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29.07.2019 Feature Article

A Portrait Of Life Outside The 'blessed' Bubble

A Portrait Of Life Outside The 'blessed' Bubble
29.07.2019 LISTEN

Remember when we all so angrily protested the western media's constant portrayal of Africa as a land of many problems: wars, famine, disease, abject poverty...?

Well they listened, and over the years we've witnessed a new portrait of Africa emerge: that of a continent on the rise. The new African is portrayed as urbane, sophisticated, entrepreneurial, educated, wealthy (or at least close to it).

But in so doing, have we inadvertently ended up portraying the reality of the continent's small middle class and even smaller elite; which is totally different from that experienced by the majority of her citizens?

Take Accra for instance, here's one city with two totally different sides. It’s very easy for people like Akosua, who is privileged (or as they say ‘blessed’) to live in a bubble of convenience to be totally oblivious to the existence of the other Accra. She wakes up at her East Legon residence, drives through some of the only good roads our nation can boast of to a well payed job around Airport City. Snacks at Burger King and KFC and shops vegetables at the Accra Mall. Have access to running water and a standby generator which ensures constant electricity...

Now contrast that with life as experienced by Kofi (which sadly represents the reality of most of the city's population). He's ‘fortunate’ to be employed and earns 400 Ghana cedis a month. It is the first week of a new month. He has already paid GHS 200 in an existing debt of GHS 1500.

He just closed from a very stressful work today. It’s around 6:00pm, there’s a slight drizzle. He walks for about 20 minutes to a bus stop. The depressingly long queue is only upstaged by the rickety trotro bus he’s waiting to board. After waiting for about 40 minutes, in the dark, dirty and crowded station, he finally boards a vehicle. It’s old, dirty, and crammed with people. Two passengers have already started a verbal altercation.

Despite the stressfulness of the ride, it’s not cheap. After the vehicle finally maneuvers itself unto the highway, the mate stretches his arm to collect the GHS 5 fare. Kofi spends two agonizing hours in the infamous Accra traffic. Endures about 10 stops on the way, 6 of which he had to alight to enable the other passengers exit.

He finally gets to his destination, alights and walks some 20 minutes home. He gets home around 9pm. His light is off and water is not flowing. The chamber and hall house accommodation which he shares with his wife and three children is extremely hot. He manages a shower in an outdoor bathhouse using some water saved earlier in the day.

Just before he gets some sleep, his wife reminds him that he’s yet to settle his water and electricity bills. His landlord and another creditor had visited earlier in the day. His mum is sick in the village, two of his nephews need a top up of their admission fees. He tosses and turns in bed for the next two hours until his tired eyes finally give in to sleep. He has to be awake by 5am the following day, by which time his kids would be awake and ready for their lunch money and their remaining school fees payment.....

This is the reality we have created for many of our brothers and sisters. Yet, compared with the reality of life experienced by the millions of unemployed youth in our cities and villages, his is a fortunate soul.

Now, tell me if there is a better foundation for crime, drug abuse, depression, domestic violence, false prophets...early death? The life expectancy of an average Ghanaian is 62 years; and this we’ve determined that for many it should be wrought with misery, by virtue of the "extractive" economic system we’ve built. There are accounts of people who would choose death over the harsh conditions of their lives. Think about it; they'd rather be dead than alive, because life to them isn't worth living.

The easier thing is to declare how blessed you are if privileged enough to live in a bubble of convenience.

The difficult thing is to admit that much of what we call blessed may largely be attributable to time and chance, despite our inherent tendency to attribute our success to hard work and ingenuity.

The future of a nation is only secured when those of her most vulnerable citizens are protected. At the very least, even if we won't admit to the rest of the world that many of our citizens are in the throes of poverty and desperation, we ought not deceive ourselves. It's the only way we would be challenged to alter their destiny. Because our destinies are inextricably intertwined.

Kwadwo Agyapong Antwi

The writer blogs on social, political and economic issues at www.thinkingwityou.wordpress.com

Follow him on Twitter at kwadwo_aa

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