Project Overview

Engineers Without Borders' work is capable of widespread impact in Ghana. We started off based in only a few of the nation's 107 regional districts; learning the out-in-the-field realities and building tools to address them.
We are now scaling up proven, effective approaches to infrastructure development from a small number of districts, to a national level. Specifically, we are institutionalizing evidence-based infrastructure planning at the district, regional and national levels. To ensure we have an enduring impact, EWB is building the capacity of district staff to manage and execute these evidence based decisions, teaching these skills to the Ghanains who are best able to implement them from their positions as managers and field experts.

December 14, 2010

Doug's Question - What is the biggest difference you have made or best moment you've had making a difference? Mangoes: cheap, plentiful, delicious?

Doug,

Thank-you for your donation, it came at the end of a long day and was an awesome shot in the arm of energy that there are people back at home supporting us. By you donating to EWB you are helping to create lasting change, not ongoing charity.

Sweet question too. I immediately have an answer. My favorite moments of impact have been influencing change in team strategy. Namely:
1) Identifying during a team strategy session that co-ordination of existing data systems is a more critical priority than the implementation of a new system.
2) Putting two and two together that google is interested in partnering with EWB, and that the four person team I’m on in Africa is essentially trying to help people use disorganized data to drive better decisions. Google knows how to do that. Could we facilitate a partnership between the government of Ghana and Google?
(We are helping the government officials access their information so that they allocate resources where they are most needed. ie, should they more urgently hire teachers or build more schools)

Mangoes - I sat in the shade of many a mango tree, and watched little flowers for fruits the size of a pinhead, but a long rainy season meant a late mango season and no fresh mangoes for me. :(

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