ill condition could be due to eating moringa seeds – we have been told that moringa seeds may act as a laxative – but it is highly unlikely that it is the cause of my gastrointestinal problems because they have been so severe. Nevertheless, I do not intend to eat moringa seeds for the foreseeable future (but I will be drinking moringa tea and using moringa biodiesel in my car).

On a final note, my nickname here is “Red.” It has been useful to use this name since I share the same first name as Ams. The name is also fitting because of my red hair and beard; it is even more appropriate now since my face is getting sunburned due to its heightened sensitivity caused by the tetracycline.

My first assignment in Africa brought me to Uganda just over five years ago. Traveling to the far north during the first week, a passenger in the LandCruiser asked me if we could stop for a “long call”. Understanding him to mean phone call, I was confused when my encouragement for him to just go ahead and make the call in the vehicle as we moved, especially if it was going to be long, was met with laughter… as it turned out , “long call” and “short call” are terms referring to the calls of nature. “Our new boss is too harsh…” they must have thought, “…he does not respect the #2!”
The project is moving along well—the current state picture is coming into focus, and we hope to have a rough idea of our project scope by tomorrow. Research surrounding the commercialization of products from the moringa olifera tree will be central to our project, and we’re looking forward to traveling to some of the project sites as soon as the rains allow. Our hotel near the PALMS office is only about 18 km from the city center as the crow flies, but mud, construction and traffic can make the trip take up to 3 hours. This means that we haven’t gone out much and have been eating mostly at the hotel so far, but nonetheless we lost a team member for most of the day yesterday to… extended “calls”, so to speak. Re-hydrating him with moringa panacea kool-aid… and as I write this at breakfast, another team member just stumbled onto the verandah complaining of being up all night, making some important “calls”. As a jinx theory non-subscriber, I don’t mind saying that I’m going strong. Street food, bring it.

We did end up stopping for that long call in 2006. The poor guy would have asked to stop the convoy if it wasn’t an emergency, after all…