Craft market and the street people of Accra – Monday 15th October

Unfortunately our distribution to Somanya has had to be postponed till Thursday as today is a Bank Holiday! This was only recently announced and took the organisers by surprise. Many of the clients wanting to attend the distribution depend on the Social Service minibus to get there and as this doesn’t run on Bank Holidays, it was better to rearrange the day.

Instead, we headed up into the lush Ghana hillside to a roadside craft market where we were able to buy some gifts to take back home. Some of the craftsmen were at work and I was interested to see the posture of this young man as he decorated his relief carving. The therapists on the team have noted that the Ghanaians use their backs quite differently to us westerners and attempts by us to teach “correct” lifting don’t really seem to work. One thing is sure, from a young age people here use and strengthen their backs and it’s rare to see someone walking down the road with bad posture.

In the evening, Ellen took us to the city of Accra where we met the street people who look forward to tea and bread every Monday evening distributed by The Light Outreach Team. They were rough and ready types and there was lots of good humoured banter and bravado. The common theme was how much they wanted a job. However, to find work and be paid is a dream that probably most won’t realise. My most difficult moment of the entire trip was when I met 18 year old Isaac, (not pictured here.)His parents were dead and he looked after his younger sister and brother. He wanted my contact number which I explained I couldn’t give him. He wanted to come to England and get work. “I’d work hard,” he said “I’d do you proud!” What could I say? I felt the agony of the situation and we just stood looking at each other. After a few moments Ellen appeared and I introduced them. She spoke to him in his own language and took his number; she may be able to offer help with the care of his siblings.

Reflecting later, how ironic this lack of jobs when Ghana is the second largest exporter of gold in the world.

http://thelightoutreach.org