Unfortunately, America and Western Culture have created stereotypes of Africa that suggest the whole continent is just one country with one culture. The West lives in comfort in its ignorance and never challenges these ideas.
When I first told my older relatives I was going to Ghana, they feared for my safety because they thought the country was dangerous. Yet, when I asked them to elaborate on what they knew about Ghana, they offered almost no information. I trust and love my relatives, but I will not give in to blind fear.
I was thrilled I kept an open mind when I came to Ghana because this experience has been so wonderful. The people here are way friendlier than they are in America. They always ask how you are doing and greet you with a smile. The food is almost always fresh, and I have never had more juicy and tasty mangoes than here.
Accra and Ghana are magnificent, starting with the Aburi Botanical Gardens, which is full of exciting vegetation, like a Rubber Shade Tree infected by a wood parasite that made its entire inside hollow.
The streets are lively here; almost every intersection is full of sellers walking around with baskets of fruits, snacks, and random items usually carried on their heads. I find it amazing that they can balance such heavy things on top of their heads.
I have savoured the many beautiful dishes here. Dishes like jollof rice, which is made with a blend of delicious spices; ‘waakye’, a mix of rice and beans that is also made with a blend of spices, and ‘gari,’ a yellowish grain produced from the cassava, are some of the most flavorful things I have ever eaten. It will be hard to return to the United States, where the food is not as spicy or savoury.
Waakye and gari I ate at the Basement at the University of Ghana.
I love going to the markets and seeing all the affordable handmade art craftsmen make. Affordable handmade art is almost impossible to find in America, so it was special for me to be able to buy handmade wooden ‘Adinkra’ symbols or hand-woven tapestries. ‘Adinkra’ symbols are significant to the Ashanti people but are used across the African diaspora.
The artwork I bought consists of two ‘adinkra’ symbols. The ‘Sankofa’, a bird moving forward with its head looking back, symbolises learning from the past while still moving forward. I got this as woodcraft. The ‘Akofena’ represents loyalty and authority. It is the second symbol in my handwoven tapestry.
The artwork I got from the Aburi craft market.
I have also never met so many kind and loving people. I’ve had the privilege of having a seamstress named Auntie Janet come to my apartment. She made me some of the most beautiful clothes and backpacks with vibrant patterns and designs for an affordable price.
Daily Guide Internship
When I started my internship at the Daily Guide, I was nervous and ready for a cut-throat environment where my coworkers would not have patience for mistakes. Yet I could not have been more wrong. Everyone in the editing department I belong to has been very patient with me as it has taken me time to adjust to this work environment.
Even people outside of my department were excited to meet me. The entire accounting department welcomed me on my first day, and all the security guards here have been so kind to me, always asking how I was doing and eager to help me with any need.
I, on the first day of my internship at the Daily Guide
I thought I would feel invisible as an intern because my position is not essential, but it does not matter who you are or what you do; they treat you the same in Ghana. I also love how multicultural and multi-religious Ghana is.
Back in America, there is tension between racial groups and religious groups, yet here, it seems so easy for them to coexist together. I see Muslims and Christians having friendly conversations, which, unfortunately, can be a rare occurrence in America. Furthermore, even though Accra is a mostly Twi-speaking region, people from all over Ghana speak many different languages.
The United States has this damaging idea that everything must be the same.
This suppresses many cultures that don’t fit into what the masses there view as “American.” Yet, in Ghana, these cultural differences are loved and celebrated. People who speak Twi, Ewe, Ga or Adangbe, and many more languages can live harmoniously. This creates a dynamic country that is exciting to travel around and experience.
I had a wonderful time going to Afrikiko, a restaurant where I could dance the night away. I learned from cultural institutions like the W.E.B DuBois House and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park. This country has such a beautiful history, which my United States education has mostly looked over until now. I am so glad to be here and excited for the experiences that await me.
By Malcolm Durfee, Student, University of Oregon, on internship at the Daily Guide