Globase Ghana Incoming Students Welcome Discussion

The welcome discussion for Globase Ghana incoming students was successfully held on Nov 5th 2010. The main purposes for this discussion are:
1. Develop closer relationships among consulting team students, student leadership team, and faculty team.
2. Build engery, excitement, and enthusiasm for the incoming consulting team students
3. Enrich students with Ghana culture and other basic knowledge.

The Disucssion lasted for 2 and a half hour from 5:00pm to 7:30pm on Friday at the Institute of International Business, and includes section such as: Pictionary, Ghana Trivia Question, Human Knot, Match and Eat, Two Truth and A Lie etc. Students get excited about the coming semester Globase Ghana, and also got the chance to meet each other.

Listen to Faculty Leader, Sheri Fella, discuss her thoughts on GLOBASE Ghana

GLOBASE Ghana Video from July 2010 Travels

Reflections on Ghana

Our final partner meeting in Accra took place at the headquarters of West Africa Trade Hub. Their mission is to build market linkages, bringing buyers and producers together. The team at West Africa Trade Hub met us with great enthusiasm for their own mission and for a potential partnership with the Kelley MBA Global Business and Social Enterprise (GLOBASE) team. West Africa Trade Hub works with people to improve transport, access to finance, business environment and ICT to make West African businesses more competitive. Currently, they're working with six sectors: apparel, cashews, fish & seafood, home decor & accessories, shea, and specialty foods. As they shared during our site visit, Trade Hub recently engaged in a gap analysis analyzing the challenges of implementation of ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of people, goods and transport in West Africa and included a few insights from that study in a recent newsletter.

As I reflect on my March and June visits to Ghana, I consider myself extremely lucky. It's been a privilege to travel and learn alongside Kelley School of Business faculty scholars, staff and students, to push my personal limits, and challenge what I know, or thought I knew, about the global economy.

The March trip to Accra with the Kelley School of Business Undergraduate Emerging Economies class proved to be an excellent introduction to the business and cultural nuances of a developing country and its economy. Meetings with The Ghana Cocoa Board, Cummins-Ghana, SEND-Ghana (an NGO that focuses on poverty-related research), and others, provided first-hand exposure to food, culture, climate, and diverse viewpoints regarding the advantages and complexities of living and conducting business in West Africa.

The June trip was a full-immersion experience. Although I find the diversity of thought and energy of a big group stimulating, there is real benefit to traveling with a small troop. Numbering just three, the agility of the Globase Ghana Leadership Team allowed us to be flexible with our schedule and take full advantage of the introductions and gracious hospitality provided while in-country. In essence, our ability to build meaningful relationships with potential partners was greatly enhanced. And isn't that really the foundation of global business?

Thank you to all those who hosted us during our travels. We're so glad to have met you and look forward to working with you in the future!

There's no place like the marketplace in Accra . . .

Thanks to our new friends at Kingsbridge, we were able to spend several hours at a local marketplace speaking with entrepreneurs who are clients of Kingsbridge. What a fantastic learning opportunity!

Walking through a local marketplace in Accra is an experience that overwhelms all of your senses. The chatter of the exchanges taking place to sounds from the live animals being sold to the hustle and bustle of product movement causes your hearing to be the first sense overloaded. All of the buzz creates an energy as soon as you step into the market, and of course the sights of the marketplace are equally energizing. As you look at the brightly colored garments, freshly picked vegetables and fruits, and yes - even snails crawling out of their bin - your eyes struggle to take it all in. And let's not forget the smells - some more pleasant than others thanks to the heat. I do have to say that the meat market was especially unforgettable and to understand how unforgettable, you really have to experience it in person.

Understanding what is bought and sold in the local markets, and how it is sold was critical for our Globase team. We were able to spend time with a shoe cobbler, a dressmaker, a chicken farmer, a restaurant & bar owner, and a phone & laptop salesman. Each entrepreneur was engaging, open, and faced varying challenges and opportunities in order to grow their business. It was very exciting to engage with each of them and understand how our MBA students could impact the growth and prosperity of their business.

There's no place like a marketplace in Accra, and I'm so thankful to Manasseh and his team for sharing such a rich learning experience with us . . . I can't wait to go back in March!

