The recent addition to this ambitious Technological drive in our secondary and Technical schools is Jacobu Senior High Technical School.

• Ibrahim Mujahed, a second year student from Jastech builds Excavator, Grinding Machine and Garbage Truck from used materials.
• The Excavator was powered by a rechargeable battery and could move on its milk-tin wheels
• All the three major arms of the front attachment – boom, dipper and bucket could all move thanks to pressure in the syringes and infusion tubes.
• The Gargabe car and Grinding Machine could move and grind respectively when powered by direct current.

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A student in his second year at Jacobu Senior High Technical School, in the Amansie Central district of Ashanti region, has conjured a fascinating effigy of an Excavator, Grinding machine and Garbage Truck from thin air using just used tins, scrap papers, used syringes and infusion or cylindrical tubes.

Excavator, Grinding Machine, Garbage Truck (from left to right)

“In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty”, so goes the African proverb. This wise saying is also well articulated in the legendary Bob Marley’s song, Rat Race.

Africa is a continent rich in natural resources and great human potential. Experts believe after China, Africa will be the next battleground for technology and engineering escapades, thanks primarily to the young, conscientious population and cheap labour.

Ghana’s strive at technology is mainly highlighted by an unlikely entity – Kantanka, a religious leader whose technological adventures have taken the country and world by storm.

Kantanka automobile

But that may be changing recently. Many technical schools across the length and breadth of the nation have finally woken up and joined the bandwagon.

Just to mention a few, Obuasi Secondary Technical School wowed Ghanaians with their home-made electronic covid 19 bucket during the covid-19 pandemic.

The recent addition to this ambitious technological drive in our secondary and technical schools is Jacobu Senior High Technical School.

Entrance of Jacobu Senior High Technical School

Ibrahim Mujahed, a Technical student offering Metal Works and Physics, has been inspired to build an Excavator, Grinding machine and Garbage truck from scratch using used tins, scrap paper, syringes and infusion tubes.

Ibrahim Mujahed, student (left), and Mr. Edward Yarney (Head of Technical Department, Jastech)

FactAlive met with Mr. Ibrahim Mujahed, the brainchild of these magnificent prototypes, at Jacobu Senior High Technical School (Jastech).

What is an Excavator?

Excavator

An Excavator is a heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, dipper (or stick or arm), bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the “house”.

The “house” sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. They are a natural progression from the steam shovels and often mistakenly called power shovels.

Mechanics of an excavator

All movement and functions of a hydraulic excavator are accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid with hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors.

How does the Jastech-made Excavator work?

Made of used tins, light paper, syringes and rubber tubes, lever motions at pivots are controlled by pressure created by pushing or pulling at the syringe to move the fluid (or water) within the tubes. This pressure is converted to mechanical energy to create motion to move the arm, boom and bucket of the Excavator.

The large “house” on which the cab sits can also rotate on its axis just as a normal excavator when powered on by the DC motor built into the heavy tin casing.

Ibrahim Mujahed, speaking to FactAlive, explained that the excavator basically comprises a metallic cab to house the operator, and this cab is pivoted on a large rotating, metallic container called the “house”. This houses the engine and other mechanical content of the machine.

He added that the whole structure rests on the shoulders of a certain system called the Undercarriage. The other half of the excavator is commonly called the front attachment which comprises the boom and its hydraulic cylinder, arm and its hydraulic cylinder, and a bucket and its hydraulic cylinder.

Asked about why he built these machines, Ibrahim said he loved technology and loved building things. He hopes to be an engineer in the future.

Reaction from the Technical Department of Jastech

The Technical department of Jacobu Senior High couldn’t hold back the excitement with Mr. Edward Yarney, head of the technical department, breaking to FactAlive that it was high time government paid attention to technical education in the country.

He cited the need to pay special attention to technical education as that would satisfy the needs of he ordinary Ghanaian. He said his remark wasn’t a rallying cry to downplay the importance of secondary (or theoretical) education but added that technical education corroborates the many arcane theories poured vigorously into the minds of students.

He went on to cite examples of countries such as China, South Korea, Japan etc who have become technology power houses thanks to their respect for and investment in technical education.

He also called for special attention for students like Ibrahim Mujahed who are modern-day offshoots of the famous Kantanka.

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