Can a heart weep from the pain of Accra, Ghana?

Sure we coming home from overseas can be angry and whine, and we can reflect and see pain in life; but so can we also see beauty and innocence, and opportunity to help!

Look folks- unless Ghana gets a leader who is serious and concerned to manage and use the taxes we are paying to provide efficient services to enhance the living conditions of our people instead of -

-leaving our people to die of malaria from preventable mosquito bites,

- or letting traffic and road accidents kill people like flies,

- or unhealthy conditions curtail happiness for most, kill some 275 per day in Ghana, and endanger all;

- and the few elected or appointed executive choose to care about the problems and stop the greed of catering to their own needs with public funds,

instead of focus on needed innovative changes, and creating jobs thereby, we have not started the real journey of life!

Gosh!

I am so tired of the erratic unpredictable life in Ghana I could cry!

In the last 24 hours water has been erratic, even in East Legon, dripping from the reservoir; and then Electricity went out for about an hour.

And then this morninng panic blackout with Vodafone!

And then a car stalls on me in traffic! Come ooon! I am tired not just for myself but for the people of Ghana:

- The youth with very dwindling light of hope! - Adults with no voice in their destinies and filthy living conditions in Ghana!

- No phone book and no information as who to call to even complain!

And full service Internet can even cost more than somebody's monthly wages!

Talk of whining this afternoon I went through a nightmare of having a second vehicle stall on me in 2 weeks, and this time in a 5 pm traffic! I am just not used to carrying much cash on me! First the van was overheating,, solved at Kantamanto; And then coming home to East Legon from Kantamanto Market and attention diverted due to the traffic and chaos, I had a real adventure in chaos never to forget!

Having to walk twice along Accra central street to get petrol near the British Council area, is so himiliating I could cry! But my tears are dry! I learnt a long time ago to cry within!

My God! Where did I go wrong! Why was I born here, and What am I doing here when I have other beautiful choices of where to live on this earth in peace! God has blessed some with choices! But the rest?

And Driving all by myself in this chaotic jungle called Accra!!

Am I crazy or what!!

For the new in town- trying to complete two appointments in Ghana is amost impossible! It is crazy! 2-3 hour traffic to travel 10 miles! Ooooh! Gosh!

Downtown Accra has not changed since Kwame Nkrumah was around, especially the UTC or Kingsway area, off Kwame Nkrumah avenue, Makola area, are a nightmare to behold!! Getting more and more choked with people and vehicles mix every year and decade! And government has no clue what to do!

God! When is the liberation from this!

On reflection- Driving for over 40 years in America and I can count but a few times, 3 or 4 times a vehicle has stalled on me!

But the Good News:

God knows there is so much kindness and beauty in Ghana! The young street vendor kids who pushed the car for me from nowhere! They are little angels waiting to help for the small tips! I am going to see to help the young man with a positive spirit who offered to go and get petrol for me, and I walked with him on two trips!

Crossing 6 lane traffic in a major city together, two trips, creates a bond! I asked him questions and he had dropped out of JSS to find some meaning in life. His parents went to Nigeria to find work and he has not seen them since a child! He says he may not even recognize them if he saw them! Gosh!

So how can I talk of my bad day or luck! The boy moved from extended family relatives' home from Kumasi to Accra, not knowing anybody here, and now cleaning windshields at traffic stops for a $3-4 business revenue per day!

My heart weeps and it overcomes my humiliation; but there is a lot of work to be done! What can we do to help Oh! God!

Cheers,