TEDGlobal 2017
DK Osseo-Asare: What a scrapyard in Ghana can teach us about innovation
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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 and TED Fellow 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.
DK Osseo-Asare - Designer
DK Osseo-Asare creates architecture with and for the people that design overlooks. Full bio
DK Osseo-Asare creates architecture with and for the people that design overlooks. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
Come with me to Agbogbloshie,
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a neighborhood in the heart of Accra,
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named after a god that lives
in the Odaw River.
in the Odaw River.
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There's a slum, Old Fadama,
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built on land reclaimed
from the Korle Lagoon,
from the Korle Lagoon,
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just before it opens
into the Gulf of Guinea.
into the Gulf of Guinea.
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There's a scrapyard here where people
take apart all kinds of things,
take apart all kinds of things,
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from mobile phones to computers,
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automobiles to even entire airplanes.
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Agbogbloshie's scrapyard is famous
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because it has become a symbol
of the downside of technology:
of the downside of technology:
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the problem of planned obsolescence.
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It's seen as a place where devices
from around the world end their life,
from around the world end their life,
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where your data comes to die.
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These are the images
that the media loves to show,
that the media loves to show,
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of young men and boys
burning wires and cables
burning wires and cables
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to recover copper and aluminum,
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using Styrofoam and old tires as fuel,
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seriously hurting themselves
and the environment.
and the environment.
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It's a super-toxic process,
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producing pollutants that enter
the global ecosystem,
the global ecosystem,
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build up in fatty tissue
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and threaten the top of the food chain.
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But this story is incomplete.
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There's a lot we can learn
from Agbogbloshie,
from Agbogbloshie,
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where scrap collected
from city- and nationwide is brought.
from city- and nationwide is brought.
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For so many of us,
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our devices are black boxes.
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We know what they do,
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but not how they work or what's inside.
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In Agbogbloshie, people
make it their business
make it their business
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to know exactly what's inside.
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Scrap dealers recover copper,
aluminum, steel, glass, plastic
aluminum, steel, glass, plastic
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and printed circuit boards.
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It's called "urban mining."
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It's now more efficient for us
to mine materials from our waste.
to mine materials from our waste.
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There is 10 times more gold,
silver, platinum, palladium
silver, platinum, palladium
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in one ton of our electronics
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than in one ton of ore mined
from beneath the surface of the earth.
from beneath the surface of the earth.
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In Agbogbloshie,
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weight is a form of currency.
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Devices are dissected to recover
materials, parts and components
materials, parts and components
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with incredible attention to detail,
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down to the aluminum tips
of electric plugs.
of electric plugs.
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But scrap dealers don't destroy
components that are still functional.
components that are still functional.
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They supply them to repair workshops
like this one in Agbogbloshie
like this one in Agbogbloshie
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and the tens of thousands
of technicians across the country
of technicians across the country
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that refurbish electrical
and electronic equipment,
and electronic equipment,
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and sell them as used products
to consumers that may not be able to buy
to consumers that may not be able to buy
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a new television or a new computer.
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Make no mistake about it,
there are young hackers in Agbogbloshie --
there are young hackers in Agbogbloshie --
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and I mean that in the very best
sense of that word --
sense of that word --
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that know not only
how to take apart computers
how to take apart computers
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but how to put them back together,
how to give them new life.
how to give them new life.
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Agbogbloshie reminds us
that making is a cycle.
that making is a cycle.
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It extends to remaking and unmaking
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in order to recover the materials
that enable us to make something anew.
that enable us to make something anew.
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We can learn from Agbogbloshie,
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where cobblers remake work boots,
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where women collect plastic
from all over the city,
from all over the city,
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sort it by type,
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shred it, wash it
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and ultimately sell it back
as feedstock to factories
as feedstock to factories
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to make new clothing,
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new plastic buckets
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and chairs.
