The Craving of A People

When I heard the cheering sounds in my neighborhood, I quickly turned on my phone's radio. I thought there was a football match going on which I wasn't aware of but I found no such thing on radio. I was curious about what the cheers were for but before long, a certain guy rushed to the house for briefs and that was when i got to know what was going on. People were actually jubilant because of a telenovela.


That was when my attention was drawn to something that I think is a 'calamity' befalling this great country of ours - the crave for telenovela.


Gone are the days when kids used to play with other kids in the evening. The days in which parents read bedtime stories to their kids are no more. Folktales and 'ananse' story nights with the elderly are remembered only in the distant past. As for evening Church programs, the least said about it, the better.


Kids don't discuss what they learn in schools and Sunday Schools anymore. It is amazing how these kids don't remember what they are thought in school but can recount with vivid details every bit of the episodes of these telenovelas. Homework that is meant for the evening is now done in classrooms in the following morning because the evening is for flipping through channels for all the different telenovelas. Sitting in front of TV for hours to watch telenovelas is normal for kids nowadays whilst reading a common story book is unheard of for this same kids.


Parents either call their kids to join them in watching these telenovelas or tasks them to keep tabs on the televisions in order to alert them when the programs start. These same parents who have excuses which prevent them from making time for their kids are able to make time for all the different telenovelas they watch. They do not have enough time to look at the homework of their kids, let alone sit them down to find out how their day went in school but can make enough time for their "precious" telenovelas. And woe is you if you call someone at a time one of these telenovelas is being shown. Chances are, the person may not hear anything you would say. But if you are lucky (as I've been on some few occasions), the person will ask you to call back after the program.


And of course, all the television stations in the country are now taking the same cue. The competition has now shifted from edutainment and programs with quality contents to telenovelas. Throughout the week, productive man hours are spent on showing these programs. Religious and other educative programs with quality contents that needs more airtime struggle for sponsors but these telenovelas get a sponsor after sponsor every day.


And the icing on this issue is the number of hours we spend on them. In one night, some people watch not less than three. From Monday to Sunday, there are countless number of them on all the channels. Some TV stations have different telenovelas for different days within the week and specials for weekends. There are studio discussions and phoning-in segments.


And then, the craziest of it all, omnibuses. And the very people who spent time watching these things throughout the week still sit down for hours to watch them again.


The rate at which we are increasingly getting committed to these things is a bit worrying. With all time and attention we give these telenovelas, I get surprised when we turn to attribute certain occurrences in our society as "foreign". When we see our girls now cladding themselves in skimpy dresses, we pretend to be clueless about it and point fingers. And when it suits us, we, as a society, don't want the younger generation to exhibit the things we are all being bombarded with in these telenovelas: From alcoholism to murder, breaking relationships to sabotaging others, and all the baggies that come with them.


I am not against entertainment of any kind or entertaining the crowd. Even I know that some of these telenovelas have lessons worth learning but that does diminish the other sides of them.


My concerns? Should we give so much attention to these telenovelas? Should that take the place of parents in teaching values to our future generations?


Think about it, but best of all, let's share ideas.

Environmental Police

I heard on radio today that the day has been declared "Red Friday". The day in which the country dress in the colour red to show our disregard for illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.


I loved the passion with which the presenter talked about this issue. Our fight against this menace has been one of those few things that we, as a people, have agreed on. As far as this issue is concerned, we have been able to agree to disagree. It is goog to know that we can all agree on something.


When discussing galamsey, there is nothing like rich or poor, high class or low class, male or female, educated or illiterate. And the best part is, there are no political parties. Together, we have all accepted without any reservation that we have to protect our environment. And I love the passion and zeal with which the media personnel embraced and led the campaign against galamsey.


But this has got me thinking. If we could all agree to fight and do away with galamsey, why can't we do same for other areas in the environment?


Not that I am undermining the importance of the fight against galamsey but I think there are more pressing areas in our environment which requires equal attention, if not more important. After all, there is something that is killing us more than galamsey ever would. FILTH!


