What a scrapyard in Ghana can teach us about innovation | DK Osseo-Asare

In Agbogbloshie, a community in Accra, Ghana, people descend on a scrapyard to mine electronic waste for recyclable materials. Without formal training, these urban miners often teach themselves the workings of electronics by taking them apart and putting them together again. Designer DK Osseo-Asare wondered: What would happen if we connected these self-taught techies with students and young professionals in STEAM fields? The result: a growing maker community where people engage in peer-to-peer, hands-on education, motivated by what they want to create. Learn more about how this African makerspace is pioneering a grassroots circular economy.
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[@Apostate_ofmind]

africa and india are goldmines, and the gold is the people. What we disregard they elevate. I am grateful.

[@rakibulislam5821]

Bangladesh also

[@abhaysharma9317]

Africa and more precisely the entire Indian subcontinent which accounts for almost 2 billion souls which is a quarter of worlds population stores a great scientific potential for the future.

[@MsAnddi]

Have them on TED talks, so that we can hear their stories!

[@HardcoreNaturalFitness]

Those dumbbell look good

[@Tanek711]

When you have nothing to lose, you have everything to gain. This was inspiring.

[@sylvavortia8393]

It is highly depressing when any part of your country is labelled as Toxicity.

[@abenabecks]

@@sylvavortia8393 yes, especially when the toxicity is caused by others dumping their e-waste in your country.

[@hdmat101]

We Ghana see some pretty impressive creations.

[@sirthicenskoorb3684]

USA could learn from these people. Good talk.

[@leveljoe]

EPA regulations prevent people in the United States from doing what they do.

[@sylvavortia8393]

US and other Western countries know that what they are doing is absolute stupid. This is highly toxic environment. You dare do this in the US.

[@modernvillageconstructiong7499]

am from Ghana, Love this dude, he knows his stuff,

[@paarthsareen5393]

These are self- developed individuals

[@michaelawuku1241]

YOU NAILED IT RIGHT.

[@msafwan3010]

People in developed world hit a roadblock unable to set up recycling for plastic & E-waste but in Africa people already is recycling plastic & E-waste from the bottom up. Why is politic in the western world so fail? for example; Japan already did recycling of plastic & appliance, Singapore already fix housing problem where 90% of citizen own home, and China already alleviate poverty for 400 million people, so what is wrong with western government?

[@craazyy22]

what about india? And indonesia. Not all eastern countries got a green working environment. Same goes for the west. Not all countries got a massive pollution problem.

[@slice0024]

There is little money to be made in solving these problems. When someone can make money fixing these problems, only then will the western world fix it. its that simple.

[@ismailshani9108]

yes, rather than improving earth, they r investing more money in finding other worlds so if something bad happen to earth (God forbid) they can run away. But on other view, they r correct in some ways, this world is out of control now, people like DK Osseo-Asare are few.

[@msafwan3010]

@Savickas , of course western world also recycle & they also have recycling technology but they're not serious at it, if you look at Japan they're SUPER serious with recycling, if you look at Japan western world look like a joke... In UK for example they have facility to recycle E-waste but turn out people send them out to Africa anyway; that's a Fail. They also have useless law punishing people for exporting E-waste rather than actually helping people recycle those stuff.

[@larrysheklstien1010]

bc were lazy ahah

[@pacificpermaculture]

This is a very inspiring story ! !

[@DougGrinbergs]

A very different kind of makerspace... I love DK's energy!

[@danielrus7117]

Sustainability at its fullest and best exponential! Absolutely beautiful and inspiring! Kudos!

[@yassasloan7308]

spoken like a true objective professor...

[@abbhum]

The sort of Education Africa needs. We must re-make our whole educational ideology. Lets introduce these ideas at the very basic levels.

[@ganiakara4162]

Amazing idea...

[@PsoriasisChannel]

Shared. Great ideas...

[@aaronboothproduction]

This is brilliant! it seems win-win for everybody.

[@sylvavortia8393]

Win-win indeed. We are inhaling toxic fumes. I invite you to spend few days on Graphic Road and you will find out whether it is a win-win situation or not. Come to Accra and look up the skies. The sky is hazy even in raining season. One major contributing factor is the toxic smoke from Agbogbloshie. Nothing justifies degradation of the environment. It's sad, man.

[@abenabecks]

@@sylvavortia8393 exactly. People's health are at risks.

