During this year’s World Cup games most Africans and those of African descent around the world were glued to their televisions screens in hopeful anticipation for the Ghanaian team’s victory. We saw how Ghana’s team creame
d the U.S. team, and didn’t make it into the final draw by an unlucky mishap, and most were devastated. At that time I was not one of the folks crying for Ghana’s loss, but excited that the world was able to see Africa’s potential to win, and after spending this week in Accra I know that Ghana has already won—for all of Africa.
During my voyage moving to Niger this past August, I remember sitting next to a U.S. Foreign Service Officer on the final leg of my journey who was describing her time in Niger and referred to it as the “Real Africa”. I wondered what she possibly could have meant by that, but now I see that many people see Africa as a place that in its “natural” state is a continent of poverty, war, illness, lack of infrastructure and development. Even many of those that work in international development or humanitarian relief continue to see the continent this way, even in the 21st century.
Unfortunately, Niger is Africa’s poorest country with some of the world’s highest infant and maternity mortality rates. Literacy rates nationwide are only at approximately 25%, the rates significantly lower for women. Niger also leads the world in terms of birth rates with families approximately producing 7 children. This has been a major detriment in its efforts to combat the ongoing food crisis which has almost 50% of the population in a state of moderate to acute malnutrition.
This past Saturday I arrived in Accra, Ghana. I had heard about the clean streets and friendly people, but what I met blew me away, and I fell into a 48-hour period of culture shock. My first stop was directly to the Accra Mall I had heard so much about. On the way there, I saw many businesses that one could find anywhere in the world, which demonstrates Ghana’s access to markets and is competitiveness on a global scale. The mall is definitely a capitalist’s paradise, but what is special about it is the bookstore filled with books written by Ghanaians showcasing the beautiful and vibrant history and culture of Africa’s 1st independent nation. The mall also has stores with clothing featuring Ghanaian designers, which is very motivating.
After spending the night in a lovely hotel, with friendly staff, in the morning I went for a walk in the neighborhood known as East Legon. East Legon is one of Accra’s newest neighborhoods with houses, or should I say mansions that look like you could be in any neighborhood anywhere in the Occident. There are also many schools, restaurants, and to my surprise a natural hair salon that specializes in locs! Natural hair has not yet been accepted in West Africa, so this shows another aspect of Ghana that is ahead of the margin.
Ghana, being rich in cocoa, gold, and other natural resources is prosperous in comparison to other African states, particularly in West Africa, yet is not perfect. The country being Europe’s first stop in Africa has dealt with an unstable political history, ethnic conflict in the North, and currently struggles with child labor and trafficking issues in fishing communities in the Lake Volta region (the world’s largest artificial lake).
Yet, in my mind, this is the real Africa. A country where one can walk down the street and see Africa’s potential and dream. In fact during my walk, I dropped 2 cedis (which is 1.4 to the $1), and a young girl ran after me yelling “Sistah! Sistah!” to alert me to the cash I dropped—a very heartwarming moment.
Homes in East Legon, and other brand new skyscraping apartment buildings may be too expensive for the average Ghanaian, but most are reportedly owned by Ghanaians. This is very refreshing since typically expats and politicians are the sole recipients who have access to enjoy the fruits of a struggling nation.
Although the literacy rate is not 100% and people still live in poverty especially in rural areas, Ghana shows us that her people are striving towards building a nation with a strong infrastructure that benefits most of its people and is competitive on a global scale.
My time here has been spent working, but within that I managed to sneak in a thundering church service, some tasty palm oil and kenkeh based meals, and hopefully will head to the beach this weekend. All Ghanaians should be proud of their accomplishments and I salute them for their success and hope all Africans are able to rise to their level of achievement—bravo!
