The Gong Gong Man

Photos and videos from the journey behind the new book by Max Alexander, "Bright Lights, No City."

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Villagers would always set up a table for the gong gong, often breaking out their finest linen.

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Whit signing up a new customer.

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Sometimes the Burro posters didn't lend themselves well to wall adhesion.

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BYU grad student Justin King helps a village woman answer questions about battery usage and preferences. The information would be used to help Burro craft marketing messages.

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Carrying batteries the African way, an essential part of Burro training.

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Trade show queen: The bed of the Tata made a good stage for gong gongs.

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Aargh, matey: Super Gluing my eye shut was an eye-opener when it came to the Ghana Health Service, which works surprisingly well.

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The BYU interns used visual aids to help survey customers about battery preferences.

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No reservations: Intern Andrew Stewart tucks into a Ghanaian snail.

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Ghetto blaster: Radio users were some of Burro's best customers.

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Captive crowd: children were always curious about the gong-gongs, but they were usually made to sit apart from the adults.

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The accursed Kia: A rare photo of the car right side up, on four wheels.

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Before selling a phone charger, we always made sure it worked with the customer's phone. 

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Tara using flash cards to help a villager with limited literacy describe what she values most in a battery--lasts long, doesn't leak, safer for children, and so on.

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A typical day on the road during rainy season.

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Color coordinated: BYU intern Tara Hair in the field.

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Long night's jounrey into day: Whit on the Burro veranda, after a transatlantic flight.