Give three compelling examples of how cultural issues affect your project. 

Culture is a defining, yet distinguishing characteristic of many groups. Culture is an important aspect in many people’s lives, and I am certain, this is true for the people of Sierra Leone as well. We will have to be open-minded regarding the differences in culture and learn about theirs to best help the eventual implementation of our Sickle Cell Anemia diagnostic device. I have not yet travelled to Sierra Leone, but I know that it is not sufficient to make something and donate it to Sierra Leone. For this project to have a lasting impact, we need to show an understanding to their culture and market the product towards them, as they are not as receptive to Western medicine as Americans are. They still use traditional medicine as a primary source of healthcare and we have to respect that part of their culture. Another cultural phenomenon we have to be mindful of is that punctuality, or lack thereof. Timing is key for getting things done in American culture. Deadlines are set and schedules are created far in advance to propagate prompt completion. Sierra Leone seems to operate on a more lax schedule and that is something we will have to get used to. Finally, we also need to be mindful of our tone, phrasing and body language around the people in Sierra Leone. Khanjan mentioned that if you ask someone to do something, they will decline. We have to find a happy medium where we obtain the help we need from the natives, while not imposing ourselves and being bossy.

https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/sierra-leone/history-language-culture/

Have you experienced or observed any of these social situations at home?

My mother, my father, my sister and I do not practice any religion and were all born in America, yet I still have experienced these situations at home. Firstly, my girlfriend of 18 months is Brazilian. Her mother and father were both born in Brazil, hence, Brazilian culture is important to her life. Through our relationship, I have learned about some key parts of Brazilian culture. As I mentioned, I believe that the Sierra Leoneans’ view on punctuality will take some getting used to, but I have some experience due to the Brazilian community my girlfriend has introduced me to and through service trips abroad. For large events, my girlfriend tells her Brazilian friends and family to come hours before the actual start time so they actually arrive on time. They have still been later after being told to come two hours early! Secondly, on my trip to Antigua, it was evident that “island time” is a preached philosophy there. Our first few days, our schedule was packed with meetings and activities to get the most out of our trip, however, we soon realized that our schedule was unrealistic. The natives are raised in an easygoing, free-spirited lifestyle and therefore are not as punctual and strict-scheduled as us Americans usually are. At home, my mother and martial arts sensei would always say “if you aren’t 10 minutes early, you are late”. While being on time is an important aspect in American culture, these trips allowed me to be more adaptable and accepting of spontaneity. Finally, I know American professionals are easy to piss off and too focused on an end goal. Often arguments arise, and hate can be prevalent in America. Hence, I have never seen people shout at each other, and make up so quickly afterwards. Their “palaver” is something so foreign to me as I have never seen anything like it.

Give three examples of cultural practices that can be leveraged to address community / market problems.

In Sierra Leone, it is very respectable to build a relationship before conducting business matters. It helps remove tension and create trust. I believe we can definitely use this to our advantage for our project. If we can develop a relationship with some local groups, we can lessen their worries about the device we are thrusting upon them. Secondly, their acceptance of different cultures and easygoing nature will work to our advantage. I hope that they realize we are not trying to show superiority to them, but we are trying to make a difference using the resources we have. We have to make sure to not display an aura of patronization towards them as we are truly trying to help people live better lives in Sierra Leone. Finally, I believe the people in Sierra Leone will be receptive to the efforts we are making due to the strained medical facilities in the country. Life expectancies are declining and less than 1% of their annual government revenue is pushed towards healthcare. They are very emotionally intelligent people and I guarantee they will help us any way they can.

https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/ci-ic_sl.aspx?lang=eng#cn-4