There are 54 independent nations in Africa, but I have visited just over 10%. This is sad, as each country is unique and has given me the opportunity to understand a lot about my roots.
But I am not crying over spilled milk today, just sharing my initial impressions of Ghana which I visited in 2023.
This was my first trip to West Africa from which most slaves were shipped.
Interestingly, on that trip, the hotel we stayed at was right on the Atlantic Ocean, across which our ancestors unwillingly traversed. My and your ancestors survived that journey but millions of Africans didn’t!
Ghanaians tell me that even today when it rains heavily, a number of local people use nets to collect items, even gold, that washes up from the deep where so many sunken trips have ended up over the centuries.
On arriving in Accra, I was immediately struck by how much some sections look like my own capital city, Kingston. For, like Kingston, the roads are choking with traffic, the sidewalks are overwhelmed by vendors’ stalls and hustling pedestrians and in some sections many buildings and developments appear totally unplanned.
Like Kingston too, there is obviously a wide gap between rich and poor as the mansions and slums stand out in contrast to each other.
The affluence in Accra is enhanced by wealthy Nigerians who live in the oil-rich state of Benin, which is only an hour and 20 minutes away by air and seven hours away by car.
Because the Muslim culture in Benin is strict, things like liquor and wild parties are frowned on, so they flock to the better sections of Accra to enjoy themselves and their immense wealth which they have no compunction about flaunting.
Their parties normally last for days — day and night I was told.
Despite the crowding on the roads in the city I immediately noticed how disciplined and well-mannered their drivers were in comparison to ours!
An interesting experience I had was when we encountered a landslide just outside of Accra, after a heavy shower of rain. This landslide totally blocked our side of the dual carriageway, but in sync, drivers simply turned around and crossed over to the lane on the other side of the carriageway where traffic faced them. That lane of traffic immediately gave up half of their space, no impatience, no honking of horns, no fights, no pulling of weapons, no cursing and swearing at others, and no mishaps
It was an amazingly disciplined and seamless operation, although there were no police present to maintain order or give directions!
It is not only on the roads that you see the difference in discipline, but in their everyday life and this is especially marked in the crime statistics, especially violent crime. For my poor beleaguered homeland is so notoriously violent! The statistics show that our murder rate per capita, is nine times higher than Ghana’s, which isa veryvast country by comparison.
Ghanaians on a whole are extremely friendly and welcoming, from political officials and tribal chiefs to the man in the street.
This welcoming attitude and peaceful coexistence among the numerous tribes has led to a marked influx of black people from all over the world, especially the USA.
For with the low crime rate all over, the relatively cheap cost of living (especially noticeable in land prices and construction costs) plus the strength and stability of the Cedi, the country is very attractive to foreigners. (The Cedi is the official currency and while it resembles the Jamaican $20 coin, it is worth 10 Cedi to US$1.)
Another drawing card is the fact that most Ghanaians speak English as well as many tribal languages and many are quite conversant with a few European languages.
As a Jamaican, I found Ghanaian food and cooking to be similar to ours but I had to be careful with the meats, as they tend to be extremely spicy. However, everywhere you turn there are familiar fruit trees and ground crops. I couldn’t find a breadfruit tree anywhere though and on describing it to all who would listen, it is clear that it is just was not used or grown there.
One marked difference between Ghanaians and us black people in the West that I immediately noticed too, was how short schoolchildren keep their hair,
Curious as usual, I had to ask and learned that in Ghana, boys and girls attending government schools from kindergarten up to university level must wear their hair trimmed very low. It is said this is to prevent them from being distracted by vanity!
At first, I was appalled to hear this, but if it works for them, who the hell am I to criticize?
Before visiting Ghana, I had travelled to Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. But to me, Ghana felt very much like home and to tell you the truth, had I visited that huge low-crime, developed, democratic, country when I was much younger, that would be where I would have chosen for my retirement.
More anon.