[@schumachersbatman5094]

Does anyone know what he is wearing? Some kind of wrap around style shirt? What is that style called.

[@rishavkothari1672]

I wanna know too

[@HeavyMetal45]

It called gay

[@arev633]

Outfit on point

[@lartele9517]

SANKOFA yeah!!! Thank you so much for posting this inspiring video!! All the best to you!!

[@sylvavortia8393]

Having e-waste imported into your country, producing a super-toxic environment endangering life..... and you call it inspiring? Besides the direct effect of these toxic smoke, surface run-off after rains send these toxic substances into the sea thus entering the food chain. We eat this toxic fish. Nothing justifies this. No innovation justifies this crime.

[@7Alberto7]

Awesome

[@dvfantail]

What fun! Good for them. I wish them the best.

[@celestialcircledance]

Fascinating , elegant and resourceful !

[@tzunammi]

Panafest Ghana July 24th to August 2nd... 400 year reunion. #SANKOFA

[@tellingfoxtales]

Inspiring ambition.

[@clementnartey8654]

Wow very inspiring I will like participate in this program. I love this

[@lulur.8483]

Obrigado quem colocou legenda em português 👏👏👏👏❤️❤️

[@akuaadu-gyamfi5829]

Thank u for showing the otherside of the coin

[@rembtz83]

Best TED Talk in a long time, but the color choice of the graphics gives you eye cancer :) Nethertheless, bravo

[@LughSummerson]

"We could couple…" "Yes!" "… practical know-how with technical knowledge." "Oh."

[@nuradawiyah8457]

Masya Allah, great idea!!

[@margis.5873]

Awesome!

[@naasirxiireychanelnaasirxi2809]

imazing idea

[@lindabrown0]

"What a beautiful man" !!!!! OK, now I'll listen to the talk (lol)........Humour me, OK?

[@LeonidasGGG]

I don't think this could ever be done in the West becase no Company would paid a decent salary/wage to anyone to get "scrap". Specially when they can easelly buy new stuff anyway.... Also, those blue screens are unreadable.

[@princeboateng7708]

Wow

[@LujeAldwald]

This is beautiful, a resourcefulness that everyone could learn and benefit from

[@sylvavortia8393]

Inhaling toxins is not really beneficial.

[@frommarkham424]

6:13 bro that's an op amp

[@Destro7000]

The President of Ghana can teach us something pretty decent, I discovered. Macron didn't like it much.

[@octaviacryer2437]

Destro7000 😂 😂 😂.

[@johnsmiff8328]

How prophetic was star wars

[@ExerciseScienceReport]

In what sense? Or to which specific part do you refer?

[@ferdinandagbotui806]

whats the name of his shirt. Innovative project btw

[@ashvaniyadav4332]

Our poor counties became like a garbage. All electronics hazards waste from rich counties throw in these poor countries

[@Tanek711]

The culture in the USA prevented many from realising what has been happening all this time. Many are brainwashed to go watch movies and upgrade their phones every weekend, but reality will come home to roost (and already has for many).

[@sylvavortia8393]

Many thanks for looking at the real issue and not amused by attire worn by the presenter. We are their dumping ground. How on earth we allow this beats my imagination. WE are our own enemy

[@abenabecks]

@@sylvavortia8393 it's so sad

[@GreenMM_11]

In the description, is it STEM? Not STEAM? ??

[@nyx211]

STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics

[@tobn634]

I know this a bit of topic but does anybody know were to get a pullover like his? =D

[@Xivlaii]

A great note to all people who whine about lack of resources to make something useful.

[@celestialcircledance]

You also have to have the time to devote to the craft and role models to learn from and show you the possibilities .

[@thedreamweaver6514]

This is Wakanda waiting to happen!

[@BronzeOrwin]

Isn't this $2/hr work only profitable in a third world country?

[@msafwan3010]

No, in USA repair shop is paid good. Such as for repairing/servicing Apple product, they will also recycle electronic component from donor device (devices which is effectively discarded and then resold by scrap people). On paper it is no different than what is happening in Africa but it involve international trade (such as from China) to acquire donor device and the use high-tech equipment for repairs (such as microscope and thermal imaging).

[@BronzeOrwin]

I'm talking about the scrapping job.

