• COMING INTO JERICHO VILLAGE, 30mn FROM TEMA

Few weeks ago, I asked my driver how it wad in his house, how he sleeps, if he had a shower… and I asked him if one day I could see is family and their house in his village.

He was very pleased thatIasked for it and he told me that he would be very proud to show me to his neighbourg in his village : for them, it is showing that he has a good job and is liked by his boss and with “Madam” as he always call me.

Since I’m in holidays right now (french school february holidays), I decided to go there, 30 mn from Tema, about 1 hour drive from Accra.

I prepared a chocolate cake in the morning and brought fruit juices and coke to have snacks with his family after his children school.

When we arrived , I was a bit “scared” because people were looking at me, maybe wondering what I was doing here alone with only Thomas, my driver!!

I think that they can believe that I came here to see them as if it was a zoo…

Thomas spoke to each one when we walked through the village, explaining in his language called” Fanti” why I was here;

On the image above on the right, there is a small shop with some drinks and food and the yellow and green hut is in fact where they buy their tickets to bet in the bingo (loto)… to maybe become rich one day!

Then , Thomas showed me the rice manufactory at the back of the village.

It is a big production and they sell it afterwards by 25 kg for 80 GHC (18€). It is much less than in Accra Mall!!

See underneath the man working with the machine and the woman “cleaning ” it and separating the scrambled rice, which will be used for other things such as corn flakes.

After this interesting “visit”, we went to see the cultures of wheat, bananes, rice and kasava… located just behind the rice’s manufacture.

They have water coming here to irrigate under the ground it s why it is very green because we did not have rain for 3 months…

Inside the village, there are animals such as chickens, cows, sheaps… and everybody share their live together!

Women clean their clothes with hands of course… and take water from the back of the village in a channel. It is the same for them to take a shower putting water in a basin.

After that, we went to fetch is second son, Manuel, to the school which is private, always in the village. All students were a purple uniform. It cost 300 GHC for a semester (school fees + books). It is very expensive when you compared it to their wage which is about 450 GHC/month for a driver as Thomas (which is above most of the wages…).

They were so pleased and happy to see me! When I took my camera from my bag, they were shouting and running around me ! Some of them wanted also to touch my arm and were laughing 😉

Then, we went inside his house : there is only one room with a bed, 2 small sofas. All his family sleeps in the same bed : and they are four!!

 He has also a large tv (from 1990 I tkink ;)…) which he could afford when he started to be a taxi drinver years ago. And a frige is just before the entrance of his house.

Then they called their neighbours to share the chocolate cake I made for them. We stayed outside since it was too hot in his house.

People were coming one after the other, sharing in the same glass sometimes juices and coca cola. Some kids coming back from school  took a small piece also.

Thomas’ wife told me that she will “remember all her life this day”.

It is really strange to feel so special to them, and make them happy only to share time and talk with them. We are like them, equal,  but for them, we are different and they are proud to share time to speak with white people in their everyday life and home.

It was a great day for me too, I was happy to see how it is different from expat living conditions…

The last moment together is when I offer  Manuel a little book with stickers to learn the alphabet and they went inside daddy’s car of course 🙂 🙂 🙂

Before driving home, I bought two coconuts (1,5 GHC each : 0,40 €).

Hope you enjoyed visiting their village and “meet” Thomas’ family with me, leave me a comment if you feel like to!