Aquaport: First update, post-Tamale

So I apologize in advance for the “blog binging” that’s going to take place on here for the next couple days. I just returned from the trip to Tamale, and with no posts about the trip so far there is so much to get everyone caught up on. J

As I mentioned, I just got back from Aqua Port’s first round of field research in Tamale, Ghana. This involved four weeks of traveling around to villages in Northern Ghana, testing the product with a wide range of villagers, and collecting a dizzying (but thrilling) amount of data, insight, and testimonials. The purpose of the trip was to, in a way, start from square one with the project and look at the process/ main problems with water collection before addressing how Aqua Port could be an appropriate solution.

Overall, this trip was completely different than design research I’d done before, but I was very excited by how everything came together. I knew from the start that this project would be unique in that the result is a product that might lead people to change how they structure their day-to-day activities, so it was essential that I learn as much about the communities and village life as possible. Fortunately, I spoke with a lot of people who were extremely helpful and great interviewees. I even managed to get around 30 volunteers to test the product and provide feedback. In addition to visiting water sources I also visited peoples’ homes and a school, and got to talk with chiefs, elders, and assemblymen in many communities.

Thanks to support from Pure Home Water Solutions and Innovations for Poverty Action, I worked with two fantastic guides throughout the trip. Both did an awesome job of not only translating my questions from English to Dagbani, but helping to link me with local village leaders and potential NGO sponsors in Tamale (they also did an excellent of job taking me around to villages on motorbike…the most reliable form of transportation in Tamale, and a really fun way to get around J )