Reminders. So far I have been in Senegal for about a week and every nook and cranny seems to echo strong reminders – reminders of who I am, where I come from, what the real-life, on the ground, living conditions are, and most importantly, why I am undertaking the educational…
Since gaining independence in 1957, Ghana has undergone many transformations in the areas of gender, economic and social rights. A lot of work has been done in ensuring that the framework of human rights in Ghana is respected and laws concerning human rights revised and improved to meet changing…
Another season is coming to an end, and with it another period begins. It’s always a bittersweet moment, arriving at that juncture of culminations and new beginnings. Memories of both the good and the bad flood in and seemingly overwhelm you. The kiss of a smile might grace your lips…
At one point or another, everyone travels. Whether you’re walking down a couple of blocks to the supermarket to get your favourite snack, or you’re seated in an airplane thousands of feet above the ground, traveling offers an opportunity to experience something new. In my life time I’ve done a…
Since ancient times, poverty and starvation have been blots of ink on the seemingly well-written manuscript of human society. Although many organizations and societies work hard to eradicate poverty and ensure that everybody enjoys their right to the basic necessities of life, the dream of a well-fed, poverty-free society is…
Like many who set off on a new journey in life, I looked forward to my year in France with many hopes, a couple of doubts, and a determination to make the most of my year abroad. Having travelled a thousand or so miles to the United States from Ghana,…
“If today, as we speak, I see a boat going, I would be among the volunteers, let alone tomorrow,” said Malick Sall, a young electrician in his mid-twenties. “If most of us are trying to leave this country, it’s because we have no opportunities here,” he said, blaming the “government…
Democracy in Africa is kin to a newly hatched egg that needs to be protected and kept warm in order to ensure its full development. The slightest disturbance and that egg could fall, break and literally shatter into a thousand pieces. The mother hen might not be too happy about…
Imagine a plot of land, dry and wasted. In the distance, a woman and her two children sort through the ground, looking for remnants of what used to be their farmland. Nearby, construction is underway for a cigarette factory. Even before the factory is completed, the devastating effects this ‘investment’…
First come the winds, strong as a lioness pursuing her prey, Then comes the drizzle, sharp as pin-needles, fast as the gazette, Soon enough the lightning strikes, blazing its glory across the evening sky, All too quickly the storm takes over. Trees are hurled, pulled up by their roots; the…