Motech Field Lab (Ghana)

This morning was the first time I got up early enough to see the ship enter port. I was so excited for my field lab that I went straight to breakfast and headed straight to the bus. On the way to my field lab it was a very bumpy ride. The roads were worse than the potholes in Brooklyn; it literally felt like I was on a roller coaster. Along the way there was scenery like that which I have never seen before. The streets were congested with cars and people and almost every area looked industrial. Homeless people were passed out on the sidewalks, on top of shacks and on the outskirts of the beach. There were many buildings unfinished or run-down. 

For a country that is supposed to be on a path to development, I could not understand what I was seeing.  The bus tour guide – Kofi - stated that there are not any standard regulations put on finishing buildings. He also explained that you’re able to build at your own economic strength, at a time when your pockets will allow you to finish building. 

However, seeing Ghana like this, which is supposed to be a developing country, made me wonder about the rest of the countries in the world that are supposed to be making their way up the ladder as well. Do they all have the same regulations as Ghana, which are no regulations, and if so, when will we be expecting to see a greater Ghana one day? 

The first few hours in Ghana were a definite culture shock and something all very new to me. But once I made it to my field lab I really was amazed at how some people live on a day-to-day basis. Throughout this semester, I would hear that 48% people live on just $2 a day, but seeing it in front of your eyes is something completely different.

During my field lab to the Grameen Foundation there were three components; first was the Grameen Foundation in Ghana, next was the Ghana Health Agency, and last was a visit to a village. At the Grameen Foundation, their focus was on the business of Motech. Motech undertakes two community initiatives which are the Mobile Midwife and Nursing Application. Mobile Midwife is a concept used in mobile technology for community health. This concept allows nurses to interact with their patients in the community through mobile phones. Through this application, the nurses are able to give information to patients so that they won’t have to travel far for a visit. The Nursing Application is a system the nurses use to keep up with the patient’s current files. The nurses have a specialized cellular device which they use to send and receive information from the server about the community patients.  This allows them to send out reminders and alerts to the community women of any upcoming or missed doctor’s visits, educational and procedural information about birth, and tips on how to save money for delivery. 

Motech is used for the increase of quantity and quality of prenatal care in Ghana through the use of mobile phones. The focus of the Motech project is on Millennium Goals 4 and 5, which is reducing child mortality rates and improving maternal health. The idea is to provide primary healthcare for Ghanaian residents. Motech has been a success in many communities but just like any other business, there are still challenges that are faced. Challenges faced in the community are network connection with the mobile phones, dietary myths, and traditional superstitions and rites. There are many myths and superstitions that Ghanaians believe and have affected pregnancy. The evil eye is a myth and it's a belief that someone can take a woman's baby out of her stomach before she is due. Saying this, many women would prefer community members not to know they are pregnant before she is showing.

During the agency visit, the woman in charge discussed how Motech helps the agency keep up with the women in Ghana. Thirty percent of women and children have no postnatal check within the first 6 weeks of birth. The agency gets information and statistics from Motech about the women who participate which then allow them to find those who haven’t been reached. One thing I found interesting was that everything was written down on paper; there weren’t any technological devices for data. 

The community profiles and action plans of 2012 were outlined on construction paper; and the profiles of the women were documented in a large paper-bound book. I wasn’t sure if it was an economic factor or a technological incapability but I had a chance at the end of my field lab to ask the woman in charge of the bookkeeping. She explained that electricity is a big issue in the villages and it’s something that most villages do not have. She stated that they would love to have access to programs to maintain the profiles, but at this point and time it will not be able to happen.

My fellow classmates and I had a chance to go to a village and meet the women who have participated in the Motech initiative. The women had nothing but good things to say about Motech. 

They spoke about how useful it is and how much it comes in handy. 

One thing I was concerned about was how much the women depended on the mobile phones. I believe the women should not rely so much on the phones because the network in Ghana is not the greatest. If they aren’t able to receive service at that moment in time, they could miss a very important call or text. This type of condition could result in a mishap or unfortunate accident for the woman and the baby. Aside from this assumption of challenges faced, the organization itself seems to be great and is leaving women healthy and happy. On another note, the village I visited was very different from my living space in the U.S. I was amazed at how people lived and what some would even call a home. Some of the children in the village weren’t wearing any shoes and had dirt all over their feet. One little girl had leaves and flies sticking to her legs. This part of my field lab was really overwhelming for me and made me question a lot of things about life. I couldn’t understand how I wasn’t that child in the village carrying a bowl of water on my head. I couldn’t fathom how I was not born into the conditions I saw the children in the village living in. Why was I so fortunate versus the children in the village? Still a question I can’t find the answer to.

Walking back to the bus I had two children following me, a little girl and a little boy. They were talking to me but I couldn’t understand because they didn’t speak English. I didn’t know what to say or do, all I know is I wanted to embrace them with a hug. 

Along the way to the bus I stopped and saw something that looked like a teepee with a clay-looking object in the middle. Unsure of what it was, Kofi came in front of me and told me it was a kitchen. At this moment I looked at him, then looked at the teepee, then looked at him again… “This, this is a kitchen?” I asked. He said, “Yes, it’s a kitchen; the clay object in the middle are where sticks are placed to burn fire and cook the food.” Hearing all of this, all I could do was stand there and shake my head. Stunned by my surroundings, I was the last one to return to the bus. Kofi and the children were still with me as I walked back.

After leaving the kitchen, Kofi turned to me and said, “Is this your first time being in a country like this?”

 “Yes” I said

“It’s a lot different from your country, right?” he said

“Yes, way different from my country. I never saw anything like this before. I can’t understand how people could live like this.”

Kofi then told me, “Life goes on. The people of Ghana don’t allow their living circumstances to bring down their spirits. They take it one day at a time and keep pushing for better.”

When Kofi was finished talking I walked in silence to the bus and thought to myself. Thinking about if I could be as strong as the people in the village, I was uncertain that I could. 

This field lab was definitely an eye opener for me. Like I stated in the beginning of this texts, it is one thing hearing about poverty and another seeing it in person. I can honestly say that I was not fully prepared for what I had encountered. Finally making it to the bus I watched the two children following me wave goodbye as the bus took off. 

The picture of those two children saying goodbye will always remain with me.