LIFE IN THE VILLAGE

Written by: Ama Lawson

The world is indeed a form of strata.  Everyone finds him or herself at a particular level.  The urban dwellers term themselves to be at the zenith of the strata while those in the village are the unfortunate lot who find themselves at the last strata right at the bottom.  This is an unfortunate place because almost everyone makes frantic efforts to run away to the urban centers.  It is those who are left with no option that eventually takes solace in the abode provided by the village.

It is not difficult to place a hand on the reason why people are not enthused about staying in the village.  The reason is based on the characteristics or features of life in the village.  The conditions that exist in the village are the factors that act to drive away kith and kins of the village – the root of most of us.

The youngster of today associates the village with abject poverty, poor infrastructure, near absence of social amenities and services.  These together with loss of existing ties or bonds established in the cities portray the village as the most unwanted demon that all the “modern” people would like to avoid.

However, there is an interesting twist to the whole saga.  Everyone has some form of close ties with the village.  Most of us take our roots from there and most students have their livelihood from the village.  We all like to visit the village but not live in the village.  This is where the topical issue comes in.  Why we all like to visit the village but not make there our permanent abode.

Life in the village is bereft of interest especially by the youth because our society holds those who live in the village in outmost contempt and treat them with total disdain.  The youngsters are therefore not interested in heading towards the village thus making “Sankofa” from where they come from before sojourning in the cities.

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Another factor that makes the village unattractive is the lack of the facilities mentioned earlier on in the write-up.  In our part of the world, village life can be conveniently likened to total damnation.  Basic facilities such as the provision of good and clean drinking water, motorable roads, hospitals, electricity, and good schools vastly lagged behind those of the urban areas.  These conditions make life quite comfortable hence their absence drives people from the village.

Besides the above is the high level of poverty that engulfs the village dwellers.  In the desperate attempt to assuage their parents’ level of poverty and thus break the cycle of poverty, the younger generation leave in drove for the cities.  Their cardinal aim is to work especially white color jobs to get enough money to send down to their parents.  But unfortunately, in most cases, this dream does not materialize especially for those without sound educational background.  This results in a lot of people in our streets doing certain menial jobs, which fetch them peanuts and reduce them to wretch.

Also, even our old folks who stay in the village, and till the land do not get value for their efforts.  Poor road network, poor pricing policy leaves them at the mercy of the wealthy businesswomen to exploit them.  Most of their produce goes bad before getting to the market centers.  This is followed by the exploitation from the market mummies who give them ridiculous prices for their produce.  All these make their work unattractive to the youth.

Indeed, the village forms an integral part of our existence.  The bulk of our population lives in the village and as stated earlier, we all have our roots from the village.  Ghana is predominantly an agrarian society.  The produce we export or use domestically comes from the village.  The village, therefore, is very vital in our lives and we must do everything to improve its conditions to make it more attractive to the youth and the aged alike.

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Since the village is predominantly farming community, there is a strong bond of belonging among the family ties that exist in the village.  This stems from the fact that people come together to farm and help one another in times of need.  The proverbial Ghanaian hospitality is better witnessed in the village than in the cities.  The communal spirit binds the people together and makes them forge ahead in unison.

Experiencing The Real Life In The Village

Above all, the unique Ghanaian culture is still in its unadulterated form in the village.  People in the village observe and respect the age-long traditions and practices that give dignity to mankind.  For instance, dress code is adhered to in terms of decency, respect for the elderly, kindness to one’s fellow, and above all, upholding strong moral principles.  This is in contrast to the corrupt life pattern of the city dwellers whose lifestyles have been influenced by western culture.

Another uniqueness of the village is the collective decision making.  The people often come together to decide and take decisions on vital life issues.  This helps them arrive at more prudent and intelligent decisions that can stand the test of time.

Furthermore, a life they say strives well in models.  When the youngsters are provided with role models whose lifestyles evoke fond memories and inspiration, the youngsters aspire to become like them.  These models are projected in terms of stories and appellations in the village and this greatly helps the society to mold people into responsible citizens.

In conclusion, even though the village is plagued with many problems stated above, such as lack of infrastructure and other social amenities, it has several wonderful credentials.  The communal spirit, good upbringing of children, projection of role models, help during difficulties, and strong cultural ties help to maintain its unique features.

All and sundry must endeavor to tackle the problems that confront the village and help tap its uniqueness to catapult the nation or society into a major economic giant soon.  For our society is an agrarian one and for any meaningful development, it must start from the grass-root level.  This will in effect remove the perceived strata among the levels of development especially between the urban areas and the village.

Written by: Ama Lawson
CEO Telchel Consults and More
Email: [email protected]