Written by: Sir Kiwi
Yesterday I was in a cab on my way home when the driver called over a pure water seller. The boy looked to be about 8 years old. Maybe it’s because I have a younger brother and most of my memories of him still put him at age 7 (and not 16) but I was moved. At 11.30 am, this boy was out on the streets selling pure water. He was inhaling noxious fumes from poorly-maintained vehicles and enduring the heat from the sun, which was reasserting its monopoly as the only star in our system. I got angry. I was angry at Ghana, at the leaders who allow this to happen and do nothing about it. The last thought that ran through my head when we left him behind and headed towards my destination was that maybe I was deluded and we had no hope. Maybe I should hop on a plane and leave. Then The Black Satellites happened.
Now, maybe it’s because it’s been a while since I was in Ghana when a national team was playing but the intensity shocked me. The streets were quiet. My neighborhood groaned and exclaimed in unison. My neighbor gathered his children around him and loudly prayed to God to “show his favor” on the Satellites. My mom could not bear to watch and left the house to go for a walk. This was passion I did not get when I was watching matches by myself on websites with commentary in Arabic. Everyone kept telling me how this was nothing compared to the World Cup and CAN 2008. I could not imagine this getting any more passionate. When Agyemang-Badu rolled in the winning penalty, it was bedlam in my house. The streets in my neighborhood came to life. People poured out of their houses. Men were peeling off their shirts and pounding their chests. Drivers were honking. Women were blowing on whistles and singing and clapping. Cue the carnival! People whipped out the flags and started marching up and down the streets. The music flowed and it was simply awesome. This was home.
I started taking pictures of the children drumming and dancing. They saw me with the camera and turned the performance up a notch hoping to be captured by my lens. They were happy. They sang patriotic songs about Ghana and did the Satellites’ goal celebration dance. 
They were proud. My thoughts turned to the pure water seller and I imagined him doing the same thing somewhere. He was probably beating on the tub that usually holds the water sachets and running around with no care in the world. I started feeling bad that I had almost given up on my people barely 3 weeks into my return. My people are proud, passionate, hopeful, determined and I had forgotten. Our energy and heart means we will eventually find our way or at the very least, we will know where to find the whistles and drums to dance away all our troubles. 
P.S. The title of the entry comes from a woman who was interviewed during GTV’s coverage of the celebrations in Accra.
My brothers and I have a long running debate about whose experience of watching the 2006 World Cup was better - theirs, watching the games live in the stadia of Germany, or mine, watching the games on TV in Ghana. I'm still adamant that I enjoyed it more! There's no better place to watch Ghana play international games, than in Ghana. (Hm, I think I too may have to write a piece on this one...)
ReplyDeleteGlad you got to experience it!
Ghana definitely showed it's pride last night!!! We were in Osu and the streets were first tense (the game playing live on a giant screen in the street), and then jubilant when Ghana finally won. It was impressive!
ReplyDeleteWe have visitors from Australia who wanted to watch the goings on - they'd never seen anything like it.
Go Ghana!!! And yes, you can bet the pure water seller was having an amazing time!!!
Reading this actually brought tears to my eyes. It is such an indescribable feeling of oneness when the entire country collectively holds its breathe in anticipation of the realization a common momentous "goal". (pun premeditated!)
ReplyDeleteIt's these very occasions that makes it impossible to lose passion, belief in and hope for our people.
Thanks for the pix, could only imagine the crowds of people leaping, dancing and screaming in the streets to the chorusing blares of car horns before those.
It's great to be Ghanaian right now!
I was beside myself. Huh? Okay...I was overjoyed. a country of almost 22million have conquered the world. Perhaps we can do it in South Africa 2010 and Angola 2010.
ReplyDeleteI got a call from Ghana Friday night at midnight (Ghana time) and my friend was saying people were still jubilating in the streets of Abelemkpe. Thanks for adding pictures to the story. Indeed, the celebrations in Ghana was directly opposite to what we had here in Washington, DC. Although the match was shown live in ESPN, our desire to celebrate the Satellites' win was severely muted by forces of nature- cold, rainy weather (in October!). Bad weather notwithstanding, we managed to call friends and loved ones to congratulate ourselves on a hair-strand win.
