Ghana y3 d3: Ghana is sweet

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Ghana I have learnt is a place of peace, hospitality and warmth.



As the first African country to become independent, I have become so drawn to Ghana's history, development, and culture.



I have become immersed in as much of Ghana as I can without actually being there, listening to their popular music (e.g. the famous Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie) and trying to learn some of the main language there (twi, said chwee). There are over 79 languages spoken there, with English being the country's official language as it is an ex British colony. I have also made a number of friends my age in Ghana via a Ghanaian friend in the UK, and have come to see how white people are highly regarded by Ghanaians without much reasoning behind it.



I have seen that life is more of a struggle there, mainly due to the lack of jobs and employment opportunities in Ghana. Money is much more easily acquired here in the UK, and therefore our cost of living is higher.



Corruption in Ghana has been common since independence, where a small number of government officials will take money intended for the country's development and spend it on themselves in an act of greed and selfishness. This hinders Ghana's development greatly and stops their economy from growing. Although Ghana does have issues with corruption, there are many African countries with a larger problem in this area, and Ghana is one of the few countries to be classed as a low middle income country. This is a great achievement for an African country.



So often the media portrays Africa and it's population to be completely different to the UK, with primitive societies and simple, undeveloped systems compared with developed countries such as the Americas. However I have seen how Africa's colourful cultures, warm ways and respectful attitudes actually make it a place to be proud of.



However, these are just views and perceptions of a place I have never been to, so whilst I can make judgements based on facts and evidence, only when I have spent the next 6 weeks in Ghana will my views, opinions and ideas about Ghana become realistic. I understand many things about Ghana are very different to the UK, and some of these things will be hard to face and accept. However, I embrace these differences and I can't wait to see how people live in another part of the planet.



Helping others by teaching the fife and music theory will be a useful skill for some of these young people to learn, and a worthwhile experience. I can't wait to share my knowledge and lighten others lives with music, something I have learnt to love in so many genres and from so many angles. I know it will be an insightful time, as well as an enriching experience and I hope to give as much to Ghana I can.

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Photos

Busy street in Takoradi
Takoradi is the city I will be closest to. I will be staying in the Jiko Foundation, an orphanage situated just outside a village called Aboadze, which is about 30 minutes drive from Takoradi.