Religion

Coming to Ghana from Senegal and Gambia where the vast population is made up of followers of the Muslim faith, Ghana is very different as around 69% of the country are Christian however I have yet to come across a Muslim here in Ghana. On initially seeing this country and drawing comparisons between them, I notice Ghana is slightly more developed and its people have a very different way of life yet live under very similar circumstances. I wonder if this has anything to do with the difference in religion or absolutely nothing to do with it at all and its a much wider issue that I am best not getting into.

Everywhere you look around there is reference to God and it is evident to see their strong values of Christianity. Nearly every shop is named after a bible verse, such as 'love thy neighbour electricals' or 'Jesus saves groceries', cars have bumper stickers and signs saying Jesus forgives and loves' and on Sunday's almost everyone is transformed in their Sunday best outfits for church. You see people by the mass travelling to various church services dressed in their best clothes and others in church uniforms which I was not aware there was such thing. Amazing colourful and patterned dresses and outlandish hats are worn by the women and children in the cutest dresses, while the men mostly where bright linen suits with smart shoes and all their jewellery. You can see that Sunday is a very special day to them as it should be and church is valued as a very important part of their week that they seem to look forward to, these people all seem so happy with constant beaming smiles. It's pretty hard to find an angry looking person here and nearly everyone is happy to talk to you or at least say akwaaba which means welcome. I have picked up a few words and phrases here which is not much but it is certainly appreciated and gets you a long way.

Government

There is plenty to think about here and another of the things that I question a lot is why is this country in this mess and how can it change. I can no longer call it a 'third world country' as that's not a pc term but a 'developing country' which to me is better fitting as this certainly feels like a place that is improving. On first impressions there is of course a long way to go but under the surface there are also significant changes that I would have not seen if I had come only 20 years earlier, such as rights to education for every child. From observations and volunteers experience, I understand whilst there is education it is much like schooling we had a 100 years ago. which was pretty poor but on the plus side if they can keep on developing on the right track and continue taking schooling as seriously as they now are, there is nothing stopping education being where we are at presently in another 100 years here. To me that's got to be something better than nothing. There has also been an end to child labour and penalties are now being given if found exploiting or denying them an education. unfortunately there is still plenty of corruption and government officials are not shy to a bit of bribery here.

As mentioned before history isn't my strength so I looked further back to understand Ghana and its current state and how the government have come to have such high power. I discover after the civil war Britain colonised Ghana and The Gambia as well as Nigeria all being some of the more developed parts of west Africa. In 1957 Ghana decided to claim its independence and reluctantly we let them go it alone, with our eventual blessing. Ghana was then a country of independence and at the start they were full of optimism and hope for their country now it was in their own political hands so to speak. Things went badly quite quickly and the reality set in that they weren't equipped to go it alone, the economy then before the gold and oil was discovered was based on crops that were sold at prices affected by constant fluxuance and supply of crops varied on different areas and climates vastly. Things went from bad to worse at the end of the Cold War with Ghana being one of the many countries now wanting political democracy which only led to the problem they still face today which is their governments hierarchy and control over their own destinies and future economic well being.

Ghana is also now one of the few African countries with a democratic voting system meaning that its people have a right to vote for governing power. most Ghanaians I have spoken to have mixed views about the government, some agreeing that the small changes they have made have helped Ghana and its hope for the next generation with better education while others point blame for its poor economy. Just one of the many issues raised to mention that has come up talking to people has been anger at the government at the vast number of mining and factory jobs being farmed out to the Chinese and Japanese for their cheap labour meaning they have far less opportunity.

Another mentioned positive change has been every village, township or living area now has use of clean water pumps which was not previously the case. whilst diseases and water Bourne illnesses like cholera and typhoid are still prevalent it is not as rife as before when people were drinking straight from the rivers or going without. The future hope is to, in time have more pumps in each village allowing it to be far more accessible, as people still walk several miles to a pump.

There is a long way to go until Ghana can be anywhere near on par with the rest of the developed world and they are still so far removed from such civilisations but I can't help feel that it will remain this way for a very long time to come until either a useful commodity is found or western money is given, both of which are very unlikely and if were to happen it cannot be guaranteed help will be made resourceful. Don't be mistaken Ghana has its commodities such as gold, diamonds and marine products. The gold is currently being mined at the mass but it would seem that they are not managing their resources to gain their country long term. Like the gold for instance they are paying the Chinese to more a less take over the mining and resale in return for healthy salaries to the government and yet it's people see very little of what this luxury find could bring their country. It goes back to the Ghanaian attitude of living for now and not for the future and it would seem the government are lining their pockets today and not planning ahead for the future generation of their country. There is a limit to how much gold can be taken from here and this will become a wasted opportunity to get this country finally developed.

Another huge commodity here is cocoa and yet again this is being sold cheaply to mostly to South Korea, Japan and the UK to then make expensive products such as coffee and chocolate. Instead the government could invest in its farmers and make these products out of its country for far more money instead of churning it out in large quantities for small quick returns. These are to only raise a few of the issues that have probed so many questions I now have. If I were to ever meet Mr. Dramani He would certainly know about it, I think it's clear to see I feel very strongly about a lot of issues here but it is merely through my found compassion to its people and frustrations to the countries suffering.

Foreign Help

They call Ghana the gateway to Africa and it's not hard to see why it is a popular choice for a volunteer or traveller as the people are incredibly welcoming and it is one of safest countries to visit. Despite being slightly governmentally corrupt I am told it is one of the most stable countries in west Africa, which to me doesn't say a lot about the rest.

It is clear to see a lot of foreign help when you look around the big parts of Ghana however there is still plenty that can be done, especially in the unventured parts off the beaten track. It is good to see schools with signs up saying donated and built by said foundation or trust, water pumps with dedication plaques to its founders and children running around in clothes clearly sent over as aid. I have even seen people wearing tesco uniforms and random uniforms that have been sent over for re use. It is reassuring to see the clothes that we put into clothes banks at home are making their way here, large shipping containers often turn up at markets for low resale. Books and school materials that are slightly out dated by our standards, but still very resourceful often land up in their classrooms. These are to name just a few of the many examples I see here.
Ghana has lots of volunteers some bringing raised funds with them and others dedicating their time and knowledge. I have met some amazing volunteers here that have come to great lengths to come and give what they can while others come for the experience and to enrich their own lives which is still very admirable.

If I could take anything with me on returning home from this experience thus far it would be a very simple but valuable lesson learnt. The importance to appreciate all that I have to the fullest and live life simply. Despite my wish for Ghana to have more things and money to which these people have no idea of what it is they are missing therefore cannot miss it. There is a hell of a lot to be envious of these people too. Ghanaians have very little and yet they are truly the happiest and most fulfilled people I have experienced.