Parallel Connections | 2022 Impact Challenge

Parallel Connections

Team Members: Aniyah Upshaw, Julian Sanabria, Deborah Chervil

Impact Partner: Human Factor Youth Leadership Academy

The Challenge: Create more efficient means for navigation in Ghana, as current efforts are stagnant.

SDGs Addressed: SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

The Solution: Utilize satellite and existing data to create a digital map of Ghana’s roads managed by multiple levels of government; and create campaigns to make local communities assist in the process. A digital map allows enforcement of standard conventions, one of the largest problems, plus permits prints with scales and languages relevant to each region. Furthermore, unnamed or invalid streets can be identified by the program. Locals should assist in naming roads, which along with education allow intuitive use of the system. Standards are already set, what we need is to Organize institutions to allow cooperation.

The Reason: The problem caught the attention of our group as being able to locate our surroundings easily, is something we take for granted. Meanwhile, Ghana and many other countries rely on less effective methods to direct people to their destination. A comprehensive address system would allow Ghana to urbanize quicker and facilitate infrastructure planning; while providing economic growth by enabling access to people unfamiliar with Ghanaian rural areas. Proper development of infrastructure leads to further improvements in all facets of society. Ghana needs a strong foundation to design adequate communities and connect them with each other.