Observations on Ghana after 29 months away
1. Very few people are masked, but most will put on a mask in our house if asked.
2. There are frequent places with hand sanitizer.
2. 1. It is heartbreaking to see the steep fall of the local currency, the Cedi.
3. The weekday traffic is unbelievable, especially in the evenings. Road conditions are deplorable, and there is little official presence and continuous "roadwork." Cars
drive 4 or 5 abreast, with no supervsion. Heading to the Takoradi airport, traffic was
completely blocked by a huge truck that fell over in what should have been the other lane on a muddy, impassable road, full of
potholes, and ordinary people just sit passively in their cars for hours.
4. Official roads are often bypassed by "shortcuts" through muddy, unpaved, dangerous
roads that do not really seem shorter, and "workers" begging for handouts as they
"work" to keep the roads passable.
5. "Uber" in Ghana has proven unreliable. "Bolt" seems a bit better. Several times we have called Ubers who give us an arrival time and state that they are "here" when they are no where to be found.
6. Despite all these things, people in Ghana are gracious, and generous in many ways.
7. They love loud music and have little sense of noise levels, whether during all night prayer
meetings, workdays, or location (residential or commercial). Chickens crowing, dogs
barking at all hours are common.
8. Ghana appears nauseatingly "religious," but it is all too often a facade. Certainly there are good and pious people, but the political leaders and government officials appear to be largely
corrupt and out to make themselves rich while duping the public.
9. Loans and "big promises" and projects are a way of life, but there appears to be
a lack of follow through and integrity.
10. Despite all this, Ghanaians can be unfailingly generous, courteous, cheerful, and kind.
