THE BASICS
Ghana is a country located on the NW coast of Africa with a population of 28.2 million people. It's average annual temperature is 87 degrees Fahrenheit with 80% humidity.
Economy and Government Infrastructure
Rich in natural resources, it's main exports consist of oil, cocoa, and gold. The local economy many subsists of services, a sign of a still developing country. There is a large wealth disparity with the rich having access to electricity and telecommunications and the impoverished having little to no access to electricity and other services.
Income share of poorest 20% of Ghana
Courtesy of Gapminder, 2018
Income share of richest 20% of Ghana
Courtesy of Gapminder, 2018
Agbokpa
Agbokpa is a small rural community in the Eastern region of Ghana that is home to approximately 500 people. Agbokpa is settled on one of the east fingers of Lake Volta, allowing 30-50 of the people to be fisherman. Most of these people engage in both fishing and agriculture according to the season, but some are solely fisherman. The nearest market where fisherman can purchase ice is approximately 7 miles away from Agbokpa, causing the fisherman to spend money on fuel for transportation rather than fishing purposes. Agbokpa is a poor community in comparison to Southern Ghana which already has access to electricity. Because the people in Agbokpa are only accustom to small amounts of electricity, a refrigeration system would be entirely new technology. When introducing new technology to a group of people, there is always the risk that people will not adapt to the technology and therefore neglect it. Because we believe that a refrigeration system has the capability of improving the quality of life for the fisherman in Agbokpa, we will try and introduce the refrigeration system in a user friendly way with training from locals and sustainable practices for upkeep.
An aerial view of the small lakeside community of Agbokpa.
Stakeholders Analysis
-
Who stands to benefit:
-
Village fishermen and their families (Higher Income and Access to Ice)
-
Agbokpa Villagers (Could gain more food security)
-
Locals trained to repair/work the machinery (Employment and Job Skills)
-
Businesses that produce the material used to make and upkeep solar ice machines (Gains Customers)
-
Ghana Fishing Industry (Sustainable Fishing could start to counter the issue of overfishing in the country’s main river)
-
Pete, Nate, and Project Contributors (Project Success)
-
Earth (Renewable Energy = (Less carbon emissions)
-
-
Who could be negatively impacted:
-
Ice Businesses (Loses customers)
-
Neighboring fishermen (Would now have stronger competition)
-
Agbokpa Villagers (Could lose time and money if they are unable to profit)
-