IU connections in Ghana

During our last few days in Ghana we were able to spend time with the families of two Ghanaians who are studying at Indiana University. Nana is a PHd student at IU's Near Eastern Languages and Cultures department and has been back with her husband and two kids at the University of Ghana this summer. Also living with them are a few teenagers that they have taken into their home. Nana invited us to her home on the campus. In typical Ghanaian fashion, she had fixed enough food to feed an army. She presented us with two popular Ghanaian dishes. Red Red and peanut butter soup. Red Red is a bean dish with fried plantains that quickly became a favorite for all of us on the trip. Nana was able to shed light on many of the questions we had regarding women's roles in Ghana and the challenges that face them.

After a great visit with Nana we spent the next day with the family and coworker of another IU student, Ebenezer Ayesu. Ebenezer is in the African History department at IU. His friend, named Ebenezer as well, co-owns and manages some small businesses with Ebenezer about 25 miles outside of Accra in a town called Nsawam. "Eben 2 farms" as they have called their business works in everything from poultry to dress making. Ebenezer took us on a tour of their operations around Nsawam. We visited a few small dress making shops where the ladies running the stores were trained by Ebenezer. Ebenezer's dress makers are mostly made up of students rather than employed workers. When their skills are competent they graduate from the program and move on to develop their own small businesses or go to work for other employers. Over the last twenty years, Ebenezer has trained over 220 dressmakers.

These two visits were unique in that we were able to personally connect with people who have a direct relationship with Indiana University. To see and be a part of their world drew us closer to the Ghanaian people and their lives. As we had seen in many situations before, most people supplemented their incomes by having numerous different jobs or small businesses. It gave us much to think about and consider as we move forward in planning a program that will create a sustainable impact for the clients the MBA students will be engaged with. The culture and the practice of the people as well as the daily challenges they face in carrying out business will affect the way we move forward.

The grasshopper and the elephant

Last weekend we completed a trip to Northern Ghana, a predominantly Muslim region of the country. A 10 hour journey by car, often over drastically uneven dirt roads, proved to be a challenge both mentally and physically. It provided much time to get to know my teammates and absorb the colorful culture that blared, hollered, clucked, baa'd, screeched, and laughed all along the roadside and adjacent villages as we barrelled toward Mole National Park.

On the way to the park, we stopped in the town of Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city after its capital, Accra. Near Kumasi, we visited Kintampo Water Falls and a nearby monkey sanctuary, where I spotted a small speckled grasshopper amongst the giant, monkey-filled trees.

Mole National Park personified the easygoing, friendly temperament of Ghanaians and its visitors reminded me of a menagerie lifted from a euro-hostel guest list. Although Mole Motel provided only the most basic accommodations, the view proved to be spectacular, overlooking a large lush basin partially flooded by the recent rains. Post-check in, our reception host escorted us to our respective rooms, leaving us just enough time to settle in before assembling in the "restaurant" for that evening's football match: USA vs. Ghana's Black Stars. What a night to be in Ghana!

As we waited for our dinners (the Mole Motel restaurant is not known for its quick service), we watched the US soccer team play Ghana with the entirety of the Park's visitors and staff. The excitement was contagious and by the end of the match, nearly everyone was cheering for Ghana.

The following morning we embarked upon our walking safari at 6:30 am. Our guide led us down a dirt road and through the surrounding bush. However, we did not venture far from the motel grounds. Baboons, warthogs, and kob (similar to deer) made their presence known. We also saw many signs of elephants: footprints, torn branches from grazing, and giant elephant dung but no elephants. Post-morning safari, our guide suggested that it was unlikely that we would see any elephants due to the recent rains. Apparently, as they cover nearly 50 km per day, the elephants are much more likely to leave the depths of the forest when water is scarce.

We figured the best way to increase the odds of seeing an elephant would be to cover more ground; for our evening safari, we decided to drive. Three hours into it, still no elephants. A bit dejected, we reminded ourselves how exciting it was to be in Africa, trekking through beautiful landscape. Trying to convince ourselves that it was not meant to be, we returned to the starting post of our safari.

