Richard Appiah Akoto: Chalkboard Hero of Singapore
Picture this: a Ghanaian schoolteacher, armed only with colorful chalk, turns a dreary classroom into a vibrant lesson on how a computer works. When a clip of his drawings spreads across social media, the world suddenly sees a new kind of tech wizard, and he’s whisked away to a glittering tech conference in Singapore.
Meet the Professor of Pencil
Richard Appiah Akoto, a 33‑year‑old ICT teacher in the modest farming village of Sekyedomase, Ghana, had to improvise. With no computers in his school and his own laptop busted, he sketched out what a PC looks like: the big, bold mouse with its cord, the glowing keyboard, and even the motherboard as if it were a treasure map.
His method was simple yet brilliant: “I would draw the mouse with the cord, label the body, the tail, the buttons—making sure the kids could follow every part.”
The Viral Moment
When photos of his chalkboard lessons appeared online, Pokémon‑facing students and tech buffs alike swooned. Facebook fans shared the detailed illustrations that winked with toolbar icons, while Twitter users praised the artist’s knack for turning crude doodles into clear, teaching moments.
International donors took notice, and the aid began rolling in. One British contributor sent a laptop, a Ghanaian IT firm donated five desktops, and the organizers gave Akoto another shiny machine.
From Chalk to Megabytes
- British laptop donation
- Five African desktops
- Personal laptop gift for Akoto
His students were thrilled when the computers finally arrived. They could see a real computer now—just like the drawings they’d been following—but the lesson was already snapped into memory thanks to Akoto’s chalk artistry.
Standing Ovations in Singapore
After a three‑day Microsoft‑sponsored conference in Singapore, Richard received a standing ovation and a future that’s no longer chalk‑only. “I’m hoping for more computers so every student has one,” he told reporters. “And I want to extend this to neighbouring schools, giving them the tools they need to teach ICT.”
Three days of global applause later, and a once‑impoverished classroom looks to the future—one step, one click, one chalk line at a time.
