“Simple ideas solve complex problems in #social entrepreneurship”

Back in Bishop Herman College (2009), we had a urinal that was located between the Science Block and a Staff Bungalow. As the General Infirmarian back then, I was always been queried by our teachers who came to teach and by my very good friend, Mr. Jesse, who had his bungalow close to the urinal.

The stench that came out of the urinal no matter the number of times we scrubbed was unbearable. I was always working towards getting an idea that would temporally solve the problem before the permanent relocation of the urinal since it was dated to be relocated some months away.

An idea then came up, I decided with the help of some juniors during grounds work to get charcoal, build up a system that makes it possible for the charcoal to absorb the stench that comes out from the urinal. We called the project-“charcoal project”.

We dug a hole behind the urinal, at the “outlet for the urine” about 3 ft., and we’d filled it with charcoal. The system worked in such a way that it allowed the urine flow through the charcoal whilst the charcoal does it work by absorbing the stench.

To our amazement, we achieved it. There was no more stench coming out, no more complains from my teachers and my good friend, Mr. Jesse. They even thought the urinal had been relocated. The Senior House Master embraced the project and congratulated us for our Initiative.

Three years after I had left my school for the University of Cape Coast, I came back to see that the urinal had not been relocated instead the project was being championed. This is how powerful ideas can impact.  “Simple ideas solve complex problems.”

To my six juniors who helped me solve that problem, do I dedicate this post.

*Change is independent on “quantum”, it just needs a network of other impacts to make a great difference.

To you reading this post, I hope you have been convinced on how you can make impact by harnessing your ideas no matter how simple they are, to solve complex problems.

This is your time, this is my time and this is our time. We cannot make that change when we keep sitting there idle. Create something that would make the world awesome.

You are great within. Ghana needs every bit of you. I will end with the quote of Mahatma Gandhi which says; “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Thank you. If you don’t mind, I can help structure your ideas. Just contact me. Bye.