Thursday, August 21, 2008

Did You Go To School In America?

I have had to answer this question from Americans many times this year and it has raised so many concerns. My job brings me into contact with foreign volunteers looking to make a difference in the lives of orphans in Africa. Naturally, our conversations about their service projects inevitably segue into other issues including my educational history.

The fact that such a question arises makes me worry incessantly, and I believe I have every reason to. Is it true that a good education has become so rare in my beloved Ghana, that one who sounds as confident and informed as I do must have been educated beyond the shores of Ghana, or worse still, beyond the shores of Africa?

Of course, one could argue that it is the mere ignorance about the internal workings of the country and the continent that make a visitor assume certain things and jump to certain conclusions, and I wish it were a convincing argument. In fact, this argument usually works when the issue under discussion is the existence of cars, or the availability of clothes, or the likelihood of spotting a lion cub along the highway. But could it not also be that most of the people that my curious acquaintances come into contact with act as though they are seeing God-on-earth for the first time while simultaneously torturing the English language with violent attacks on its set rules?

I do not hesitate to let them know that all of my formal education, at least so far, has been in my home and country Ghana. They do not know that at the back of my mind, I am silently accepting that I actually belong to a minority. Why should this be?

There is a cycle that continues to produce people who have been through school but cannot hold an intellectual conversation on any subject and I am determined to break that cycle. I do not want to have to home-school my children just to be sure that they do not fall victim to the current trend. Imagine if, every time my son came home from school, I would have to tell him that what his teacher told him was actually incorrect. How many children do you know who trust their parents over their teachers when it comes to matters pertaining to school work?

I want my children and my children's children to proudly say "I went to school in Ghana!"

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Keeping Up Appearances

After reading the story about Lin Miaoke, Yang Peiyi and the 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony, many things came to my mind, including Mrs. Bucket (pronounced bouquet for those who don't know), but that's another matter. The things that China did to present a flawless opening event to the world, are actually not much different from what I see happening in Ghana when it's time for the dead to be buried, or for a couple to be married. I will stick to the lighter side and focus on weddings.

Ama says to Mansa, "You should have been at Esi's wedding! You really missed out! A Mercedes, a five-tier cake, seven bridesmaids, seven groomsmen, a little bride, and a page boy! And there were so many people! I can't wait to be at yours. I know your folks will make a 'show'!" This is the point where Mansa should quickly tell Ama that her parents do not subscribe to these ideas and that she and her man cannot really afford such glamour. Instead, she goes off thinking about ways to convince Mr. Man that they need to outdo Esi.

Eventually, Mansa's wedding day arrives and, yes, Esi's wedding can't compare. It's a fairytale come true. The decor, the bridal party, the limo (which by the way doesn't fit into her parents' front yard), the horse, and the seven-tier cake are just mere trimmings. There are lights everywhere, everyone has more than enough to eat and drink, and we all go home.

A week later, the creditors of Mansa and Mr. Man show up and the fights start.
"Well, it was your idea!"
"But you didn't actually say no!"
"Do you expect me to use all of my salary to settle these debts?"
"What will we eat?"

A distraught Mansa meets Esi one day and asks, "How did you manage to pay all the debts after your wedding?"
"Debts? What debts?" asks a surprised Esi. "It was just my aunts and cousins in England who all wanted to be part of the wedding. I couldn't say no and they all chipped in a little bit to make my day special."

What did that ad say? IMAGE IS NOTHING. THIRST IS EVERYTHING. OBEY YOUR THIRST. DRINK SPRITE.

Would Mansa and Mr. Man have been any less married if they had gone for what their pockets could provide, like four witnesses and a registrar?

And by the way, I think Yang Peiyi is actually cuter. See http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24169753-5014197,00.html


Tuesday, August 12, 2008