Computer Keyboard for Ghanaian languages in the offing

The nation's quest to have place under the sun in the area of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has received a further boost.

Two Finland-based Ghanaian Software Engineers currently working for the mobile phone-giants, Nokia Corporation, Kyekyeku Opoku-Pong and Isaac Quarshie have come up with a keyboard design for Ghanaian languages.

The keyboard in its prototype state can be used for most of the Ghanaian languages including Akan, Ga, and some of the northern languages.

The keyboard modifies the standard 101 QWERTY keyboard to include the "open letter o" pronounced "ooh" in Akan and the "open letter e" pronounced "eeh" in Akan and the "eng" character used in Ga, Adangbe and some of the northern languages.

This means that the user can type English as usual and also type in the Ghanaian languages at will. The keyboard also has the Cedi sign.

The designers are currently working on the EWE alphabets.According to the designers, their aim is to contribute to the ICT revolution in Ghana. Kyekyeku Opoku-Pong and Isaac Quarshie remarked that in the beginning of this endeavour, they had no idea as to how to implement the keyboard but with perseverance, they have now achieved what one day will give every Ghanaian the chance to type freely any Ghanaian language on the computer.

The keyboard has been tested on Windows 2000 but should work with Windows XP. The designers hope that Ghanaian government or the right authorities in Ghana will support their efforts. The type of help they will need include the set characters that will make the final design good for most or all of the major languages in Ghana, suggestions for the final layout of the keyboard, funding and promotion.

Mr. Kyekyeku Opoku-Pong is a native of Sekyere, near Effiduasi, Ashanti region.

He had his primary education at Obengkrom L/A Primary School, near Kenyasi in Brong-Ahafo.

He had his secondary education at St. John's Secondary School, Sekondi between 1973 and 1980.

After a stint at the Physics, Chemistry and Geology at departments at the University of Legon between 1980-81, Mr. Kyekyeku Opoku-Pong left Ghana in 1981 for the then Soviet Union to study Mining Engineering at the Institute of Mines, St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1986, he left the Soviet Union to study Computer Science at the University of Tampere, Finland where he graduated with a Masters degree in Computer Science.

He is studying for his PhD in Computer Science at the same University.

The other co-inventor, Isaac Kofi Quarshie is a half Sefwi from Sefwi-Wiawso and half Fante from Abrem-Ankaasi near Elmina.

He obtained a first degree B.Sc in Computer Science at the University of Ghana in 1999 and worked with Nano Systems for a year and later joined Bentil-Enchil's (BELM) DataCenta as a Systems Administrator for only a month.

He then traveled to Finland in the November 2000 to work on contract for Finland Post Ltd through AIESEC Ghana.

He took a year's course in Client Server Programming and Web Designs at Forssa in Finland and was later employed as a teacher in the same school. Since February 2002, Isaac Kofi Quarshie has been working as Systems Engineer at Nokia Corporation.

In an exclusive interview with the Business Chronicle on the Internet, the two gentlemen were very upbeat saying "The keyboard is a working prototype so it is feasible. The prospects depend on the support we get for further development".

According to these Ghanaian inventors, "We need support from the right authorities in Ghana, including the Bureau of Languages in deciding the officially accepted characters in the various Ghanaian languages, Standards Board to assess and accept the design layout of the keyboard and possibly ICT Ghana.

"We have also contacted the Bank of Ghana for the support in getting a code for the Ghanaian Cedi in International Standards. We know that the cedi sign has not yet been designed for the computer. Ghanaians are using the cent sign ¢ for the cedi which is not encouraging to us as Software Engineers from Ghana."

Asked whether there were prospect for the keyboard, Mr. Quashie had this to say, "We believe that there are great prospects for our keyboard. Our design allows the user to type in English and in Ghanaian languages as seen in the files I attached to the mail to you.

They said they are going to develop the prototype further with or without the support of those who should help. Mr. Quashie noted that it would be easier for the development if they would be supported and receive cooperation from all the authorities in the country.

Finland is one most technologically advanced countries in the world. It leads in the global per capita usage of Computers and mobile phones. The country has led the Transparency Internationals honesty index and two years ago, was adjudged the number in Europe in terms of quality of education.