They then begin to roam the length and breadth of the city in search of the 'jobs' they've always been dreaming about. After a few days without any favorable response from any company that needs their services, they get frustrated. After getting a rude awakening of some sort, they begin to think straight. They begin to realize that the beaches showed on television and the famous nightclubs they always hear about on television and radio are not for everybody's enjoyment. They begin to realize that the big companies they see and hear about can't accommodate everybody.
It has often been said that Akans are hardworking people and would not want to sit at home and wait for success. There are many examples to point to this fact. Most Ghanaians know that Akans generally like doing business. They will travel the length and breadth of this nation to do any form or type of business, from selling herbal medicine, polishing and mending shoes, selling used clothing, to searching for gold. Akans are business-minded folks. I always see them pass by our house in search of opportunities to make genuine money. They are ever ready to damn the negative energy experts in order to achieve their juicy dreams.
Looking back at my hometown, we have many youths who can do all these jobs and even better. Much as they admire Akans who come to their homes to do business, they would not want to engage themselves in such minor ventures, at least not at home. They can't withstand the mockery from friends and family. They will prefer to remain hungry than to engage in such menial jobs in their own towns or villages where they are well known. They will not be able to withstand the negative energy from people they consider to be friends and family.
Many of the youths from my hometown are actually not really proud folks. They are not lazy too. They only fear what their friends would say about them. Due to this, many of them venture into other areas of southern Ghana, where there are no friends or family, to do menial jobs. They would work very hard in other places on people's farms than on their own. They would prefer to struggle in other areas to make some money so they can come home appearing 'successful'. In such places, they are not afraid to engage in anything that would bring money to their pockets.
Some of the youth who migrate to southern Ghana are either JHS or SHS leavers who couldn't pass some of their papers to gain admission to the next level of their education. Others got better grades but due to some reasons, they couldn't get the needed support to advance their education. They, therefore, abandon school to fend for themselves in other towns and villages of southern Ghana. The rest are people without any formal education who are often dissatisfied with their living situations at home and want to try living elsewhere.
The weak support systems at home may be a contributor to the current trend of events. People who are in dire need of support in one way or the other to define their lives meaningfully don't often get it. They are left to their faith.
Another contributor is superstition. In our part of the world, superstition is common. People are quick to point fingers at others as those working against their progress in life anytime they are met with a difficult situation. It may be a lazy way of thinking but it is a cogent reason for people to 'run away' to other parts.
I think this negative trend has to be reversed by instituting pragmatic measures that will give the needed support to abandoned families and individuals make meaning out of their lives in this part of the country. I also think people need to be enlightened more so they can stop suspecting people unnecessarily when they hit a rock in the road of life.
 |
| Most northern youth who migrate to the south turn into load carriers in order to survive the harsh urban life |
Many of the youths from my hometown are actually not really proud folks. They are not lazy too. They only fear what their friends would say about them. Due to this, many of them venture into other areas of southern Ghana, where there are no friends or family, to do menial jobs. They would work very hard in other places on people's farms than on their own. They would prefer to struggle in other areas to make some money so they can come home appearing 'successful'. In such places, they are not afraid to engage in anything that would bring money to their pockets.
Some of the youth who migrate to southern Ghana are either JHS or SHS leavers who couldn't pass some of their papers to gain admission to the next level of their education. Others got better grades but due to some reasons, they couldn't get the needed support to advance their education. They, therefore, abandon school to fend for themselves in other towns and villages of southern Ghana. The rest are people without any formal education who are often dissatisfied with their living situations at home and want to try living elsewhere.
The weak support systems at home may be a contributor to the current trend of events. People who are in dire need of support in one way or the other to define their lives meaningfully don't often get it. They are left to their faith.
Another contributor is superstition. In our part of the world, superstition is common. People are quick to point fingers at others as those working against their progress in life anytime they are met with a difficult situation. It may be a lazy way of thinking but it is a cogent reason for people to 'run away' to other parts.
I think this negative trend has to be reversed by instituting pragmatic measures that will give the needed support to abandoned families and individuals make meaning out of their lives in this part of the country. I also think people need to be enlightened more so they can stop suspecting people unnecessarily when they hit a rock in the road of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment