The nations of Africa are
faced with difficulties of geography, climate, language, and
communication systems that make moving new ideas and products
into rapid and widespread use difficult. Many who need to know
of new possibilities are off the electric grid and cannot read
their own native language, or English, the official language.
Women in particular are often deprived of the schooling and
opportunities they need as homemakers and workers. Many who most
need new products and services have little or no schooling, and
many rural schools are poorly staffed and equipped.One
authoritative study concludes that it can take between six and
fifteen years to introduce new products and services to the 70%
of Ghana that is rural and most in need of them.
The one institution in Africa that can reach everyone in
Ghana quickly, and has a tradition of community service and
development, is the church and the mosque.
The individual church or mosque hears the needs of its own
congregation and community,
communicates those needs to FIDE headquarters in Accra, and is
heard by the staff at FIDE Central.
Clergy and lay leaders use
the pulpit as vehicles for changing the life chances of those in
congregations and communities.
The denominations become new
networks for social and
economic development. The
denominational networks are interconnected as
interdenominational networks. These interdenominational
network, linked to faith communities in the richer nations, and
to universities and governmental and non-governmental agencies,
become a powerful and rapid communication and distribution
system.
When the plans of PaN and FIDE are fully implemented, there
will be people in each community trained to be field
representatives, able to demonstrate, install, and service new
technologies appropriate to the needs of their community and
region.
A headquarters staff in Accra, working with GTUC and a
coalition of educational, governmental, and commercial
institutions in Africa and around the world, will support the
community representatives and the churches and mosques in this
work.
■