Ghana

The two faces of Ghana, old and new.

President Obama’s father came from Ghana.

There are places in Ghana that look like it could be Florida.

There are busy cities.

But as you got to know Ghana, you would begin to see differences.

Your mother probably doesn’t carry groceries on her head.

Most of the roads are dirt and you never know what might be crossing.

Ghana is like two worlds, the modern cities and the rural villages. But, in both there remains a culture of honoring past tribal traditions.

Festivals and music are passed from generation to generation.

Even professionals like lawyers and doctors dress up for a festival.

Life is much harder in the rural villages. There is no running water and electricity that sometimes doesn’t work. But even here, some people have cell phones, radios and TV’s… and little boys still play with cars.

And always it is a problem to find water.

Schools in the city are like our schools. Schools in the rural villages is outdoor and students don’t use paper or pencils.

There is poverty in the rural areas and people go about life in much the way they did hundreds of years ago.

The youth like to wear more modern clothing, while the adults still wear robes and wrapped skirts.

The markets in both the city and the rural areas are outside.

In the rural villages, house are usually made of mud and have a “courtyard” attached to the house where the farm animals like goats are kept to protect them.

The mud can be almost like stucco or cement.

Many of the children whose parents are poor do not go to school. They help their parents with their work.

Babies go with their mothers while they work.

Many of the poor people in rural villages come to the city hoping for a better life, but life in the city for the poor can be very difficult.

But in spite of poverty, the people of Ghana celebrate their ancestors and family with a spirit of joy.