‘Rona

I recorded my podcast a 3 days ago and, in that time, the current number of confirmed infections in Ghana has risen to 11 people. Accra has gone quiet. Yes, there are still people around town but I was able to drive from my end of the city to the heart of Accra in 25 minutes instead of the usual 45 minutes to an hour. Rush hour seemed bearable and the Tro Tro drivers not as annoying. Even the police men who normally stop you for Chop money have disappeared because “Colona Vilus” has put fear into the hearts of every man, woman and child and inadvertently has worked on the corrupt as well. Though I am sure once we get out of the grasp of the virus, we will have to pay double to make up for the lost Chop money.

In a time when we are all being asked to preserve our lives by staying in door, another evil has reared its head into our lives- “Dumsor.”

Dumsor is the name given to the power outages here. “Dum” means off and “Sor” means on. Since December 2019, we have been dealing with outages and now it has become a daily occurrence for several hours a day, often stretching into the night. Even though Ghana is behind technologically, the absence of light seems to being life and business come to a standstill.

The loud cumbersome hum of generators become the soundtrack of your dreams and the never-ending purchasing of overpriced diesel- your nightmare.  To give you an idea, we had Dumsor for 3 days in a week and I spent 3000GHC which is the equivalent of $545. Fuel prices have dropped worldwide but in Ghana we are still paying premium prices.

 Yesterday, we were advised by the water department that we should start rationing water because of shortages in the system. So basically, in a time when we are supposed to stay in, mind our hygiene and stay calm, we don’t have access to consistent electricity or running water.

Now I know all these issues are part of life in a developing country but damn, they hit you hard and hurt your heart and mind especially when you know how rich the country is and how prosperous it could be. Last night, a customer from Central African Republic made a passing comment to me as we were discussing the Dumsor situation in Ghana. He said “Oh that problem is only in former English colonies. The French former colonies don’t have that problem.” – File that under things that make you go “Hmmmm.” 

Is it possible that the outages are not only due to corruption but also politricks by our former masters? There isn’t enough Tequila in the world to help me wrap my head around this concept and nor will all the Cava in the world help me understand why humans can be this wicked. It also led me to wonder, if the former British colonies got Dumsor, what did the former French colonies get?

One thing ‘Rona has ignited in the world is the will to live and it’s a beautiful thing. Folks I know, have started writing again, creating pieces of art, business plans and future travel all because it is clear, we could potentially lose it all. We have to choose to live.

Watching the news and seeing Italy, a country I hold close in my heart struggle with the death toll and the shock reminds me that the world is closer now than it has ever been. When the virus was in Wuhan, it seemed light years away but it is here in my city now. We are so interconnected through life and the internet that we are no longer allowed to be ignorant to the plight of others on the other side of the world. My days are now filled with calls with my family and friends around the world and checking the situation in their cities. Perhaps some good will come out of this but for now we are all starring in our version of a thriller and the ending is unwritten.

**Photo credit- Brodie Vissers from Burst