The Chaos of Tamale

Our two weeks spent in Tamale have now come to an end. When we first arrived here, I was overwhelmed by the differences between culture here compared to home. By the end of our stay in Tamale, I started to get more comfortable with these differences and settled into my new life and routine.

Busy Intersection Downtown

One of the most obvious differences I noticed when we first arrived in Tamale was the traffic. The main roads here are always busy; full of vehicles, motorbikes, cyclists, and pedestrians. Vehicles are often overflowing with people and the goods they are carrying. Cars pass each other frequently, with motorbikes constantly weaving in and out of traffic. 

Sheep on the Road

The chaos of downtown Tamale is compounded on market day, with people everywhere buying and selling things on the side of the road. In addition to all of the people and vehicles, there are goats, sheep, and chickens everywhere in Ghana. They wander the streets during the day and return to their homes at night.

In spite of the chaos, the Ghanaian people are incredibly friendly. Almost everybody you walk by on the street greets you and asks how you are. It is so beautiful to see how the people here interact with each other and how strong their sense of community is.

There are many more children in Ghana compared to at home. These children are very independent and they are cared for by the whole community. Many of the children are very happy to see us, but others get scared and it is likely that they have never seen a white person before.

In Ghana, time is a more fluid concept than it is in Canada. We call this 'Ghana time'. The expectations of when things will start and end here are more flexible and being late is not such a big problem. We went to church one day and part of the choir showed up after the service had started. While this may have been a big deal at home, in this case they just joined the rest of the choir and carried on. This really highlighted the concept of 'Ghana time' for me. 

A load from the market

Tamale is a very interesting blend of Ghanaian and Western influences. The markets and villages all feel Ghanaian, but there are some obvious Western components mixed in. For example, Tamale now has a KFC just down the road from the market. The juxtaposition of Ghana and the West is also evident in Ghanaian politics. Ghana has a president, a remnant of colonial history, but the country also has chiefs, elders, and spiritual leaders who hold a great deal of power and have been part of Ghanaian culture since before colonization. 

Daily life in Ghana has made me realize how much I take for granted at home. Here, I always have to think about the food and water that I am drinking and if it's safe to consume. I can't count the number of times I've reached for the tap when brushing my teeth, forgetting that I have to use bottled water instead. Water in Ghana is a resource that is not always readily available. The water tanks at our guest house in Tamale ran out sometimes, leaving us without the ability to shower. This predicament was made worse by the constant heat and sweat we experience here. 

Although life in Tamale was sometime overwhelming and difficult, I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity to experience life and culture in this beautiful place. 

Elyse Acheson 

4th Year BSN Student

University of British Columbia Okanagan