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.