Authenticity

At our house meeting last night, an NYU staff member told us, “Some people may say that you are not getting the true, authentic Ghanaian experience because your accommodations are so nice. All the security, the nice facilities, the air-conditioned academic center—well, you know what? Despite what people may think, plenty of Ghanaians live this way.”

It is true that in Accra and Kumasi, many people do have climate-controlled houses with fancy kitchens and water heaters. However, the vast majority of Ghanaians live without these luxuries. In the outskirts of Accra, many houses do not have running water or proper mosquito protection. In more rural areas, people live in huts and gather water by hand from a communal pump. Many remote areas cannot afford such water mechanisms, and instead get water from a lake that also serves as the village’s bath and toilet.

A typical home in Accra, guarded by barbed wire and a gate.

The cultural differences between the cities and villages in Ghana are fascinating. Residents of the city have careers in technology, banking, and government. The main source of income for villagers is farming. On Friday nights, city-dwellers flock to popular Highlife clubs and bars, while local “spots” and palm wine bars make up nightlife in villages.

Religion varies between the two, as well. Although the majority of the population is Christian, they continue to observe some rites and holidays of the traditional religions. In general, the more rural the town, the more traditional religion plays a part. There is also a significant Muslim population concentrated in the North. As a result of these factors, superstitions derived from traditional religion are taken very seriously in villages. For example, widows in Muslim areas and villages are often subjected to traditional funeral rites that can involve degrading or harmful practices. These are illegal, and are virtually never seen in cities like Accra or Kumasi.

While these cities have succeeded in banning inhumane rites, they still have many civil rights concerns. Healthcare in the country is seriously lacking since the doctor to patient ratio is 1:13000. As a result, access to healthcare is extremely difficult. In cities, if someone has a health problem, they must go to the hospital and wait for a doctor to diagnose them. Oftentimes, a concrete diagnosis does not come and the patient is just treated for malaria. In villages there is even more difficulty obtaining health services. The primary obstacle blocking villagers from accessing healthcare is transportation. Buses run occasionally, but are costly and slow. Depending on the distance and condition of the patient, some villagers walk great distances to the nearest clinic. The Ghanaian government has set up a sturdy infrastructure to grant basic healthcare to citizens, but it is useless if nobody can travel to the center.

A village center near Elmina

I have been living in Accra, and have traveled to other towns in the south of Ghana as well as to Togo. Half of these trips have been sponsored by the NYU campus, and half have been planned with other students. There is a significant difference between the two experiences. On NYU-sponsored trips, we drive around on a large tour bus packed with Obrunis. We are taken on tours of slums and speed past villagers who gawk at us. We see and do awesome things, but nothing has the feeling of a truly authentic experience. I think that it is impossible to achieve such a feeling with this conspicuous group. On independent trips, we fend for ourselves to get lodging, food, and activities, which already adds a level of authenticity to a trip. We spend time with locals and try to blend in. We will always stand out, though, and are a constant target for begging children and locals trying to sell artwork or jewelry.

The experience that I cite as my most authentic in my time here was the home-stay weekend. I left the group of NYU students and my host brother took me to his house in a small town outside of Accra. We spent time with his friends, who were curious but relaxed around me. I spent three days living in his house and participating in daily activities in a Ghanaian home. I will continue to seek out authenticity in my travels, but it seems to me that this goal is inevitably out of reach for a white woman in Ghana.