Why can't we take a stance against the filth that is engulfing our cities and come together as one to fight cholera and such related diseases? After all, the filth that has engulfed our cities is more deadlier than galamsey.


Why can't the media lead the campaign whilst the citizenry be the environmental police to protect and rid our country of filth? Just like we now have a "red Friday", why can't we have a "black Thursday" or something to show our commitment to make our country clean? After all, a cleaner Ghana is essentially important.


Think about it and start playing the environmental police from your little corner. Do the right thing and get others to do same.


That is my opinion though.

It's not dark-skinned vrs light-skinned

Lately, I have noticed something disturbing about our generation.  Unlike in times past, one barely see pure dark skinned people, especially ladies, anymore.

Almost all the ladies are now fair coloured.  It's not like I have any issue with fair-coloured skin ladies or anything of the sort.  I am only worried about the fact that, even our then darkest skin ladies are strangely turning fair.  The rate at which this is happening is alarming.

I really do cheer for all the ladies who take bold decisions to keep their natural African hair.  I take hat off for them any day.  I mean, I cannot begin to imagine me keeping my natural untouched hair.

But then, what is the essence of being natural when one decides to do away with the ultimate proof of being a naturalist?  Our women are shredding every fiber of their skin that makes them black Africans.  I have never understood why anybody would do that.  Not with all the harm that these bleaching creams does to the skin.

And to think our ladies have migrated from applying mere bleaching creams to the skin to actually taking in some heinous substances, all in the name of changing their tone of their skin.

Is it really worth that much to be a fair skinned lady at all costs?  What happens when you achieve so much with a self-acquired light skin and get one form of cancer or the other in the end?  Whatever happened to the 'black is beautiful' slogan?

However, one cannot blame these ladies entirely without blaming the society in which we find ourselves today.  Not with all the attention given to the light skinned ladies now.  It almost look like all the advertisements on our screens lately forces them to opt for such skin type.

How many ads do you see with dark skinned ladies, if any at all?   Almost all promote and entice innocent and unsuspecting young ladies to 'tone' their skin, like they put it these days.  And those ladies that you expect to know better are actually worsening the issue now.  I know it is not their jobs to decide for anyone on what to do or not to with their lives but there are other responsibilities that are imposed on one just by being where one is.  Just as there are privileges inherent in such positions, there are also inherent responsibilities as well.  No one will spell such responsibilities on a paper for you.

So many of our celebrities have taken up other projects and I must commend them for that, but nothing is being said about this particular issue.  We are either not aware of the fact that bleaching is on the increase or we are pretentiously not giving it any attention.  I dread the possibility that someday soon, we might not have our natural skins to boast of anymore. 

I really do hope and wish that all of us will take a critical look at this serious issue and give it the attention that it needs so that, we can all help save our future generation.

What Happened To Us As A People?

Today, as I listened to David Akwetteh on The Diary on Luv FM, my heart bled out. Even after the program, I am still shaken by what was discussed.

 

A 13 year old boy has shot and killed two of his friends with a gun belonging to his father. Two siblings had also suffocated in their father's vehicle. Those were the topics.

 

As I listened in on the discussions, I couldn't stop wandering about where we as a people have gotten to. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the numerous questions and alternatives that were pouring into my head.

 

In some few years past, these incidents would have been unimaginable in our part of the world. It would have been very strange even hearing about them, let alone, experiencing them.

 

Gone are the days when parents had time for their kids. In those days, families used to eat together and discussed issues as and when they occurred. Parents had time to sort and trash issues out with wards. Parents used to stroll with their wards to and fro school where it was necessary. Parents used to help their wards with their homework. Every child was the responsibility of every adult in the society just as every adult had the correctional role in the lives of the children.

