Helping Out at Home...(It's Up to YOU!)

“It’s up to you. If your generation doesn’t fix Ghana, then it will not happen…” ~My Mom

As some of you may know, I am from the great nation of Ghana. Independent since 1957, we were the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to declare independence from colonial power (the Brits). Fifty-two years later, Ghana was also the first country that President Obama visited in Africa as we are one of the few blessed to have a solid record of peace, stability, and democracy. We have come a long way in our free history, but there are yet many miles to go in our journey of “development” (a tricky piece of jargon).

My mom made the above statement to me when I was a senior in high school (yo, the woman does not play!) and it has stuck with me since. Though some who know my history would consider me more of a New Yorker than anything; I declare that, my heart, my home is Ghana.

I’m back now for the first time in five years (a little older and wiser), and it’s evident that the visible progress (new roads, construction, etc.) is merely a façade obscuring the major issues beneath. The question is; what can I do? A seemingly impossible question, but many complex problems often have strikingly simple solutions…

Growing up, I had chores, and it was expected of me to help around the house. If your home is dirty, you clean it up. You simply cannot expect anyone else to do it for you. If you are good at sweeping, you sweep. If washing dishes is your thing, you go hard and do it well. If a family unit works together, each playing to their strengths, there are few issues that they cannot solve. Can’t similar principles be applied to community and nation-building?

Note: I am not forgetting issues like slavery; colonialism + neo; brain-drain; capitalism --> you must first have it to play the game; and strings attached development aid. They are part of a much deeper discussion we can have face-to-face :-)

Now, we all have a place that we call “home,” but I’m using the term in both specific and broad terms. Home could be anything from the country and/or city you grew up in, down to the walkable 1 mile radius where you currently reside. The issue remains the same; as we Adults-in-Training continue to grow into our future selves, complete with careers (not jobs), families and real grown-folk responsibilities, how are we going to use our work and/or volunteering to positively impact the ‘X’ on the map that we call home?

We are part of a generation arguably at the peak of human innovation and progress. Yet we are burdened with a global financial crisis, environmental, political and humanitarian issues that were unheard of just a generation ago. We are just getting to the age where we can truly make a difference, and if we get things moving on the right track, the future is indeed bright. No matter where or how big your home is, there are always things to be done…

Adults-in-Training, our collective homes are dirty, how are we going to use our strengths to help clean up? It’s up to YOU! If you don’t fix it, then it will not happen…

“Now go out there and be somebody!” ~Dave Chappelle

Public Service Announcement: Please do not use the term “third world country.” Simply put, “third world” by whose standards? There is only one world - it’s called Earth - and we all live in it. Thanks.

Peace,
A-i-T

Round of Applause -- Appreciating the Little Things in Life

I recently flew back to Ghana for the first time in five years, and it feels amazing to be home. While a lot of things have changed socially, culturally, and infrastructure-wise, some things have stayed exactly the same and I hope they will never change. What I am referring to in this particular case is a little "tradition" I'll dub, "the Ghana Clap." This is the burst of applause that erupts from passengers as soon as the plane touches down at Accra's Kotoka International Airport. I shared a nice little exchange with the guy seated next to me (we had not said a word to each other the entire flight) about how he always gets a kick out of the "Ghana Clap." I've personally flown to Ghana almost 20 times in my relatively short lifetime, and this little social artifact has rarely failed to be put on display (in my experience)...but where does it come from?

I would like to think that this little recurring event represents a beautiful collective expression of appreciation and thankfulness for the little things in life. Though air travel is currently recognized as one of the safest modes of transportation in the world -- the "Ghana Clap" shows appreciation for yet another safe landing at our final destination, and for the skill of the pilot that brought us in. Let us also not forget the tiny feat of human achievement, the plane itself, that allows us to sit in a chair that takes us from point A to B flying 30,000 feet in the air over land and sea in a matter of hours. The GC also acknowledges how happy we are to be home -- for some it's only been a few weeks, for others including myself, it's been anywhere from one to fifty years! The GC even just gives thanks that we were able to make the trip in the first place...

Adults-in-Training, we take so much for granted in our day-to-day lives...what things in your life deserve a much needed round of applause...?