No matter what country you consider yourself from originally, moving to a new country comes with learning a whole new way of doing things. Here in Ghana, that can mean learning a whole new way of getting around town, getting around the country, getting new clothes and even how to eat.
One thing that many travelers will gush about when they travel somewhere is the hospitality that the people of other countries show to them. There are very few countries that I haven’t heard about their amazing hospitality. Ghana is no different. The people here are extremely welcoming. Even after being here for 10 months already, I still get greeted with, “Akwaaba!” or “Welcome!” at least once a week.
While much of the world spent 2016 focused on the voting of two countries (the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and the elections in the United States), Ghana also held elections for parliament and the president.
There are a number of political parties in Ghana, but the two major parties are the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The election placed President John Mahama (NDC) against Nana Akufo-Addo (NPP), and Ghana decided it was time for a change. President Akufo-Addo was sworn into office on 14 January 2017.
This is my response to any number of requests or statements ranging from requests for me to take someone to the United States to whether I’ll make it to an event.
With that simple little phrase, I’ve shifted from a view that through my own work and effort I can make something happen to the view that I’m at the mercy of fate and God’s will. I don’t even believe in God. But, the people of Ghana sure do. And to be a part of the culture here, I participate in the recitation of a phrase that absolves me of control and accepts that the universe may have its own plans.
It’s been said that there are three stories that are told about the African continent: animals, war and conflict, poverty. A glance through any news publication and the vast majority of stories about this continent likely fall into one of those three categories. But there are many stories to be told about people and places within the 54 countries that make up this continent.
But to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience and to overlook the many other stories that formed me. The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story. – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of the Single Story
In an effort to combat the single story that is told about Ghana, I asked some of my co-workers what they thought people should know about Ghana. This is what they had to say.
Globalization. It’s a big concept that means a lot of things to different people. As technology, inventions and innovations have made travel and transport easier over the years, it’s only logical that bits and pieces from countries and cultures would scatter like seeds on the wind across the globe. And while the majority of the people in my community will likely never go far beyond West Africa, they are rather well versed in the world, through commodities and ephemera. Here are some of the things that make Winneba a global town.