Ghana Has Bright Future 

In Robotics Science –Dr Trebi-Ollennu

By Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath

Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu (right) in a chat with MK Abissath

An ancient adage says: “If sweet potato did not trace its roots, it would not have discovered that its best part is hidden in the ground.”

Ghana is such a blessed land that is endowed with unimaginable natural resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, timber, arable lands, rivers, oil and gas etc. Ghana equally abounds in super-human resources that are taken for granted. Just take a look at people like the Former UN General Secretary, Busumburu Kofi Annan and Prof. Francis Allotey for example.

On Tuesday, October 8, 2013, this writer had an honour to briefly chat with another unassuming but extraordinary Ghanaian-born scientist who is employing his brain power to deploy the almighty America into space through robotics engineering.

For three consecutive years since 2011, Dr. Trebi-Ollennu who is a US-based NASA Senior Robotics Engineer through the instrumentality of the US Embassy in Ghana, rhas made it possible for thousands of Ghanaian children to participate in hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics  (STEM),  motivational experience in their lives.

Records show that in 2012 for instance, thanks to Dr. Trebi-Ollennu’s tutelage, some Ghanaian students were identified through a program dubbed Robotics Inspired Science Education (RISE2) competition. And for the first time in robotics history of Ghana, a team from our country participated in World Robotics Olympiad in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I can bet my last one Ghana Cedi that if that program had been a beauty contest, those young Ghanaian scientists who took part the global scientific event would have been met at the airport on arrival with brass band music, kpalogo and agbadza with local and foreign media falling on one another to capture the actors’ noses.

In fact, if Dr. Trebi-Ollunnu himself has brought a trophy or a title-belt in any sporting event to Ghana, he would have been carried shoulder-high on an articulator trailer with azonto rhythm and melody to be paraded in the principal streets in the capital.

That triumphant entry into Jerusalem-fashion would have taken off right on the tarmac to the seat of Government where his medal would have been presented to the President of the Republic. Then he would have been recognized and decorated as a national hero. But because he a scientist nobody smells his scent when in Ghana.

Oh dwellers of beautiful Ghana, when shall our national consciousness be elevated to that degree of ecstasy where we may appreciate science, technology, engineering and mathematics as the only  discipline in the 21st century  that can  hasten our development journey into the economic kingdom! Look at countries like Singapore - natural resources they possess none; but science and technology – their cup of tea. What is their per capita income as compare to Ghana?

According to Dr. Trebi-Ollennu, science, technology, engineering and math are   the future for   human advancement. The need to introduce children to these subjects matter at tender age and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM, he recommends strongly.

“All over the world,” Dr. Trebi-Ollennu points out, “people are trying to get more kids to study STEM so we look at Europe, America and other South-Eastern Asian countries  and we realized that  the surest way to get students hooked into science, technology, engineering and math is by giving  them the chance to  experiencing science.”

Dr. Trebi-Ollennu has observed that in our parts of the world in terms of educational curriculum, practicals are usually relegated to the background. “So our objective is to try to connect science theory to practice. This we do by taking basic science as taught in a classroom theory and get them to implement those solutions that can  solve real world challenges,” the Senior NASA Robotics Engineer has disclosed.

Dr. Trebi-Ollennu advises that children must be told that they have hidden talents. That science is not for Einstein alone but everybody can do science. “This is one way to demystify science education.” According him, Ghanaian kids not only in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi, but across the country including Bawku, Abor, Gomoa Brofoyedu and in the remotest hamlets anywhere there are endowed with science ingenuity.

Dr. Trebi-Ollennu disclosed that the strategy adopted to concretize the STEM concept into reality in the country is the establishment of an NGO known as Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation (GRAF). That it is through the GRAF with the support of the US Embassy in Ghana and other stakeholders both individuals and organizations that thousands of students drawn from over 100 Senior High Schools have benefited from the Robotics Inspired Science Education program since 2011.

This year for instance, between the last week of September and the first week of October, RISE3 was organized for both senior and junior high school students throughout the country and the participation was overwhelming.

According to the first Ghanaian Robotics Engineering Wizard, the country was categorized into four zones where the northern zone was made up of Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions. In all 13 high school clubs participated in the RISE competition at Ghana Library Board in Tamale. Here Bawku Senior High School topped them all as champions.

The middle-belt was made up of Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions with 15 school clubs locking horns in the scientific intellectual duel. The two –day competition took place at the Opoku Ware SHS, Kumasi.

The South- Eastern zone comprised Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta Regions. The competition was held at the Christ the King Hall in Accra with 13 schools contesting for glory, he said.

The Central zone was made up of the Central and Western regions. Here too, the competition took place at the Aggrey Memorial SHS for high school clubs as well. Dr. Trebi-Ollennu stated that winners of the competitions from various zones would represent Ghana at the 2013 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dr. Trebi-Ollennu who is also the Founder of the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation disclosed that the GRAF had been applying what he termed as a “motivational effects of robotics” to draw kids in whatever they do to apply scientific theory .

The training is structured in such a way to develop science, engineering and technology skills, while building well-rounded leadership skills, self-confidence, emotional intelligence, communication and stewardship.

Because the vision of the GRAF is to transform the learning experience of young Ghanaians by connecting science to theory with practice and hands-on learning experience to draw students to pursue education and career opportunities in science and technology, two robotics kits and laptops  are provided to about 50 schools which were trained about three years ago. Students in these schools are give specific programs to perform and the end competitions are organized among such schools and prizes in the form of medals are awarded to winners.

One area of focus for the RISE3 program was the introduction of robotics engineering to Ghanaian kids where they can use robots to perform a kind of rescue operation in the mines. Ghana being a mining country where galamsey is the order of the day and the way stubborn galamsey operators have been dying in the belly of the earth by heart, it will be very, very progressive if future Ghanaian robotics engineers can use the technology to save lives in the extractive industry.

So far, a survey conducted among some beneficiaries of the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation programs indicates that, interest in career involving math, science and technology has increased as a result of RISE.

Other ordinary students from very deprived and inaccessible rural communities, whose parents have never seen the corners of a classroom in their lives but had been given the opportunity to participate in the Robotics Inspired Science Education programs, are enthusiastic of becoming scientist, or engineers, or technologists or mathematicians in the future.

Dr Trebi-Ollennu commended various stakeholders in the success story of the GRAF, especially the US mission in Accra “on whose shoulder the major sponsorship had fallen so far.” Other partners include board of directors of GRAF, the Ghanaian media, schools, teachers, volunteers and students who have been participating in the innovative RISE.

He expressed appreciation to Government officials from various ministries such as Education, Environment Science, Technology and Innovations for their moral support for the RISE programme thus far.

The Ghanaian-born Senior NASA Robotics Engineering Wizard is of the view that if Government could create the conducive environment for effective investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education, Ghana will reach the economic kingdom in no time. According to him Ghana abounds in robotics engineering talents, some as young as seven to eight kids engaging in mind boggling programming,” Dr Trebi-Ollennu stressed.

The writer works with the Information Services Department in Accra.

(This interview was facilitated by Ms. Jeanne L. Clark Information Officer at the US Embassy, Accra)

Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu US-based Ghanaian-born Senior NASA Robotics Engineer and Founder of Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation (GRAF) an Accra-based NGO  (right) in an interview with Mr. Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath Deputy Director at Information Services Department (ISD) Accra, October 8, 2013