It's Friday, mid-morning. There is only one teacher to control the entire primary school. The kids are a bit unruly -- playing games, screaming, doing god knows what. However, their favorite activity is antagonizing the White Lady. They clamor onto my porch, smash their grubby hands and faces against the screens. Anything to get a glimpse into the fabulous world of the White Lady. I hear them shuffling and shouting, calling for me and my dog. No matter how many times I respond to their greetings, they can't be subdued.
I finally go outside and face them head on. "What do you want?" I ask in Dagbani. Typical response -- "Madam, give me ______!" Give me money, toffee (candy), your dog, book, pen, shirt. Anything really. I say, "No, I will not give you anything. You are very rude." I go back inside and as I'm busy closing windows in the children's faces I hear, "Madam, my hunger." As I slam the last window shut I say, "Then go home and eat rice." I think I'm jaded.
Over the past ten months in Ghana, I've often wondered, where does this 'give me' mentality come from? I think it lies in the role NGOs play. Ghana is simply flooded with NGOs. This makes sense. It is in Africa, the land of destituion and despair. And unlike many other African nations it is quite stable, peaceful, and friendly. It's a pretty logical choice. So Ghanaians (to some extent) have grown accustomed to us whities coming in and giving things away. Unfortunately, this makes things quite difficult for Peace Corps volunteers who are placed in communities for an extended period of time with little to no financial resources. It also tends to completely eliminate any needs assessment activities which, in my opinion, are of utmost importance in development.
I think it is extremely important to allow communities and individuals to determine their own needs. It is easy for NGOs and do-gooders to enter a community and say, "Well, there are no latrines here. This community must need latrines." They will then proceed to provide latrines. However, unless the community has actually expressed any interest in these latrines, they will probably go unused. Or in one case in my village, be used as a chicken coop.
In response to this problem, I decided to only try projects specifically requested by the village. Especially after watching the failure of projects which were not specifically requested. I attempted a latrine project at the request of my counterpart, which failed. Villagers claimed a lack of funds. At the urging of the assemblyman and community women, I attempted to establish a community center which would contain a pre-school, nutrition center, and library. The District Assembly prepared a budget for the building alone which exceeded 100,000 Ghana cedis. Peace Corps has deemed this project too big and improbable. After reading "Banker to the Poor" by Muhammad Yunus, I wanted to try micro-credit. My parents graciously agreed to donate $100 to the cause. At the first meeting the women complained that the money was not enough and that I did not bring them sodas. The second meeting has yet to occur because it rained during the morning of the meeting. The meeting was scheduled for the afternoon.
So I'm a bit frustrated. I feel as though Ghanaians skipped, or want to skip, some development steps. Shitting in a hole rather than in the bush? Nah. Cell phones and motorcyles? Definitely. Although people in my village claim to see the importance of things such as mosquito nets, latrines, and soak-away pits, they always tend to put them quite low on the priority list. One man spent 60 Ghana cedis wiring his house for lights when there isn't even electricity in Lungbunga. Yet he supposedly cannot afford the 2 cedis for a mosquito net. It's a matter of priority.
Ultimately, this isn't such a bad move on the part of Ghanaians. They figure eventually an NGO will come around and give them these materials -- mosquito nets, latrines, boreholes, etc. So why bother spending money on them? This is perhaps my greatest irk with development work. There is a huge push to bring health, water, and sanitation materials to communities at no cost. However, it is likely that these communities can afford such materials, if only they re-prioritized.
This "give me" mentality is so pervasive that even an educated, Ghanaian adult working for an NGO asked me what I thought Obama would bring to Ghana. I told him I thought Obama would bring his friendship and that should be enough. I feel like something is amiss. If children can say "give me money/toffee/whatever," but few other English phrases, what does that say about the culture? Or maybe more importantly, what does that say about us do-gooder whites?
Whenever I ask Ghanaians about this "give me" issue they say it is mostly a joke. Who thought it would be funny to demand possesions from people? Adults in my village demand my food, money, clothes, dog, pretty much any possession I have that they like. How did this turn funny and why would anyone perpetute this problem by continuing to simply give?
Why does no one else seem bothered by these things?? And finally, am I turning into a conservative?
3 comments:
Wow Cat....you really said a mouthful. I appreciate your honesty. Thanks for shedding light on a subject I know so little about. Pamika
CAT - awesome blog post. I am glad for this and think it brings an essential dilemma of the modern world into question - that of hands-on education as opposed to a expectant and "give me" mentality.
It's not just in Ghana that adults and children are like this - but maybe it is more apparent because they lack the monetary resources and have to ask for the "benevolent whities'" help.
We in America have these similar characteristics in our culture, where both children and adults expect that the world owes us something, instead of asking what we can learn from and contribute to the world. Everyday I experience a situation where either I or someone else believes that we deserve something - whether that is the wage we earn, the car we drive, the land we use, etc.
AND you're definitely not becoming a conservative. Please don't say that. That's just stereotyping.
Maybe you are finding out that empowerment and education and transfer of skills is the most important element of what is missing in the NGO world in Ghana.
People need to learn how to best utilize their resources, instead of wasting or abusing them.
Imagine providing training sessions where skills were taught, tools were given, and applicable information was distributed....instead of just providing goods and services to those who asked for it, whether a demonstrated need is there or not? Maybe you would be happier with your work and feel like something was being accomplished if you could provide these things?
But that's just my two cents of thought when reading your post.
Get back to me
Wow, have only read a paragraphs and already i am ashamed. Rightly as you said not only are these ngo's making people think they are always there to supply some of their needs they are also making the government both in Ghana and other developing countries not up to task. The citizens don't hold them accountable and wait for the 'white person' or God to come to their aide.
This has also lead to the government been served by the citizens instead of the opposite. I believe if all theses foreign governments and ngo's stop pumping money and assistance into Ghana and other countries the government would sit up a bit and be accountable.
I am impressed with your frankness and detailed narrations and wish most volunteers would be open like this and not keep talking about Ghanaian hospitality and we being nice people and all the other crap to please.
A proud Ghanaian but my pride have been dented but please pass this on to your governments to stop the decay all this 'give me' doing to our mentality and development.
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