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Steel is stockpiled separately,
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where the carcasses of cars
and microwaves and washing machines
and microwaves and washing machines
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become iron rods for new construction;
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where roofing sheets become cookstoves;
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where shafts from cars become chisels
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that are used to scrap more objects;
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where aluminum recovered
from the radiators of fridges
from the radiators of fridges
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and air conditioners
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are melted down
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and use sand casting to make
ornaments for the building industry,
ornaments for the building industry,
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for pots which are sold just down
the street in the Agbogbloshie market
the street in the Agbogbloshie market
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with a full array of locally made
ovens, stoves and smokers,
ovens, stoves and smokers,
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which are used every day
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to make the majority of palm nut soups,
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of tea and sugar breads,
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of grilled tilapia in the city.
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They're made in roadside workshops
like this one by welders like Mohammed,
like this one by welders like Mohammed,
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who recover materials
from the waste stream
from the waste stream
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and use them to make all kinds of things,
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like dumbbells for working out
out of old car parts.
out of old car parts.
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But here's what's really cool:
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the welding machines
they use look like this,
they use look like this,
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and they're made
by specially coiling copper
by specially coiling copper
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around electrical steel
recovered from old transformer scrap.
recovered from old transformer scrap.
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There's an entire industry
just next to Agbogbloshie
just next to Agbogbloshie
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making locally fabricated welding machines
that power local fabrication.
that power local fabrication.
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What's really cool as well is that
there's a transfer of skills and knowledge
there's a transfer of skills and knowledge
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across generations,
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from masters to apprentices,
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but it's done through active learning,
through heuristic learning,
through heuristic learning,
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learning by doing and by making.
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And this stands in sharp contrast
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to the experience
of many students in school,
of many students in school,
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where lecturers lecture,
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and students write things down
and memorize them.
and memorize them.
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It's boring, but the real problem is
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this somehow preempts their latent
or their inherent entrepreneurial power.
or their inherent entrepreneurial power.
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They know books but not how to make stuff.
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Four years ago, my cofounder
Yasmine Abbas and I asked:
Yasmine Abbas and I asked:
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What would happen if we could couple
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the practical know-how of makers
in the informal sector
in the informal sector
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with the technical knowledge
of students and young professionals
of students and young professionals
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in STEAM fields --
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science, technology, engineering,
arts and mathematics --
arts and mathematics --
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to build a STEAM-powered innovation engine
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to drive what we call
"Sankofa Innovation," which I'll explain.
"Sankofa Innovation," which I'll explain.
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We took forays into the scrapyard
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to look for what could be repurposed,
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like DVD writers that could
become laser etchers,
become laser etchers,
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or the power supplies of old servers
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for a start-up in Kumasi
making 3D printers out of e-waste.
making 3D printers out of e-waste.
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The key was to bring together
young people from different backgrounds
young people from different backgrounds
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that ordinarily never have
anything to do with each other,
anything to do with each other,
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to have a conversation
about how they could collaborate
about how they could collaborate
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and to test and develop
new machines and tools
new machines and tools
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that could allow them to shred
and strip copper instead of burning it,
and strip copper instead of burning it,
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to mold plastic bricks and tiles,
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to build new computers out of components
recovered from dead electronics,
recovered from dead electronics,
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to build a drone.
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And here you can see it flying
for the first time in Agbogbloshie.
for the first time in Agbogbloshie.
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(Applause)
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Yasmine and I have collaborated
with over 1,500 young people,
with over 1,500 young people,
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750 from STEAM fields,
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and over 750 grassroots makers
and scrap dealers
and scrap dealers
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from Agbogbloshie and beyond.
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They've joined hands together
to develop a platform
to develop a platform
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which they call Spacecraft,
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a hybrid physical and digital
space for crafting,
space for crafting,
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more of a process than a product,
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an open architecture for making,
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which involves three parts:
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a makerspace kiosk,
which is prefab and modular;
which is prefab and modular;
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tool kits which can be customized
based on what makers want to make;
based on what makers want to make;
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and a trading app.
