Global Partnerships Ghana
Building Relationships While Rebuilding Communities
Global Partnerships Ghana
Building Relationships While Rebuilding Communities
Global Partnerships Ghana
The Republic of Ghana, or Ghana, is a relatively small country located in the subregion of West Africa. In addition to its plethora of natural resources and natural wealth, Ghana is recognized for its rich history and deep cultural roots. Today, despite its relatively smaller size and population, Ghana remains one of Africa's leading countries. These natural riches, however, have not always been entirely beneficial for the nation.
The arrival of Portuguese mariners into Ghana in 1471 initiated direct sea trade between Ghana and not only Portugal, but a variety of other European countries. Europe was initially interested in trading for Ghana's natural gold supply, later established as the "Gold Coast." Threatened by other European nations taking an interest in Ghana, the Portuguese attempted to ensure their monopoly by constructing stone fortresses, the first being Elmina Castle in 1482, along the coastline of Ghana. In the 17th century, the monopoly essentially perished when European nations recognized that the same paths and strategies used for trading gold could be adapted for the export of slaves. By the mid-18th century, the coast was filled with about 40 stone forts that were owned mostly by Dutch, Danish, or British merchants. These stone fortresses eventually went from holding gold, ivory, and other goods, to holding imprisoned African slaves. Before being shipped to the New World, enslaved Africans were held for months in these dark, crowded dungeons where, without water or sanitation, many died before their journey to the New World even began. Those that survived the forts' dungeons were subject to physical, mental, and sexual abuse for years. From West Africa alone, it is estimated that over six million slaves were shipped to other nations.
Plaque outside of the Cape Coast Castle, initially constructed as a timber and gold trading center, that was eventually used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Though the British Parliament outlawed slave trading in 1807, slave trading and raiding persisted on the Gold Coast more than a century later. Despite the physical removal of European colonizers, the effects of this period of time have been both detrimental and lasting for Ghanaians and the nation of Ghana. In 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to receive its independence.
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Entrance to the "MALE SLAVE DUNGEON", located inside Elmina Castle that still exists on the coastline of Ghana today. These former slave castles remain as a way to acknowledge and to remember the history of Ghana and its peoples. |
Ghana's coastline today. This view from Elmina Castle depicts the juxtaposition of what is now a nation so free and the structures that once bound its peoples with restraint. |
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Ghana is often claimed to be one large ethnic group within the African family; however, there are a variety of subgroups that are also commonly acknowledged. When defined on the basis of language, there may be over 75 subgroups, yet most are extremely small, with only ten being numerically significant. Despite these ethnic differences, Ghanaians attempt to minimize the effects of varying ethnic groups in all realms of government and public life. For example, English, rather than a language of one of the subgroups, has been adopted as the official language of Ghana. The majority of the nation practices Christianity, but there is also a significant Muslim population, and a small percentage of indigenous religions.
Ghana is made up of three principal vegetation zones: the coastal savanna, the forest zone, and the northern savanna zone. The eclectic vegetation in Ghana is part of what makes the nation so unique and rich in resources. These varying vegetation zones and their respective conditions aid in permitting rich biodiversity to thrive.
Gold, cocoa, and oil have been Ghana’s most important exports and have permitted the country’s economic success.
Without regular imports and exports, the Ghanaian economy has plummeted. It is estimated that in the short three weeks of Ghana’s urban lockdown, their GDP has fallen around 27.9% and an additional 3.8 million Ghanaians temporarily became poor (Amewu et. al., 2020). Though the Island has not suffered immensely of the disease itself, it has faced the negative consequences of being a landlocked island during a global pandemic. Travel to the mainland of Ghana has become almost impossible, and the Azizake community has not been able to sell or buy goods as it usually does. Women who were making a living producing organic coconut oil have been unable to work due to supply shortages and decreased availability to imports, increasing the cost of materials. Without work, these women, many of whom are mothers, are struggling to provide just one meal per day for their families. Because of the lack of exports, members of the community have been unable to make living wages. Because of the lack of imports, members of the community have struggled to provide food for themselves and their families. These indirect consequences of COVID-19 have drastically devastated the Azizake community and its peoples.
For nations like Ghana whose economies are significantly aided by tourism, COVID-19 has heavily impacted the socio-economic situation of Ghanaian citizens. Not only does tourism aid the economy as a whole, tourism deeply aids individual members of communities who rely on selling their products and services to tourists. Within the past few months, the tourist attraction sector of the nation has lost an estimated $171 million due to the lockdown (Aduhene and Osei-Assibey, 2021).
The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted loss upon almost each individual in this world--whether it be loss of a job, an opportunity, or something even greater. The impact of the losses in Ghana will be lasting, and we hope to be able to give this community…