Upon our return, we heard that another group had seen two elephants on their driving safari. Although the sun had already begun to set, we asked our guide if he would be able to track the elephants in hope that we could steal a glimpse (and a few photos). Back in the truck...we were off to track elephants! We parked at the bottom of the basin, a sizable distance from the Mole Motel and headed into the forest. Our guide, armed with a rifle, led us through the bush; every few minutes he would stop, look around, pick up a fallen branch and signal for us to move ahead. Finally, as the sun was setting, our guide halted abruptly, listened and began to run, pumping his fist in the air. We ran too! And there we stood in awe of elephants.

Moral of the story: come to Ghana, leave with patience (or at least with good practice).

***given the sporadic nature of elephant sitings and difficulty of travel between Accra and Mole, a second trip to Mole may not be in the Globase Ghana team's future. However, we do anticipate many adventures ahead of us, especially those that include the animals of Africa in their natural habitats!

Quit Monkeying around!

This post is a little out of order, It should have come right after the trip from Accra to Kumasi! On the second day of our trip to Mole we were able to make a couple of great stops. As we drove north, the topography continued to change almost hourly. Our first stop was at the Tafi Monkey sanctuary. In this small village the monkeys are considered sacred and therefore have a central role to play in village life. Everywhere you looked there were monkeys. They were on the roofs of the houses, climbing on cars and coming up to you as you walked the streets. One of the most fascinating parts of this visit was the monkey cemetery where they bury the monkeys that have died in the village.




Our next stop as we headed north was at the site of a beautiful three stage waterfall. After a short walk past one of the biggest termite hills I had ever seen and descending a couple hundred stairs, we reached the falls. There must have been at least 50 students swimming in the large pool under the falls and sliding down the slick rocks. Looked like fun, but we chose to pass this time around.

The potential of opportunity in Ghana is infinite . . .

It’s difficult to believe that we have already completed our seventh day in Ghana. The experience has been extraordinary and going far too quickly for Kate, Fred and me. After a gorgeous, but long drive yesterday, it felt great to be on the ground in Accra and continuing our meetings with potential partners for Globase Ghana. We began this morning by meeting with Kingsbridge Corporate Services whose mission is to provide a “bridge out of poverty to a King’s living” via micro-financing resources, as well as, consulting services. The CEO, Manasseh Ofoe Portuphy, and his partners, Robert and Paddi were a wealth of information and resources and, like all of the Ghanaians we have met thus far, full of spirit and enthusiasm for their country.

Our Kingsbridge friends shared a story about one of their first clients, Dora, who approached them for a $150 loan. Kingsbridge provided the money but also advice on how to grow her business. Dora not only paid back her loan, but she has now grown her business to a point that she no longer requires financial support. The Kingsbridge’s focus on relationships allows them to use the power of the Ghanaian culture as a competitive advantage. As they build relationships in the varying communities, they are able to select trustworthy clients who are like Dora. Their work is inspiring and we are excited to continue our relationship with them. Thanks to Jake, one of our student leadership team members, for making the connection for us with Kingsbridge!

Also accompanying Manasseh and his team was an intern, Josh, who is an entrepreneurship major from Utah State University. Josh eagerly shared a great deal about his experience thus far in Ghana, and his excitement about the future potential of Ghana was contagious. There seems to be an opportunity to contribute around every corner and in every relationship that we encounter in Ghana. The culture and country of Ghana is infectiously gracious, warm, and full of hope – I truly am inspired in multiple ways with every new friend we make.

The opportunity for the Kelley School of Business and its students to make a sustainable, measurable positive impact for Ghanaian entrepreneurs is infinite. Equally infinite are the life-changing impressions that we can take away from Ghana as a result of our Globase experience and partnerships.

It’s tough to fall asleep each night after such thrilling days . . .

Kumasi bound

The last couple days deserve a blog. Kate, Sheri and I (Fred) started out our Friday with a good African rainstorm outside. As we would later learn this would make our journey north particularly challenging. Kate or Sheri will touch on this in their posts about Mole I am sure. Along with our guide George and driver Abd Allahi, we made our way to our appointment with The Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF) of Ghana. After taking a few detours around flooded streets, we made it to their office after an hour. We had a great meeting with four representatives from the Foundation. PEF is very involved in helping to educate and train small to medium businesses in Ghana in everything from health to best business practices and financial management. Many of the small businesses that PEF works with could potentially be good clients for our GloBaSE initiatives. We left feeling confident that they could be a viable partner for us as we move forward in planning for GloBaSE Ghana. Thanks Ebenezer for the connection.