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We built the app specifically
with the needs of the scrap dealers
with the needs of the scrap dealers
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in mind first,
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because we realized that it was not enough
to arm them with information
to arm them with information
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and upgraded technology
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if we wanted them to green
their recycling processes;
their recycling processes;
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they needed incentives.
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Scrap dealers are always looking
for new scrap and new buyers
for new scrap and new buyers
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and what interests them
is finding buyers who will pay more
is finding buyers who will pay more
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for clean copper than for burnt.
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We realized that in the entire ecosystem,
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everyone was searching for something.
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Makers are searching for materials,
parts, components, tools, blueprints
parts, components, tools, blueprints
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to make what it is they want to make.
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They're also finding a way
to let customers and clientele
to let customers and clientele
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find out that they can repair a blender
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or fix an iron
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or, as we learned yesterday,
to make a french fry machine.
to make a french fry machine.
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On the flip side, you find
that there are end users
that there are end users
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that are desperately looking for someone
that can make them a french fry machine,
that can make them a french fry machine,
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and you have scrap dealers who are
looking how they can collect this scrap,
looking how they can collect this scrap,
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process it, and turn it back
into an input for new making.
into an input for new making.
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We tried to untangle
that knot of not knowing
that knot of not knowing
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to allow people to find what they need
to make what they want to make.
to make what they want to make.
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We prototyped the makerspace
kiosk in Agbogbloshie,
kiosk in Agbogbloshie,
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conceived as the opposite of a school:
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a portal into experiential
and experimental making
and experimental making
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that connects local and global
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and connects making
with remaking and unmaking.
with remaking and unmaking.
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We made a rule that everything
had to be made from scratch
had to be made from scratch
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using only materials made in Ghana
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or sourced from the scrapyard.
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The structures essentially are
simple trusses which bolt together.
simple trusses which bolt together.
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It takes about two hours to assemble
one module with semi-skilled labor,
one module with semi-skilled labor,
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and by developing tooling
and jigs and rigs,
and jigs and rigs,
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we were able to actually
build these standardized parts
build these standardized parts
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within this ecosystem of artisanal welders
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with the precision of one millimeter --
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of course, using made-in-Agbogbloshie
welding machines,
welding machines,
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as well as for the tools,
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which can lock, the toolboxes,
and stack to make workbenches,
and stack to make workbenches,
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and again, customized
based on what you want to make.
based on what you want to make.
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We've tested the app in Agbogbloshie
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and are getting ready to open it up
to other maker ecosystems.
to other maker ecosystems.
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In six months, we'll have finished
three years of testing
three years of testing
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the makerspace kiosk,
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which I have to admit, we've subjected
to some pretty horrific abuse.
to some pretty horrific abuse.
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But it's for a good cause,
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because based on
the results of that testing,
the results of that testing,
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we've been able to redesign
an upgraded version of this makerspace.
an upgraded version of this makerspace.
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If a fab lab is large, expensive,
and fixed in place,
and fixed in place,
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think of this as the counterpoint:
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something low-cost,
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which can be locally manufactured,
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which can be expanded
and kitted out incrementally
and kitted out incrementally
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as makers acquire resources.
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You can think of it as a toolshed,
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where makers can come and check out tools
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and take them via handcart
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to wherever they want in the city
to make what it is they want to make.
to make what it is they want to make.
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And moving into the next phase,
we're planning to also add
we're planning to also add
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ceiling-mounted CNC bots,
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which allow makers to cocreate
together with robots.
together with robots.
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Ultimately, this is a kit of parts
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which can be assembled locally
within the informal sector
within the informal sector
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using standardized parts
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which can be upgraded collectively
through an open-source process.
through an open-source process.
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In totality, this entire
makerspace system
makerspace system
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tries to do five things:
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to enable emerging makers
to gather the resources they need
to gather the resources they need
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and the tools to make
what they want to make;
what they want to make;
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to learn by doing and from others;
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to produce more and better products;
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to be able to trade
to generate steady income;
to generate steady income;
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and ultimately, to amplify
not only their reputation as a maker,
not only their reputation as a maker,
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but their maker potential.
