Rita's neighborhood!
Am staying here with my lovely angel host Rita Jumpah, & am completely in awe of her gracious generosity at making me feel right at home. Ghanans are so welcoming, it's really their custom to be this way . I am once again oh so aware that a Ghanain visitor would maybe not receive such warmth in US!
She lives in a new section of Accra, about an hour from city center, so actually considered suburbs. Many new concrete cinder block houses, most one or 2 stories, some painted, most not. Her house is VERY lovely, painted white with warm accents of melon. Many call it The Ghanain White House, because it's the nicest in neighborhood.
But I think it's that because it seems to be the social hub, with friends & neighbors always dropping by for a visit & chat! She &her mom are always so generous, they also feed some poor families in neighborhood who are in need, especially children.
Although we have food stamps &food banks, church kitchens, etc, I don't know of any neighbors who regularly hand out food like Rita does!
They even have a little local store in front , on end of house so neighbors don't have to go downtown, hard if you don't have a car, which most don't. She does, however.
It's truly amazing, & I can't tell you how often I have seen this, that less "developed'" countries are warmer than we are, in spite of our wealth.
She lives in a new section of Accra, about an hour from city center, so actually considered suburbs. Many new concrete cinder block houses, most one or 2 stories, some painted, most not. Her house is VERY lovely, painted white with warm accents of melon. Many call it The Ghanain White House, because it's the nicest in neighborhood.
But I think it's that because it seems to be the social hub, with friends & neighbors always dropping by for a visit & chat! She &her mom are always so generous, they also feed some poor families in neighborhood who are in need, especially children.
Although we have food stamps &food banks, church kitchens, etc, I don't know of any neighbors who regularly hand out food like Rita does!
They even have a little local store in front , on end of house so neighbors don't have to go downtown, hard if you don't have a car, which most don't. She does, however.
It's truly amazing, & I can't tell you how often I have seen this, that less "developed'" countries are warmer than we are, in spite of our wealth.
I find stories like yours very heart warming. I also - living here in Brasil - find there is such a lovely sense of community. When we first arrived in Brasil, not used to the warm sun we would stoll out and about - mad dogs and Englishmen out in the mid day sun, spring to mind - but very often strangers would pull up in their cars and offer a lift home or into town, aware of the effects of the belting sun. We never hesitated to accept their kindness, something I would have hesitated at had we been in England. Sure there is crime in Brasil but it is born, primarily, out of poverty, not because of some dark side. The local churches also play a large part in the welfare of the community. In town, there is an orphange, and the Catholic Carmelite nuns sew and embroider all sorts of things from tea towels to dolls clothing and the entire proceeds go to the orphange. I will take some pictures and post them. Brasil is considered second world by the so called developed countries, who may be so called based on some economic index, but humanity index? ...
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly! I was thinking the exact same thing, another reason why you are my soul mate!
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