Reflections on Ghana - Three

Once you get over the regular sight of people (mostly women but some men) walking around with goods on their heads on the streets of Ghana, one becomes ever more curious about what it is they are actually carrying.

Travelling in a mini-bus or taxi you are besieged at every traffic light stop or general traffic jam by an array of vendors hoping to catch the eye of the traveller interested in an instant bargain. Some goods on display are obvious and instantly useful such as bags of plantain crisps, nuts, a range of cakes, bags of chilled water and so forth. Given the slow speed of traffic at peak hours these instant snack items are useful and popular with travellers.

But what was more surprising and indeed almost surreal on occasions were the other objects carried by street sellers. It was puzzling why these people on the margins of society had chosen the goods they were hawking around the streets. Some of the more bizarre included a wardrobe collection of kipper ties, three pairs of garden shears, a full length mirror, a selection of discount vouchers, or a variety of combs and brushes. One woman had really taken the message of diversification from the marketing people to heart when she offered the option of packets of biscuits from her hands with a selection of girls' underwear from the basket on her head.

I reckon if you stayed in a car at a junction anywhere in Accra for long enough you could do your complete week's shopping, and renew your wardrobe, through your car door window. It might seem like the ultimate convenience store was coming to you but there is a dark side to this enterprising culture.

I learnt while I was there that many young people from the north of the country had left their villages to seek their fortune in the big city and ended up on the streets as vendors making as little as 5 cedis a day - worth about £2.25. Even in a cheap city like Accra that would give them only enough to buy food to keep them alive, but nothing for a room or clothing. What was even more telling was that the street hawkers were all of an age. I saw very few who I would guess were over 25 years old. Indeed I saw few people anywhere who would be of middling years or older. This is a young country certainly but one wonders what happens to people when they reach 30?