This was a tough one. So my good friend Joseph Quaye Amoo asked me what the one unique thing that every Ghanaian must learn from the Chinese is. There are a lot of traits I admire about the Chinese, but none stands out as much as their remarkable resilience.
Since my arrival, I've been amazed over and over again at how incredibly resilient the Chinese are in all aspects of life. It wasn't until I studied a bit of Chinese history that I understood why. Disclaimer : I am no expert on Chinese history!
China is what I like to think of as nouveau riche. The China you hear and know about today wasn't the same 50 or 40 years ago. Make that a century or two if you like. Of course that's true of every country but bear with me as I drive my point home. China was poor. Desperately poor. Unstable. From the overthrow of dynasties to the Cultural Revolution, stability is a recent phenomenon here. Over 50% of China is uninhabitable. Then of course there were natural disasters. But through it all these people have displayed remarkable strength and fortitude.
That's not to say China today doesn't have issues. The issues are there. But what do the Chinese do? Do they sit all day and whine about their problems? No. Sure one can argue that there are very few avenues to voice out government criticism. It is also true while the Chinese are becoming increasingly vocal in the direction they think their country should be heading they spend far more time thinking and acting in ways to improve their own conditions without depending on the government.
People here just don't sit and complain. They complain in their beds, in their homes and get up to act. Because no one will do it for them if they don't do it themselves. And that is why China is doing so well. Because the Chinese are doers.
That is what every Ghanaian can learn from the Chinese. Stop making excuses, stop blaming the government, stop blaming the system. Just up...and DO.
I know you..and you know me...I've been following your blog ever since you started it...and I must say, the journey with you has been amazing and quite entertaining!! lol You should consider writing a book. About your above piece. Very true..but I'm beginning to think the Ghanaian/African dependency on a higher power is rooted deep in our culture, maybe dating way back to our ancestors..we've always complained and depended on 'gods' , 'priests and priestesses', kings, chiefs, queens, not to mention the 'white man'. I think its a generational issue.Things will change with us..in fact it already has (if you've noticed with the recent generations). The problem is that a majority of africans still live in rural areas with little education...and no exposure to this 'renaissance of ours'. They're just exposed to what I call the 'dependency syndrome'..its passed down to them...and so the cycle continues... nuf said about that. I LOVE UR BLOG!! & You're good at the azonto...(at least from the pics).
ReplyDeleteSigned
A friend of Aranaa's.
Thanks Nana Esi
ReplyDeleteAt least there's one thing I've reinforced today, and it's RESILIENCE!
There's no question about why the Chinese are weilding economic power now and pushing borders to all corners of this planet. It's reassuring to know how resiliency can take you to your dreams.
And to Mr/Miss/Mrs Anonymous who commented :D it seems true that we may have learnt how to shirk responsibility and expect a superior being to solve our problems but that era should be over and done with. I believe if young bloggers who have awakened to the reality should start looking at creative ways to change that culture of dependency on the superior.
As I write, I'm on my way to the Volta Region to video blog. I will keep you updated :)
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, I will consider writing a book in the near future!
I'm not exactly sure I agree with your 'dependency syndrome'. I mean I know it exists, but I am hesitant to say it dates way back to our ancestors. If there's anything studying African / Ghanaian history taught me, it's that Africans are resourceful, making the best of what we have. Maybe that should be in the past tense. Maybe. Also both the West and the Orient have had their fair share of priests, kings, emperors and gods. So there ought to be something more. Hmmmm....
Plus I know who you are so just put your name there anyway :)
Joseph,
ReplyDeleteThanks for being the inspiration behind this post, I'm glad you found it satisfying! I cannot wait to see what you've been up to, you should post the link to your blog up here!
And you are absolutely right, Ghanaians spend too much time waiting for the 'Superior Being' (who I call God) to solve their problems. I understand that we are a religious people but must we really spend a large portion of our working hours in religious services and activities?! I mean church service on Wednesday mornings too? A bit extreme no?! That's one of the reasons why productivity in Ghana suffers so much.