Ghana is celebrating 50 years of independence from the British, a fact brought to my attention by Al Jazeera (6/3/2007). I had not noticed it in the British media.
Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan country in Africa to get independence. It is a democracy, but that’s not the end of Ghana’s or other African states’ problems:
“We have a viable, multi-party democracy in Ghana today. But the problem in Africa is that democracy does not feed the people”
Gamal Nkrumah, son of Ghana’s first president
In spite of poverty existing, huge sums are being spend on a year-long celebration to which prominent politicians and celebrities have been invited. This includes Mbeki and Mugabe, and Jesse Jackson is a guest from the U.S.

I phoned my Ghanaian friend and teaching colleague, Adwowa, to ask her when the party was. She hasn’t reminded me. She calls me Kwame as I was born on a Saturday. I remember her bringing a chief’s robe made from the traditional Kente cloth, which like the Scottish tartan, relates to family and tradition.
Looking forward to the next 50 years.