Letters from Ghana: Something about generosity

The contrast between wealth and poverty in Ghana is striking. The wealthy comfortably drive their recent-model, fully-loaded Toyota LandCruisers through the streets while filthy, impoverished children play on the curbs in open gutters full of sewage and garbage. While the difference in their material possessions is obvious, the greater difference lies in their spirits. Since we’ve arrived, we’ve found ourselves almost continuously showered with gifts from the villagers.

It seems that a week cannot pass without a woman coming to see us, bringing with her daunting amounts of food: we are often given more food than we could consume in a few weeks. The amounts are particularly impressive when you consider that the poorest women are the ones who give the most. Their generosity is of a sacrificial nature. Many of the women have absolutely nothing, some earning as little as $2 a week with children and family members to support – every day is a struggle for food and shelter. And yet, they choose to use what resources they have to give us a gift. In Ghana it is generally believed, however untrue it may be, that if you are white you are fabulously wealthy. So, with an understanding that we could buy whatever strikes our fancy, these women quietly come to our home bringing gifts of great generosity, expecting nothing in return. They are always shy and humble, and thrilled when the “obroni” (the Twi word for “white person”) thanks them for their gift. Every time another woman arrives with a gift, I’m reminded of the widow in the gospels that Christ commended for giving greatly of her meagre income.

In contrast, those we’ve met who have a comfortable life and prestigious position in the community seem to approach us with the expectation that we will be providing them with unending finances and supplies. We are constantly affronted by their blatant requests for money. The dichotomy is vivid: those who have nothing ask for nothing and give of the little they have while those who have plenty greedily scrounge for what more they can acquire.

The literacy program ended this week, and, true to their generous natures, our students shared the cost of a gift of gratitude for Desiree and I. To our delight, they had traditional Ghanian dresses and head-wraps made for us. The dresses are more beautiful and expensive than what many of our students could ever hope to own, but out of their generous hearts they gave money toward the purchase of the outfits. We came to Ghana to bless the women of Asamankese, but by their generous nature they’ve blessed us in ways we can never repay.

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