The Road to Takoradi
Date: Monday May 12, 2014
At times, what is displayed on the outside may not necessarily be an accurate portrayal of what is within. The business captured in the photo above, although not typical of a store I would normally shop, carries a wheelchair that may improve the life quality of a woman who became ill and is unable to walk as a result. Consequently, she has been restricted to her home for several months. This is a story I was told during my drive to Takoradi and one that truly touched me. I strongly value good health and high quality of life and I believe everyone should have access to both.
Similarly, the YMCA Girls Vocational School (which is my last stop), although lacking resources to support a strong infrastructure, carries the passion of change makers who support and educate young women. These young women, in turn, study to improve their quality of life.
The above photo, in my perspective, tells a story about how things and people are not always the way they appear from the outside. We may make assumptions by simply looking at them, but their depth is deeper than what our eyes witness. This sums up my journey to and experience in Takoradi.
On the surface of the city, I may have witnessed images I am not used to and found them challenging such as wild animals living within communities, very basic living conditions, and a school lacking in resources. However, when I look deeper within these images, I see a people of strength and faith. I witness hard workers who awake early to beat the humidity from the sun, go to work, and study in the evenings to fortify their impact in the world and to improve their lives and the lives of their family. When I look beyond the dirt roads and the garbage tossed onto the streets, I witness intelligent and caring people who are similar to me in more ways than one, such as sharing similar taste in movies, songs, and views on important subject matters.
When I view this photo, I fail to see the wheelchair within the store that may equate to a better life quality for an ill woman. The conclusion to the story I was told is that the wheelchair is too expensive to be purchased. I will never know if the ill woman ever receives the help she needs. The moral of my story, however, is that you might be surprised by what you find if you look deep enough.
