Ghana Wake Up!
Ghana, wake up! I have always known we have many problems, but I just found another one. A week ago, I heard about March being a 'Ghana Month'. A memo I saw later on my church headquarters' notice board confirmed it. I did some research and learnt it was an initiative of the National Commission on Culture in collaboration with two other organizations. The initiative was launched by the Minster of Information in Accra on 9th March.
The project 'Wear Ghana Month', is to encourage Ghanaians to adopt local brands and patronize made in Ghana clothes, shoes, bags and other fashion accessories which are locally produced. Again, it is to help promote Ghanaian dishes, films, music, theatre and literary works. Honourable Mustapha Hamid mentioned that it will play a vital role in expanding our economy and also make an impact on national development. (source: kasapafmonline.com)
O! Have we now realized that translating some parts of our culture into products and services can impact in the nation's economy? I remember I could not wait to get out of the shirt and tie after I got my second job. We (nationally) used to wear casual clothes mostly made of African wax prints every Friday, therefore we called them 'Friday Wear' about 14 years ago. Now the concept has changed from once a week (in our job places where we spend most of our day times) to a whole month but once a year. Shouldn't we be 'wearing Ghana' every day of the year? There is so much in our culture we must be proud to showcase to the outside world but we treat them as nothing.
To borrow the Honourable Minister's word, the 'Wear Ghana Month' project is indeed laudable. I saw a poster (see attached: photo 1) in a 'tro-tro' of another church that has bought into the concept and using it as a medium to promote Ghanaian cultural dressing and solidarity, an important African value.
Well, everyone is free to wear, eat, and drink whatever they prefer - whether Gucci or Woodin, Fufu or Fried Rice, Champagne or Sobolo, etc. but let's not forget that what we wear, eat and so on makes us. And who we are creates the perceptions around us. Ghanaians, Africans, have a rich cultural heritage that the West loves to see and share in with us. Let's wake up!
The project 'Wear Ghana Month', is to encourage Ghanaians to adopt local brands and patronize made in Ghana clothes, shoes, bags and other fashion accessories which are locally produced. Again, it is to help promote Ghanaian dishes, films, music, theatre and literary works. Honourable Mustapha Hamid mentioned that it will play a vital role in expanding our economy and also make an impact on national development. (source: kasapafmonline.com)
O! Have we now realized that translating some parts of our culture into products and services can impact in the nation's economy? I remember I could not wait to get out of the shirt and tie after I got my second job. We (nationally) used to wear casual clothes mostly made of African wax prints every Friday, therefore we called them 'Friday Wear' about 14 years ago. Now the concept has changed from once a week (in our job places where we spend most of our day times) to a whole month but once a year. Shouldn't we be 'wearing Ghana' every day of the year? There is so much in our culture we must be proud to showcase to the outside world but we treat them as nothing.
To borrow the Honourable Minister's word, the 'Wear Ghana Month' project is indeed laudable. I saw a poster (see attached: photo 1) in a 'tro-tro' of another church that has bought into the concept and using it as a medium to promote Ghanaian cultural dressing and solidarity, an important African value.
Well, everyone is free to wear, eat, and drink whatever they prefer - whether Gucci or Woodin, Fufu or Fried Rice, Champagne or Sobolo, etc. but let's not forget that what we wear, eat and so on makes us. And who we are creates the perceptions around us. Ghanaians, Africans, have a rich cultural heritage that the West loves to see and share in with us. Let's wake up!
(photo 1)
Great write up, man... We have much be proud of as a country and continent.
ReplyDeleteEven institutions that are suppose to use tourism as a tool to promote our rich culture aren't even proud of doing it, take the hospitality industry for example no African wear except in some few cases. Hmmm..
DeleteKwabena, thank you. Yeah, it wouldn't have been bad if we were satisfied with what we have and adopt some more. Instead, we are making it look it everything about ours is wrong.
DeleteAll that makes it a big issue for us. I wonder what the Tourist Board and the other institutions have been focusing on all this while.
DeleteI remember coming home from Ghana and going to church here in the states and feeling like we have no culture, no color. The women in Ghana in wore the most majestic colorful dresses, which I totally got used to and didn’t necessarily appreciate while I was there, but over here everything was plain and likely bought from some huge retail store.
ReplyDeleteThe cars, taxis and tro tros are all decorated and personalized to th driver. Our cars here are just kept the way they were when purchased new. There is a lot of good culture in Ghana that we may not have here in the states.
People like dancing in Ghana. I remember music was often playing and it was not unusual to see people just dancing. That only happens after people are liquored up here.
I love that your trying to hold onto the culture that makes you guys so unique, makes you you. And while there are aspects of western culture that is really good, not all of western culture needs to be adopted by Ghana. Stay special Ghana.
Hey buddy, thank you for commenting. You've said it all. We love your culture too and I know you know that. :) Coming on mission for you guys was a great experience from what I saw while with you all. I also remember when one of my companions (Elder Smith) was leaving Ghana, he gave everything brought from the USA out and bought so many locally made handicrafts, clothes and so on to fill two of his bags. Imagine how much money the local producers made.
DeleteI bought a full kente cloth when I was going home. That thing was not cheap but I don’t regret getting it for one moment.
DeleteSo you see... I think we would have been selling more to improve our economy and hasten our development if we first were patronizing these things many years ago.
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