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Sankofa is one of the most powerful
Adinkra symbols of the Akan peoples
Adinkra symbols of the Akan peoples
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in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire,
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and it can be represented as a bird
reaching onto its back to collect an egg,
reaching onto its back to collect an egg,
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a symbol of power.
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It translates literally from the Twi
as "return and get it,"
as "return and get it,"
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and what this means is that if
an individual or a community or a society
an individual or a community or a society
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wants to have a successful future,
they have to draw on the past.
they have to draw on the past.
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To acquire and master
existing ways of doing,
existing ways of doing,
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access the knowledge of their ancestors.
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And this is very relevant
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if we want to think about an inclusive
future for Africa today.
future for Africa today.
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We have to start from the ground up,
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mining what already works
for methods and for models,
for methods and for models,
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and to think about how might we
be able to connect,
be able to connect,
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in a kind of "both-and,"
not "either-or" paradigm,
not "either-or" paradigm,
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the innovation capacity
of this growing network
of this growing network
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of tech hubs and incubators
across the continent
across the continent
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and to rethink beyond national boundaries
and political boundaries,
and political boundaries,
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to think about how we can network
innovation in Africa
innovation in Africa
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with the spirit of Sankofa
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and the existing capacity
of makers at the grassroots.
of makers at the grassroots.
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If, in the future, someone tells you
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Agbogbloshie is the largest
e-waste dump in the world,
e-waste dump in the world,
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I hope you can correct them
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and explain to them that a dump
is a place where you throw things away
is a place where you throw things away
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and leave them forever;
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a scrapyard is where
you take things apart.
you take things apart.
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Waste is something
that no longer has any value,
that no longer has any value,
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whereas scrap is something
that you recover
that you recover
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specifically to use it
to remake something new.
to remake something new.
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Making is a cycle,
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and African makerspaces
are already pioneering and leading
are already pioneering and leading
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circular economy at the grassroots.
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Let's make more and better together.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
DK Osseo-Asare - DesignerDK Osseo-Asare creates architecture with and for the people that design overlooks.
Why you should listen
Africa today has the youngest population and fastest rate of urbanization on the planet. How can we amplify indigenous innovation continent-wide to accommodate the needs of Africa’s next billion urban dwellers? Collaborating with thousands of young people in West Africa over the past decade, DK Osseo-Asare has pioneered new approaches to design and deliver architecture and inclusive innovation to people living in resource-constrained environments: reframing the micro-architectures of "kiosk culture" as urban infrastructure for resilience; experimenting with "bambots," or bamboo architecture robots; and prototyping off-grid in the Niger Delta an open-source model of hybrid rural/urban development for Africa.
In 2012, Osseo-Asare and Yasmine Abbas launched the Agbogbloshie Makerspace Platform (AMP), a community-based project to empower grassroots makers in Africa and beyond. Co-designed with over a thousand youth in and around Agbogbloshie scrapyard in Accra, Ghana -- infamously mischaracterized as "the world's largest e-waste dump" -- AMP Spacecraft is an open architecture for "crafting space" that links a mobile structure with modular toolsets to help makers make more and better, together. AMP has deployed three spacecraft to date, with the goal of networking a pan-African fleet of maker kiosks that enable youth to reimagine (e-)waste as raw material for building digital futures, recycle better and unlock their creative potential to remake the world.
Osseo-Asare is co-founding principal of Low Design Office (LOWDO), a trans-Atlantic architecture and integrated design studio based in Ghana and Texas. He co-founded the Ashesi Design Lab as Chief Maker and is Assistant Professor of Architecture and Engineering Design at Penn State University, where he runs the Humanitarian Materials Lab (HuMatLab) and serves as Associate Director of Penn State’s Alliance for Education, Science, Engineering and Design with Africa (AESEDA).
DK Osseo-Asare | Speaker | TED.com