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| Independence Square of Accra, Ghana, inscribed with the words Freedom and Justice |
BESIDES, playing games and napping, nothing much happens on a flight. And my flight to Accra, Ghana was not different.
It was not too long a flight like I thought, despite transiting through Johannesburg in South Africa.
Located in West Africa’s lush forest region, Ghana’s capital, Accra, is a vibrant yet easygoing hub worth visiting.
This heaving metropolis was the pioneer of African independence in 1957 and continues to capture the hearts and affections of many today.
I arrived in Accra at 22:40 (GMT) on April 11, 2016. What took me there was a four day meeting of the 12th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform (CAADP PP).
The next day, on my way to La Palm Royal Beach Hotel for the CAADP PP meeting, I was shocked to see the urban population living in slums.
As the capital of a country where almost close to half of the urban population lives in slums, while about 90 percent of non-agricultural employment is informal, Accra epitomises the informal city.
From public transport through domestic labour to fresh produce, the majority of goods and services in this city of 2.3 million are procured informally.
Informality is so pervasive that it is not unusual to see the homes of millionaires standing adjacent to unfinished informal settlements, or slums occupying some of the most desirable real estate in the city.
While smaller than many other developing cities, Accra nonetheless consists of formidable informal settlements that act as cogs in major global economic systems.
The city is one of the world’s leading destinations for electronic waste, much of which is imported from the US and Europe. Computers, TVs and cell phones are collected and stripped in Old Fadama, a large slum near the city center.
My norm when I visit a place for the first time is “Visit more than one slum, the traditional market and taste traditional foods in that respective area.”
And so, with the help of one cab driver nicknamed Bongo, I visited Old Fadama, Amui Djor and Sabon Zongo slums. For markets, I visited Achimota and Makola markets. Bongo was a perfect tour guide too. At 50 Ghana cedis, he took me round to my intended destinations.
In Old Fadama, approximately 80,000 residents live on this 77 acres of land, commonly referred to by its ignoble nickname, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” due to its perceived crime and reckless living.
Nicknames and imagery like this reinforce the stigma against Accra’s informal settlements.
According to the information I got, Government has repeatedly tried to evict slum dwellers en masse. But in general, residents of Accra’s informal settlements face less social discrimination than they do in cities like Nairobi and Mumbai, and living in a slum tends not to define one’s status in urban society.
“Inhabitants of Accra’s settlements have organised to fight off eviction efforts, and incremental improvements, often achieved through collaboration between locals and grassroots coalitions are helping to legitimise the slums in the eyes of officials,” says Bongo.
In the Amui Djor slum, public toilets have been installed with support of the African Development Bank, and some residents have legally acquired low-income housing.
In Sabon Zongo, community members formed a local police force. Efforts like these are contributing to stronger links between poor communities and government officials, and are laying the groundwork for Accra’s informal settlements to develop their full potential.
At Achimota Market, my mission was to sample the kente (a brightly colored, banded material made in Ghana) and FUFU (dough made from boiled and ground plantain or cassava, used as a staple food in parts of western and central Africa) served with beef, chicken or fish. And so I did.
Ghana’s fashion industry is growing rapidly, and the expanding pool of talented designers is something to admire. Traditionally, Ghana is famed for its kente but has also favoured two piece suits (kabba and slit for women) made from batik wax work textiles, and almost every street has a seamstress kiosk with walls plastered with images of the latest cloth styles and designs. Tailor-made outfits can usually be turned around within a week.
Street food in Accra is plentiful, and for me, no long visit is complete without stopping off for Kelewele (spiced and chopped fried plantain).
As a visitor, I was told that I should not eat street food from any and everywhere; however, I risked and tried a local Ghanaian eatery (Chop bar). The taste was superb, it was an authentic taste of Ghana.
As a cosmopolitan city, Accra offers a great wealth of options when it comes to international cuisine, but be warned, they often come with a Ghanaian twist.
Eating Fufu was fun too. It was served with Chicken and fish cooked together in groundnut soup.
Besides the slums, food and fashion, Ghanaians are known to be among the most friendly of their African and other international counterparts.
It’s customary to be offered something to drink (and often eat) when visiting a Ghanian home, historically to quench one’s thirst after a long journey.
Though the capital itself is home to the Ga people, Accra is also home to people from across the country alongside long established international communities from places such as England, Lebanon, and India.
At every place, I went, I got a greeting “akwaaba” (welcome) as I met new people. As friendly as they are, taxi drivers and traders will adjust their prices for even the most cleverly disguised tourists. You think you have the time? Prepare for a haggle. PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON May 1, 2016
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