 

Few years down the lane, everything is so different. In place of parents, we have televisions. Taking up the place of quality family time are various social media platforms. No one has the right to correct another person's child any more. If you see two children misbehaving, woe is you if you try to teach them the right thing because a parent or a guardian might come to fight you. Parents spend all their time making money. They leave the house when the children are still sleeping and go home after they have gone to bed. Most children pray for weekends to come so that they may see their parents only for them to be gone again to one social event or the other. Not with funerals on every Saturday and weddings or other church programs taking most of the time of most parents.

 

I am not against hard work or attending to other social events or even church. I am all for that. But my problem is: in the midst of all these things, where do we place our younger ones? Are the televisions and other electronic gadgets doing a good job playing parents with our kids? Why did we let go of our external family system for the nuclear family system that helped us all in the past even when we don't understand the practice?

 

These incidents might have been prevented with a lot of caution. For example, if this father had left the kids in the care of a family member, he could have attended to his business and not forgotten about them in the car. If parents have not been so absorbed in making money and buying video games and other stuffs for the kids, this could have been prevented. Kids spend so much time in front of their video games, do and undo most things in the game so much so that, they end up thinking same can be done in real life.

 

Like I said, I am not against all these. However, I have issues with overdoing them. I am equally aware that some people, including family members, cannot be trusted with our kids but some, and a lot more at that can be trusted.

 

I think it's high time we take a stand for our younger ones. If we put all our emphasis on money, we might end up regretting sooner or later. We shouldn't forget that, these kids are the future of our society and what a society it would be if all they know about is how important money is when compared with the family.

 

Better late than never. Today is the best time to start correcting our mistakes as a people.



An Eye For An Eye, Or?

In the past few days, I have seen enough evil to last me a lifetime. I have been so baffled by the events unfolding in South Africa, so much so that I have not been able to write anything much about it.

 

I have been reading about the heinous acts on one social media or the other. Much as I have tried, I have not been able watch some of the videos and pictures. Any time I try, my stomach churns. Those acts are the height of evil and unfortunately, like everything African, nothing serious is being done.

 

I move from one social networking platform to the other, reading stories and other peoples comments on this issue, xenophobia, and I am afraid for my continent. People are angry, and rightly so, we all ought to be. Such inhumane atrocities being metered on our brothers and sisters should and must be condemned with no room for any excuse whatsoever. I need not have a family member in that country to feel the pains that these innocent souls are being subjected to because they are humans just as I am.

 

That not withstanding, I am afraid for most of the comments I read. I understand what we all, especially those with family members in that country, are going through. What I do not get is why people are advocating that we avenge our brothers and sisters in our respective countries on the nationals of this country by treating them in similar vain. It is true that they are from this country but it is not their fault that they are from there. Just as it is no fault of our countrymen to find themselves there, the contrary is also true.

Why then should we also stoop to their level? Besides, if we start practicing the "an eye for an eye" principle, will we not be leaving our continent in a darker place than it already is? If we start treating their nationals in every corner of the continent like they are doing, are we not going to pay a higher price in the end? Two wrongs can never make a right. Let us not resort to their methods.

 

Instead, let us use diplomacy to let them also have a little 'feel' of all that their countrymen have subjected our brothers and sisters to. Let us not patronize their products; let us not sell to them, let us not wine and with them, let us all treat them like a plague, let us all sabotage their businesses in our respective countries and then, their numerous businessmen around the continent will talk some sense into them from their own losses.

 

As much as it is tempting, let us not start plucking the eyes of some innocent people all in a bid to release our anger. For all you know, most of the people busily metting these atrocities might have never travelled before and have no intentions of ever stepping out of their comfort zone, which is South Africa, their country.

 

May God help and protect our countrymen and women in South Africa and may He console those that have lost dear ones even as He gives us discerning spirits to reason.

 

God bless us all.



A Friend Is Not Always A Yardstick

In the past few days, I have witnessed two opposite types of friendship.

I witnessed the friend who would not sacrifice a pesewa without recouping.  The type of friend who would gladly ask you to give them your most precious asset, your time, but will not let go of anything for you.  The type of friend who would ask you to carry loads of things without offering to help you even though the load belongs to them.  The type of friend who will continuously take without ever giving or asking where it came from.  The type of friend that thinks one is oblige to serve them all the time, no matter what the other person is going through.  In short, the friend that is stingy to the core.