After our meeting we hit the road heading North West towards Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, with approximately 1.5 million people. Our tour company set us up with a 4x4 Landcruiser for the rougher journey heading towards Mole on Saturday. The drive to Kumasi as everywhere we have been driving this week was full of roadside entertainment. Everywhere you looked life was teeming, whether it be the goats running across the streets or the multitudes of people going about their daily business. It seemed as if everyone was either going to a market or in the middle of one. The colors, the sounds and changing scenery as we left the city mixed well with the Ghanaian ‘Hiplife’ music streaming from the car’s radio.

It took us about three and a half hours to reach Kumasi. I have been put in charge of trying out all the local cuisine. I had a choice between fried yams, fish heads or kabob. I chose the Kabob, which although I was told was Chicken, I am still unsure. Bush meat is popular here and ate and Sheri were pretty sure this is what I was chewing on. Ah . . the adventure of food! In Kumasi we took the afternoon to take in a couple of tours to learn about the Ashante Kingdom. Ghana's largest tribe, whose King still is said by some to hold more power than the President of Ghana.

Our first stop was at the main hospital in town. I know . . . you are thinking, why would we visit and tour a hospital? The hospital was built surrounding a sword placed there by an Ashanti warrior. The story is too long to tell, but it’s importance lies in that in over 300 years it has not been removed and legend says that if it is ever pulled up, the Ashanti Kingdom will come to an end. The legendary boxer, Mohammad Ali even took a tug at it. On the way back to the hotel we drove through the Kumasi central market, considered to be the largest open air market in West Africa. Hope you are enjoying the adventure with us.

Kate definitly had the words to describe our first day and half here in Accra. Here are a few more pictures from our first day. Today we head off to Mole National park in the north so we will most likely be without internet until Monday night or Tuesday. Enjoy the pictures. The first one here is the storefront of Global Mamas.













Unless you have been to Ghana, you would never guess what this is. Yes, it is a casket!













Fishing old school with the "La" people. We had to convince Sheri that she could not join them for their early morning catch.

Back in Ghana.

Today marks my first full day back in Ghana. I arrived yesterday accompanied by Sheri Fella, Prof. of Management, and Fred Perry from the IU CIBER Office. The three of us comprise the Globase Ghana Faculty/Staff leadership team. I made my first voyage to Ghana last March with Sheri as we accompanied 20 students and staff on a Kelley Undergraduate Program Emerging Economy trip. The objective of this visit is to explore potential partnerships with NPOs and burgeoning entrepreneurs in-country.

We arrived yesterday afternoon and on the way to our hotel, stopped briefly to purchase Ghana soccer jerseys from a local street vendor. Following a expedited check in and quick change in to our jerseys, we headed to a "spot" called Champs Sports Bar. Nothing like the Champps of American burger fame but an excellent place to watch the Ghana vs. Germany game nonetheless. Unfortunately, Ghana lost (1-0) but the crowd was quickly resuscitated as the tv announcer shared that Ghana advanced to the next round of play. Dancing in the streets, literally!

Today proved to be a productive day for our team of three. We visited two NPOs in Accra to discuss partnership opportunities. The first NPO, Women in Progress (WIP)/Global Mamas, works with Ghanaian women who sew batik fabrics and design bead necklaces among other items. We met with Renee, a former Peace Corps volunteer who founded WIP with one of her Peace Corps colleagues, and she had so much to share. I think there is real potential for partnership with the organization and/or its artisans.

We also met with an organization called Aid to Artisans Ghana (ATAG). Created by a mother/daughter team in the early 1990's, this organization works with Ghanaian artisans to develop products, educate them on business practices, and find markets for their crafts. The beauty I found in this organization was its leader's appreciation for the evolution of the global economy. She recognizes the need for her organization and its partners to weave the tradition of their craft with the modernization of the marketplace and ultimately, the preferences of the end consumer. Her realistic and business-oriented outlook, tills fertile ground for a partnership.

What stands out to me is the spirit of these women and, from what I can tell from their stories during our brief meetings, their perseverance to lead mission-driven organizations to better the working and living conditions of the communities in which they subsist.

We'll spend the remainder of the evening debriefing our day and all that we learned and preparing for our meetings tomorrow AM and a subsequent trip north to Mole. More soon!