Day 2: Markets on Markets

Jet lag is still very real, but today was filled with history, culture and politics.

The students had orientation at the NYU Accra campus, which I accompanied them too. We learned "cultural do's and don'ts," like never shake or greet someone with your left hand, and clasping the hand and sliding with a finishing snap is preferred, (their greeting looks identical to our daps.) "Chale" meaning buddy or friend and "chop" for food are common Ghanaian sayings.

There are 15 local languages in Accra, even though English is the official one and the language of education. If you carry a bag over your shoulder, it must be on the opposite shoulder to traffic, to avoid being snatched and your body dragged by men on bikes. Oh, and I quote, "Slim people are not really in here." I'm definitely not skipping any meals! The food is so good, too. Jollof is the most amazing rice dish I've ever had. When driving, landmarks are used over street names and you regularly use your hand to signal switching lanes. Traffic is madness at 2pm.

We met with the former Ghanaian mayor today who held office from 1994-1998 and is widely respected. His name is Prof. Nat Amartefio, but out of respect, we called him Uncle Nat. He gave us a brief yet in-depth history of Ghana— through early civilization, colonization and the exploitation of gold to people. He commented that the slave trade was abolished not because the Western world cared about trading human bodies, but because of industrialization. They needed resources versus labor and this way, indigenous people could cultivate them.

Ghana and many of the West African countries generate revenue through their informal economy, mostly in the form of market places, which are dominated and controlled by women. There are many major markets in Ghana and each have thousands of traders, 6 days a week, from 5am to 9pm. The markets roll in over 100 million a week.

We visited one and it was just unbelievable. Streets on streets on streets were swarming with traders. Some shops had store fronts and multiple levels, and some women just walked around with large metal pots containing goods on top of their heads. Everyone was selling something. Clothes, jewelry, baskets, giant snails, fruit, water, there was nothing you couldn't find, and the culture was bargaining.

After the market, we visited city hall and discussed with the Mayor's top advisors the construction plans and economic value of these markets. They had ambitious infrastructure plans to rebuild each market place with police posts, daycares, temperature controlled rooms. Millions of dollars will be put in to improving these markets, as those millions will come back.