day to the start of the lockdown in Accra and Kumasi, in Ghana, I was driving past the Aviation Social Centre, Accra, and was about to make the left turn towards the El-wak Stadium Road, when the traffic light indicated red, so I stopped.
Two street hawkers selling mobile phone accessories immediately came to the car to convince me to buy their items, something all street hawkers do, except this time they added “please if you don’t help us we do not know what to eat with our families for the next two weeks of the lockdown.”
By this time the traffic light was green. My wife, who was seated next to me quickly picked some money from her bag and gave it to them. Then I recalled my church is also donating food to the needy. I quickly told them about it, pulled out my phone and began to call out the church’s relief phone number to them, while driving slowly. They followed the car till they memorized the entire phone number.
”Please if you don’t help us we do not know what to eat with our families for the next two weeks of the lockdown.
One of the street vendors saidAccra, Ghana
The touching story or encounter above reminds us of the core mandate of 1BA – to inspire Africans to support ourselves via the turning of problems into projects.
Covid-19 knows not the rich nor the poor. And the resulting lockdown in Ghana and other countries across Africa, and the world is no respecter of needy people. We must not sit and wait for the government’s efforts since government cannot do it alone, neither can the joint forces of our health workers and other essential service providers do it alone.
What can you do; in your area or community? A friend in Denmark told me a few days ago about how in certain shops there the owners have reduced prices so everyone can access it, and how pharmacies are giving our free Vitamins C. Fellow Ghanaians and Africans this is not the time to exploit one another but the time to support each other.
In his sixth national address on Ghana’s anti-coronavirus efforts, the President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo stated; “make a sacrifice for the sake of Humanity’s survival”. Aside your observation of the reccommended personal hygiene exercises and you #StayingHome, what are you doing as an individual to support someone in these times? If you cannot support someone by yourself, how about you donate the little you can to those currently engaged in relief services.
As the saying goes, good intentions are not enough. So, act now!
