yes come save us...


lol ok serious. great intentions, but ask yourself

will these solutions add another year of life for Africans or add polution, stress, and disease we see here in the west. Africa already has enough of that.

Just something to ponder. Remember Umbrarchists comment in the beauty queen thread about setting the rules? YOu don't think you'll be transfering teh same rules there(not that they're not already there now)?

Hmmm...I guess I don't understand your contentions here, bro. If a particular government or country already has initiatives of some kind of industrial development, I don't see the harm in contracting my own services to them rather than they pay Euro (White) corporations to come in and do the work. Then when Euros do it, they just want to get paid but have no intentions on severring that dependency.

I guess perhaps if you reworded it in different language I would understand what you are saying better. I am looking at it as being on the path of African Liberation. One of those obstacles is severring depence on the West.

For instance, I have been speaking to some in Ghana and South Africa who are interested in creating a motor company (for cars, trucks, and bikes) and then perhaps expand to build full-blown vehicles so that they can sever dependence on Mercedes and other brands sold in West Africa. Every American (Euro) engineering company they called told them they would sell them an engine, but all were reluctant, if not dismissive, about the idea of showing them how to do it themselves. I have been collaborating with some other engineers on a motor design using alternative fuel that is far more efficient than engines running off of petroleum. This is just one case where this type of relationship with the Diaspora can be helpful in my estimation.

If I'm mistaken, then please, I'm all ears...

Secondly, I wanted to say that we don't have to follow European conventions of science and technology trends. We can very easily make our own, which is actually what my company endeavors to do. Although there is alot wrong with the rampant technology trend of Euro society, there are some good things Africans can take away from it to use to our best advantage.

The reason I left corporate America to begin with is because I hate how they do things and I felt that African people shouldn't have to do things "their way".

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Thanks for the information. One design me and a friend are working on are light portable solar cells to power small homes that can be used in villages and small settlements to provide basic lighting and a few electrical outlets.

When it comes to communications, I was actually thinking about trying to sell a new communication infrastructure. I don't think African countries want to duplicate the telecommunications mess that we have in the United States. Africa can take advantage of not having to go through the evolutionary stages of running cables for miles upon miles. There are much more efficient means of implementing the Internet and phone communication in hindsight. Granted, that is a much larger project that I would love to work with a country on doing.

Shemsi,

Last year was kinda busy for me, because I had to traverse Continents doing some Research And Development. I would advise you to contact Folks like Emeka Okafor who is an Entrepreneur and lives in New York City because he has been keeping up with Technology and Industry in Africa. I used to be on top of things but since last year I did not have the time to do so and was in Contact with folks like Okafor at Africa Unchain and the fellows at TED. Emeka Okafor has compiled a large amount of information in his blog particular check his archives from last year and 2006. I was going to start a blog in this endeavor, but I may do it one of this days. Here is the blog for Africa Unchain the Entrepreneurs.

Timbuktu Chronicles is more Technology based: Timbuktu Chronicles

Africa Unchain is more Business and Technology: Africa Unchained

I would encourage you to touch base with them because there are many African American Entrepreneurs, business People and Engineers with interest in business in Africa there and you should also go to their conferences. The last one was in Arusha Tanzania last year and i wished I had the time to go.

In About five (5) years from now, I maybe leaving to set up my Own Engineering Consulting Company for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry and Water Purification but one that is geared to provide African Countries and Places like Trinidad & Tobago with ways of enhanced Oil recovery and how to build their own Machinary to process their oil, rather than rely on Western Countries to do everything for them. I do some work on removing and purifying water from Oil and Gas and the idea can be used to provide clean drinking water to "Developing Nations".

I know of some guys back home doing this. Another guy I know also has projects started involving pre-fabricated huts/homes for poorer families to build homes with. Maybe you could conduct an online search and see if there are any current projects you could volunteer/apply for.