power struggles

So it turns out I’m an idiot, I didn’t actually blow up my power supply. My power bar was the issue, I looked at the bottom and it can’t handle the voltage here. So my compy is fully operational (other than it’s Windows and slow as molasses) and I can do my job.  Oh, I know what my job is now!

I did end up talking to the Director that day (we call her ‘Madame’) after waiting around for 5 hours. Welcome to GMT (Ghana Maybe Time). We talked about the GEU’s most pressing ICT needs, what my skills are, and how I might be of service. She identified three possible areas, and suggested that I speak to their recently hired ICT guy, Earnest. After doing so, we decided that the best thing for me to do would be to develop a website for the GEU.

I had prepared a bunch of materials beforehand, anticipating I would be actually training staff there. Turns out most folks there are pretty comfortable with their computing skills and they are well supported with Earnest there. There are about 8 employees at this office, including Akum. The office consists of two separate rooms in a building called Ghana Literacy House, which contains different organizations that are variously dedicated to education (formal and informal) in Ghana. Like everywhere else in Accra, the power regularly goes out, but sometimes only in one office. So I work until my battery drains, then go to the other office across the hall and plug in and work there.

Today Akum and I went to the office only to find there was no power in the whole building. Apparently it was scheduled, and would be out for the entire day. He had to stay for a meeting with someone, but suggested I  go back to the WUSC office to work. After confirming with him that I was ready for my first solo trotro journey, I went all the way back to Haatso (my neighbourhood). Now here I sit, in a small conference room all by myself, full of yummy take away salad and chicken,  ready to work, A/C blasting.

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