I have observed some changes since I was in Ghana two years ago: there is a wealth of new SUVs on the road, new filling stations, and bars. Buildings that were once sitting in various stages of construction have been completed; there is a new mall that upon entering puts one into a western stupor, climate controlled and brightly lit.
But still, some things remain the same: power failures called “lights out” happen at least once a week, if not more. Despite the appearance of flashy imported vehicles heavy traffic and road safety is an ongoing concern. If you are not familiar with the traffic flow at a given time of day, you could be in traffic for hours, cars creating their own lanes on the shoulder on the highway, making illegal left hand turns into oncoming traffic going the wrong way on a one way street to bypass the jams. Several days ago I was involved in a car crash after learning that insurance may not cover damage, injury, or death, so things may turn violent or deadly. If you were responsible for an accident involving a death, you would need to escape, or risk being beaten to death.
Buildings are still being built and Ghana is deemed a new investment opportunity, with its middle class growing at a rate of almost 7 percent. But the infrastructure is not yet here to support the growth. We are staying with a married couple that live in a three bedroom, three-bathroom apartment complete with air-conditioning, fridge and freezer, stove and oven, guard, and maid. And yet, when the city of Accra shuts off its water supply, and our tank runs out, we are left without running water, and no backup sources. We go without bathing, and Grace the cook washes all the dishes with pure water sachets –500ml bags of so-called purified water. We are the privileged ones. That night we go for a walk down the train tracks to watch as hundreds of women and children haul water for kilometres, on their heads and sometimes with a child slung on their backs. For them the water offs are extreme. These people so physically strong and determined, bring me to shame for even thinking that not bathing for a day is a hardship, or not getting enough veggies.
I have observed some changes since I was in Ghana two years ago: there is a wealth of new SUVs on the road, new filling stations, and bars. Buildings that were once sitting in various stages of construction have been completed; there is a new mall that upon entering puts one into a western stupor, climate controlled and brightly lit.
But still, some things remain the same: power failures called “lights out” happen at least once a week, if not more. Despite the appearance of flashy imported vehicles heavy traffic and road safety is an ongoing concern. If you are not familiar with the traffic flow at a given time of day, you could be in traffic for hours, cars creating their own lanes on the shoulder on the highway, making illegal left hand turns into oncoming traffic going the wrong way on a one way street to bypass the jams. Several days ago I was involved in a car crash after learning that insurance may not cover damage, injury, or death, so things may turn violent or deadly. If you were responsible for an accident involving a death, you would need to escape, or risk being beaten to death.
Buildings are still being built and Ghana is deemed a new investment opportunity, with its middle class growing at a rate of almost 7 percent. But the infrastructure is not yet here to support the growth. We are staying with a married couple that live in a three bedroom, three-bathroom apartment complete with air-conditioning, fridge and freezer, stove and oven, guard, and maid. And yet, when the city of Accra shuts off its water supply, and our tank runs out, we are left without running water, and no backup sources. We go without bathing, and Grace the cook washes all the dishes with pure water sachets –500ml bags of so-called purified water. We are the privileged ones. That night we go for a walk down the train tracks to watch as hundreds of women and children haul water for kilometers, on their heads and sometimes with a child slung on their backs. For them the water offs are extreme. These people so physically strong and determined, bring me to shame for even thinking that not bathing for a day is a hardship, or not getting enough veggies.