 And then, I witnessed the type of friendship that melts the heart.  The type of friend that gives without asking for any explanation.  The one that offers a shoulder and help without you having to ask.  The type of friend who will help you meet a deadline.  That person who feels your pains and is happy over your joy.  The type of friend that willingly gives you what others spend years to contemplate on.  The type of friend that although you hardly speak with, is always ready to help you out no matter what.  The word generous is not close to describe this sort of friend.

I deliberate on these two people and I question the saying "show me your friend and I will show you your character".  I am not saying it is not true to some extent.  I am only saying it is not entirely true.  How can anybody judge another based on how stingy or generous the person's friend is?

Some people clearly understand and accept that, one will always have to be a 'fool' in any human relationship.  Some are born that way and others learn to be that way.  Whatever the case, it is not true that one's character can always determine that of the friend.  For all you know, the other person became a friend to the other because of all that he or she might get from the other party.

In the instances above, these two people are both friends of the same person and both can testify that, the generosity of their mutual friend is at heart.  While the other gladly takes advantage of the kindness of this friend, the other gladly work on being a true friend, especially, in times of need.  If these two people are friends with the same person and are of different personality, how can anybody make the mistake of concluding that any two persons are the same just because they are friends or acquaintances?

The saying that "friends of the same further flock together" therefore becomes questionable.  I have seen two people who are friends but believe in different things.  After all, friendship, like any other relationship, is based on dialogue and understanding.  That is why people of different religious beliefs are able to have the best forms of friendships.  Like the Bible say, two cannot walk together unless they are of they agree.  It does not necessarily mean they have to do the same things.  If we choose not to be friends with such people, how are we going to impact positively on our world?

Personally, I am glad to be friends with such people and the likes.  I learn a lot from both.  One forever humbles me while the other forever remind me of the command to serve others.  It really is an honour to have such people around.

So when next you meet a person with any character defect, do not make the mistake of judging his or her friends to be of same behaviour.  After all, when all is said and done, even twins have individual differences.

THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGING PEOPLE

Today, the past revisited me.

I came face to face with a situation that occurred some few years ago. However, I am happy to say that it was the other way round this time.

I walked into this business center for photocopying and to have some documents scanned. What happened afterwards made me understand why God finally took me to that particular place.

I had walked past this particular place to my favourite place only to find out that they had no lights. I went back to the next place and didn't like their reception. After waiting around and none of the staff made any effort to attend to me, I excused myself. It was after all these that I finally settled on this place.

The guy was attending to a client but still managed to get me a seat and assured me he would attend to me in a while. After about ten minutes, he did.

When he was done with my tasks, he asked me a question that took me back to the past. The only difference was that, this time round, the seats had changed. I was the client and he was the typesetter.

I remembered how one good Samaritan sat with me in the past and talked to me that about this same subject.

He asked me about the difference between distance education and sandwich. I took my time to explain to him and what he said next was me talking some years back.

He said he has heard rumours that if you go to University, you will not get a job. That was when I remembered Kizito, the guy that God used to get my attention to go back to school.

For the sake of the past and armed with evidence of the present, I had a heart to heart with this guy. I explained to him how false such rumours were, especially, if you believe in your God.

He asked me so many other questions which I explained as well. We talked about how he will have to get someone to help him if he chooses to do the distance. We also talked about the pros and cons of both the distance education and the sandwich. He assured me he would think about it and make a decision. I also promised him I would go back to check on him in the future.

And my! Did it feel good to be of help to somebody who intended to take such a huge decision? The feeling was incredible.

I know that was God reminding me of how far He has brought me, how far He intends to take me, and above all, how much He expects me to do same for anybody in my situation.

It was such an honour being of help to this guy and it would be a blessing to be gifted with such a task.

It would be an honour to be able to encourage others in the least way possible.