i live in a house of ghanaians. it's a house of laughter, music, happiness and poverty. those things don't go together, but that's ghana. they've got nothing, but they act like they've got everything.
one of housemates, ramzey, is one of the most amazing, unrelentingly positive people i have ever met. he simply refuses to be negative. at 28, he is the 'junior brother' to kofi, who also lives in the house. being the younger brother, he gets to do all the household chores, he gets to clean, and bring in the washing. he also fetches water when the taps aren't flowing, which is almost always. he flat refuses to let me help.
every night when he sees me, he greets me with a smile, and a “you are welcome”.
he makes 60 cedis a month, approximately equivalent to $60 cad, working at a textile shop near the airport, about 45 minutes to an hour from home. his public transportation bill eats up close to 40 cedis per month, leaving him about 20 cedis. he works six days a week, at least twelve hours a day. he has a wife and son. what he can't afford on his regular salary, he makes up by privately buying and selling things for small profits.
he has never asked me for anything.
he manages his life and takes care of his immediate and extended family. but he doesn't just get by. somehow, through iron discipline (something i know very little about) he has managed to save money. he has big dreams of opening a business importing used appliances from korea. he has all the details worked out. he even has a business license already.
he's got a long way to go, his earnings so meagre the dream must sometimes seem unreachable. but he keeps on going, with a million dollar smile, and not much else.
all of which begs the questions: what's wrong with us? why do we constantly bitch and moan about every little thing?
it's embarassing.
ramzey has dreams. and i'm making plans.
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