Yes, We Can What?

We’re going to switch it up a bit...

“Yes We Can”

The infamous slogan of Obama’s 2008 campaign was quoted in yet again in the newspaper I was reading over one of Madam Goil’s fabulous egg sandwiches and a cup of Milo (hot chocolate equivalent). A radio was playing from Madam’s tiny kitchen, breaking up the morning buzz of the streets of Tamale. The announcers were discussing the new “single-spine” pay scale recently instituted by the Ghanaian government and its quickly declining popularity. This just happened to be the subject of one of the newspaper articles I was perusing through. I sat back against the kiosk, chewing, deep in thought. I took another slow sip of piping hot Milo and shook my head.

I don’t like fluff. I don’t like grandeur and glossy words with no meat on their bones, and I really don’t like empty promises. Catchy slogans said over and over again with enough pizzazz and fist pumps and media time eventually get the general public excited and believing again. Yes, we can! However, each person glued to a TV, with an ear pressed to a radio or wide-eyed at a support rally has something different on their mind- the change they envision for the future.

I want free healthcare.

I want to be treated fairly.

I want more money.

I don’t want to pay this much for insurance.

I want to be debt free.

I want my children to be safe.

I want to go to college.

I want my family to be taken care of when I am gone.

I don’t want to be taxed this much.

I want to the right to choose.

I want opportunity.

Someone is going to be disappointed yet each one is convinced they will get what they want.

In desperate times, we cling to the promise of hope. It is essential to the well-being of the human soul. Sometimes, this makes us vulnerable. The need for change is so great, our tendency is to jump head first into the arms of the one who offers the change and hope we so desire. That is what happened in America and I know form my experience here that is exactly what is going on in Ghana now.

The “single-spine” pay scale. What is it? To summarize Dr. Jean’s lengthy explanation, every position gets paid the same amount. It doesn’t matter of you are a first year teacher or nearly the end of your career with post graduate degree upon post graduate degree, your salary is the same. General practitioners make the same as surgical specialists.

Opinion time- take it or leave it:

You cannot take away man’s incentive! Our sense of purpose and accomplishment directly affects the work we do and how we feel about ourselves. Why strive for an “A” when your final grade is going to be the class average? People need to know they are valued as individuals, which is an extremely American thing to say, but it’s true. The people of Ghana, especially the teachers. are becoming outraged about this, thus the premise of this morning’s talk show.  

Secondly, this is creating a generation of sloth devoid of work ethic. I want to make as much money as I can doing as little work as possible. What is also happening here are new graduates, especially in the healthcare field, are leaving the country where the opportunities are better. I have seen it in Saboba for myself, Ghana (and many other places) is severely lacking in adequate numbers of competent medical personnel.

The thing I could not wrap my head around was how people got suckered into this in the first place. Knowing what they know now, no one would have gone for this…. How does this happen?

Fluff. Grandeur and glossy words with no meat on their bones. Dr. Jean said when the government was pushing for this, they said you would be smiling when you went in to the bank and smiling even bigger leaving the bank, and it totally worked. Stirring words and emotionally charged, but the message behind is a whole lot of sauce and no meatball. She said that is very characteristic of this culture- when you think black preacher, you don’t think soft-spoken. I have seen this twice now in church here.... yelling enthusiastically and saying nothing that warrants such hoopla. Is this necessary, sir?

I guess so! It’s what they do here!

Consequently, this culture moved by stirring sentiments has been sorely misled. They fell for it, hook line and sinker. Few are walking out of the bank smiling. From what I am reading in American newspapers, that is what is happening at home too. I say yes, we most certainly can, but need our leader to give some substance to his fancy rhetoric.

Enough politics. I won’t do that again… unless I need to.  

I am pleased to say I am back in Saboba!!

What a trip this has been… I have officially been enrolled in “How to Be Super-Chill and Unselfish 101” Actually I would say this is an upper division course like level 707 with a lab. Lord, help me pass…

 It took us forever to leave Tamale, but we finally made it. I was exhausted when we got home. All three of us were actually, so it has been a very quiet evening. I pulled another Gary and wrote out a budget for the remainder of my trip. It made me feel like I feel after I balance my checkbook- AWESOME.

Tomorrow is Ghana’s birthday!! It’s 54^th to be exact, so I am very much looking forward to the festivities. I know this from the kids at the orphanage, but all the school children practice marching for Independence Day. It’s a big deal! I have been looking forward for this day for a while, but I have especially been looking forward to being back in Saboba!

Congrats Carroll girls! They will be playing for the Frontier Conference Championship Monday at 7!