Alumni Blog

Defining Poverty

I’ve been in Sega, Ghana for over 2 and a half months now and am left with just 4 weeks to go… time just seems to fly! Barack Obama arrived in the country last night, which is causing some excitement! It is nice for Ghana to have something to be excited about after weeks of rain.

It is the rainy season, but this year they are getting more rain than they’ve seen in years. It just doesn’t seem to stop! It is causing some problems for farmers, who can’t weed their farms in the rain, and making the roads and paths treacherous just after a fresh downpour… the ground is a mix of sand and clay, so when it is wet, the clay becomes extremely slippery! I am learning to navigate my way through the muddy mess, stepping slowly and carefully always! The rain means less walking, visiting and trips to the market, and more time spent with my Ghanaian “family” which is always nice, although me feet are itching to get back to walking on dry ground.

One of the Intercordia students asked me the other day if I feel as though people here are living in poverty. There is a radio station here called “Radio Ada”, a station dedicated to empowering the Dangme people and keeping people informed about local and world issues, in their own language. They did a program once about poverty, going into local villages and asking people whether or not they believed they were living in poverty, whether or not poverty can be eradicated and how. I was told there was a mixed response, some saying yes, they thought they were living in poverty and others saying no. It was an interesting thing to think about, as by Western standards the people in the small communities here are definitely below the poverty line. Despite this fact, most people would say they are not impoverished. Although nutritious food and an abundance of protein is not always easy to come by, the people here always have food to eat. Living here, the thought of poverty doesn’t often cross my mind.

Although the conditions are definitely different than those back home, it is surprising how quickly the lifestyle begins to feel normal. That doesn’t mean things are perfect. People fight, yell and scream at each other, children are caned, gossip flies around the community all the time… it is interesting how many of the problems here are just the same as those we deal with back home, especially in small towns! There are incredibly beautiful and warm aspects of the culture, and other aspects that frustrate the heck out of me. In the end, I don’t believe it is my place to judge whether anyone else is living in poverty or not, whatever their financial circumstances may be. The reality of what we call poverty becomes so different when you are living it, rather than reading books and looking at statistics.

Money, and lack there-of, is always on peoples minds (and tongues!) but life goes on, and the community continues to develop and grow. Things are not perfect, yelling and crying are often heard, but so are laughter and excited conversation. Children play like no children I have seen in Canada, with freedom to run and experiment, rhythm to break out in dance any place and any time, and constant companionship from the other children nearby. They also get hurt like no Canadian parent would want their child to be, but they always get back up and are stronger for it! My experience here continues to be incredibly rich, despite the misunderstandings and frustrations I face, and every day I feel more and more comfortable in the community. I’m sure the next 4 weeks will fly by as fast as the previous ones!

-Tabitha Kroeker, Intercordia Alumni, Current Program Mentor, Ghana