[@FathinLuqmanTantowi]

think again on your question, i doubt there's no unemployed people in any country. even in major 1st world country there's dumpster divers, doing roughly the same thing. the focus is not just the recycling materials but the emergence of makers and artisans that the world start to lack

[@msafwan3010]

@Capitaine Cheng , Rich people say poor people must be poor so that they will work and improve economy, this is wrong & a blind propaganda made by the rich to silent the government... actually work is created by people who are expressing themselves and being creative. Sure, those work put food on your table, but actual people who create new economy & new business do not suffer poverty; they are comfortable and have a lot of time experimenting with arts and technology whether on the street or in their garage...

[@BronzeOrwin]

Ok go ahead and take the aluminum tips off of circuit boards then and suffer 2 dollar an hour wages.

[@r2stik]

APP - BAD, GIGAFACTORY - GOOD!

[@Sheeshening]

finally parts of Africa get to the developing stage. Took them for fkn ever

[@davidmenlo9305]

sigh

[@henryobaka8282]

Am in Ghana right know in the accra so I don’t see these things 🤫

[@setiayoepinky4461]

Saya butuh tank

[@cheeseisgreat24]

I loved the talk, but just have to point out, the whole time, I kept thinking this guy sounded like and looked like a darker skinned Jason Segel. Nothing against either of them, but my brain was just like "I recognize him from somewhere" and, well, obviously it's not him, but yea.

[@leveljoe]

"Sanford and Son" did that back in the 70s.

[@ChanhNguyen-dk4ef]

Yeah, i'll stick with my Apple stores cuz I'm an Izombie. Nice robe shirt btw, or T'oga-shirt?

[@ChanhNguyen-dk4ef]

What is the name of the clothe he wore?

[@nathaneldavis3487]

Fool speed ahead district 9 369

[@sylvavortia8393]

It is extremely sad and distressing to watch your video, DK. How could you glorify a highly toxic environment labelled as Toxicity with the so-called innovation? As I type this, millions of tonnes of e-waste await shipment from Port of Antwerp to Ghana. Agbogbloshie is considered as the most toxic piece of land in the world. Your so-called "innovation" sort of justifies and glorifies this dumping of waste into our country. Have you ever passed through Graphic Road anytime after 2pm? The toxic smoke forms a band of about 2 km in breadth and aided by the sea breeze from the Gulf of Guinea send this smoke right across the capital. Most often car tyres are used as fuel to burn these e-waste. Did you care to know the health implications of inhaling these toxic smoke? It will interest you to know that respiratory diseases are increasing especially among young children and adults alike. Do we have to be innovation from the waste of others? I weep within me that our authorities can't see the dangers posed by accepting these wastes into the country. The EU has regulations but never enforced. At Antwerp port, I realized only one officer is manning e-waste section of the port. The EU rule on such a waste is really never enforced. Infact, it is encouraged and aided by the EU. The saddest part are the comments I read below. People are happy with trading innovation with massive pollution. We are destroying our environment. The river that flows through Agbogbloshie is long dead. It used to have lots of fish few decades ago. It's now highly toxic and with each surface run-off these toxins are carried to the ocean nearby. These toxins invariably enter the food chain as they get lodged within the tissues of fishes. Can't we use our heads for once?

[@AB-vg6tb]

1st

[@yatint9665]

👍👍

[@e4r281]

:rocket:

[@josephsmith1893]

Does this guy really know what he is talking about??? He is absolutly making up some of his claims or he doesn't know what he is talking about, especially at 2:10 . I wonder if he even knows how modern mining working in industrialized counties... Also, he is not comparing apples to apples. He is just another fool with some agenda!

[@sethbuabin9085]

And your point is??

[@usforcessupporter]

Another India tech scammer? Didn't we have enough. Why? He talk English?

[@davidmenlo9305]

huh?

[@sethbuabin9085]

Such a counter productive mentality, shame on u !!

[@leveljoe]

Maybe in 200 years they can join the space race.

[@illa4u]

Well, Ghana launched a satellite into space in 2017 so...

[@leveljoe]

The "satellite" was sent into orbit from the International Space Station and it received support from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Sooooo...

[@gaffo27]

And they still living in high poverty cuz they sell this things for an extreme low price

[@thrilos7]

Nauseating and uninformative talk

[@abhaysharma9317]

Nothing is too bad about Africa only if they would be able to somehow prevent the population boom that the stats are predicting to be happened.

[@avoiceinthedarklorielliot2986]

Wow