What Africa Taught Me About Poverty & The Mentality Of How Poor Folks Are Looked Down On
Many people think of money every day in Africa, from relationships to everyday life, those with money worshipped.
Ghana, West Africa just imagine working 6 days a week more than 12 hours a day with a 2 hour commute to work in a van, a cramped van fit for an American family of maybe six children. That’s two hours to and two hours from work making it a 4 hour trek, working 12 hours adding 4 to your day equally 16 hours, with 1 day off. You are paid monthly also, maybe about $200 USD a month if you’re lucky, some making only $100 USD a month, housing costs are half your monthly salary yet owners of apartments (flats) charge you 1, 2 or 3 years rent, plus water & electric.
Then there is this agent situation in order to locate a place to rent (let) an owner won’t post their property an agent will and they will charge you 50, 75, or 100 cedis ($10, $15 or $20 USD) just to view the place, then if you pick it you pay what the owner wants 1, 2 or 3 years rent so if they want 1,000 cedis a month (about $154 USD) you pay that times 12 months plus a deposit plus (1 month additional) then add 10% to the agent for his fee (10% of the 1,2 or 3 years you pay the owner). This is much the same when you want to buy a home or land, unlike in the United States you can get a mortgage and pay on this land or home for 15 or 30 years. In most African countries they want their money right away within at least two years. For rent you can be asked to pay 13,000 GHS ($2,000 USD) for 1 year, 25,000 GHS ($3,846 USD) for two year yet you make 1,000 GHS a month depending on size (how many rooms prices increase).
Are you still with me?
Ok so then you’re working hard, right? Working long days, traveling hours to work and doing what you are supposed to do as an adult however you are living in poverty. Living below your means, Accra was named the second most expensive city in the world…