ReplyDelete"Our energy and heart means we will eventually find our way..." I liked this quote most. It reveals the potential, promise, and the hope we have that brighter days are ahead, even in the most antagonistic of environments. Go Ghana!
PS: I thought it was cool that during a pick-up soccer game on Sunday, my other African teammates all came to congratulate me on Ghana's victory. In a way, they were proud we won- proud that we held Africa up high.
"I got angry. I was angry at Ghana, at the leaders who allow this to happen and do nothing about it. The last thought that ran through my head when we left him behind and headed towards my destination was that maybe I was deluded and we had no hope. Maybe I should hop on a plane and leave"
ReplyDeleteNo, you don't! Sir Kiwi, you don't hop on a plane and leave. Wo se ekyir nyE wo dEw, a, you do something about it. I'm glad the black Satellites happened. But what if they didn't?
I think your anger was directed at the right people...our leaders or "could be leaders". People like you and me, who by the very fact of our circumstances, privilege and education should be leading, inspiring, instilling pride, creating jobs. Because we have failed to lead, you should be angry at us.
And you should be angry at yourself too that your first response was to hop on a plane rather than to do something about it. We are the leaders, sir Kiwi. We are Ghana.
The only ones we should be angry at, then are ourselves. Because we are the ones who allow everything to happen and do nothing about it.
Remember that the black satellites are ordinary people who have become our heros because they've constantly pushed themselves.They remind us of all that we can be. They remind us that we too can give all Ghanaians something to be proud of:)Most important, they remind us, that we don't have to copy anybody. we don't need experience from any country. we don't need money from any country. To be great, we have to use what Ghana has given us, then push ourselves until we're the best. For the black satellites, what Ghana gave them is a culture where even if u don't have a football, u kick an orange. All of us need to search within for our genius and be brilliant, so brilliant the rest of the world learns from us! And we don't do that by hopping on a plane so I'm glad you're still here:)
To buttress Esi's point:
ReplyDelete"Most important, they remind us, that we don't have to copy anybody. we don't need experience from any country. we don't need money from any country. To be great, we have to use what Ghana has given us, then push ourselves until we're the best."
Here, I believe it's worth emphasizing that the Black Satellites won the champion not under the leadership of an "experienced" European coach nor in consultation with any western football expert. A "white savior" did not lead this trail-blazing effort (the first African country to win the U-20 World Cup). Rather, a Ghanaian coach, with his Ghanaian coaching staff and medical team, led them to the crown! Who said WE can't do the same in other arena's to improve the standard of living in Ghana?
@Esi I am not even in Ghana and the pure water boy scenario had my blood boiling so you are not alone. However after reading the solution, I am so optimistic, inspired and cant wait to be part of something special. Our country has so much potential from within and its up to us to explore it. Whats better than being able to sit under a tree and enjoy some grilled plantain with some natural fresh air free of polution? The west will never have what we already have.
ReplyDeleteMy concern is more with you being angry with the country because the lad was in the hot scorching sun of Ghana. As much as I would wanna share you anger with you, I think we need to blame the citizenry too.
ReplyDeleteThe FCUBE has been rolled out to provide free compulsory education for young people like the little kid you saw. Yet we as Ghanaians do not want to take opportunity of this opening. How come!!!!
Yep Ghana, they ain't seen nothing yet.....say it loud and proud, could not have happened to a better team or a better bunch of folks!
ReplyDeletePost script from Sijui:
ReplyDeleteBTW could not agree with you more Esi on the other comments, my hackles are raised when people blame 'leaders.'
As this achievement has shown, we are the ones we've being waiting for.
Esi thanks for keeping the fire alive in our hearts and minds. I've always been of the mind to return home after my stints abroad until recently when good living in America is causing me to rethink that decision.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the jolt, for the peppery pep talk. Now just hold on the baton,keep kicking that orange, we're coming, we shall be joining you soon. Yen ara yasaase ampa.
Congratulations on your two hundreth follower!
D.A.