The briefing scheduled start time was 9am - Ghana Time. That meant we kicked off at 9.40am with an opening prayer & Introduction which is the normal protocol in Ghana for important meetings. It feels very official, we are sitting at tables running horizontally from the front to the back of the room, every seat is allocated to a name and organisation. The room is full of government officials, doctors, professors, USAID representatives, and IBM country manager, Mr. Joe Mensah.
A Ghana film crew stayed with us all day today, as the Minister of Health made his presentation, introducing the IBM CSC team to the attendees and reiterating how important this project is to the future of Ghana health, and how important IBM is to their success. Our team was introduced as the future leaders in IBM, sent by IBM to assist Ghana's development today, and to build a relationship that would help with our future decisions that would impact Ghana. I was taken aback by just how highly regarded the IBM CSC is held, and the benchmark we are to live up too.
The film crew were very interested in this very diverse group of IBMers and what questions we would be asking about our assignment. Mr. Boateng, a senior official from the Ministry of Health, even joked that the world had come to Ghana given all the different countries our group is made up of. What strikes you is the amount of pride people have in themselves and in their country, it is common to hear people use words like "Our beautiful country, Ghana" in sentences, no matter who they are. I have heard Ghanaian's work overseas to earn money only long enough to reach goals they have set themselves, having sent enough money home to do that, they jump on the first plane back to Ghana. You can see the extra passion they have for any work or project related to progressing Ghana, and there is certainly a lot of new construction happening in the city showing material progress.
The afternoon was full of intense questioning, our sub-group was given a lot of attention, given the Risk Management Plan is currently considered the project with the most minefields to navigate and the most important covering Ghana's next 5 years on this project. More pressure!!
Anytime we want to go out in Accra, or anything we need, our liaison officer, Francis, is there to see we don't get ripped off, and that we are safe. Today Francis purchased on my behalf a SIM card for the iPad, brought it into the office and then cut it down to size, literally, to fit in the iPad! There is nothing he won't do to help us! Anyone want a Francis for their home? Tomorrow I'll purchase some credit for the 3G.
Today was exhausting, and our first meeting is already set for 8.30am tomorrow morning, first day in the Ministry of Health offices tomorrow. Our whole team is very highly motivated to bring about results, and hung back at the end of the day to plan what we wanted to complete for tomorrow given 4 weeks is not long. Our secret to success is to launch into planning, and then to work our plan.
We finished the day at a restaurant on the main street, Osu Oxford St where I ordered a Calzone (folded pizza). Osu Oxford St was still buzzing with vendors when we left even though it was Monday night 9pm! And by vendors, I mean complete, new home theatre systems and LCD/Plasma wall mounting kits being sold off the street if you needed them, along with what anyone would have normally expected to find.
It took a while for the my dinner, the Calzone to come out, but when it did, this monster was hanging over the plate by a quarter on each side! I couldn't finish it :).
You might think to get home, one would jump in a taxi, give an address or hotel name and go, but not so. The description to give here is "the big white building after the big roundabout" - the taxi drivers know exactly what that means, but anything else gets you circling around the city, lost. Trips to Osu Oxford street from here cost $4 Cedi, cheap!
- Keep on Rockin'. Dwight.
Location:Eight Rd,Accra,Ghana
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