One of the problems that Ghana faces, which some say hinders the normal development of the country, is the so-called "market girls" or "Kayayo". Most of them come to work from the north of the country to the capital Accra. Many people stay here, because living conditions in the capital are better than at home.
(Total 31 photos)
For merchants, such girls are essential, but as practice has shown, it is they who become easy prey for robbers and other criminals. But even despite all these dangers, the girls stay overnight right on the market, using it as a refuge.
It is only thanks to the market that these women can feed themselves and their families, and also escape from the military conflicts taking place in the north of the country. Each of them fears that one day they will have to leave their jobs, return home and face war again.
Their duties may include carrying someone's luggage, as well as delivering groceries and purchases. There are cases when women lift a load that is heavier than their own weight. Sometimes men are also involved in such work, but for the most part, you can meet men mainly at construction sites. For most Kayayo, moving south marks the entrance to adulthood, the transition from tradition to modernity.
Many feel that the Kayayo culture is necessary because they have to support each other in the unsafe north of the country. Most of the migration from the north occurs between the agricultural seasons.
The government increasingly has to turn its attention to these people. Many residents of the country are sure that it is Kayayo that hinders the development of Ghana and urges the government to deal with this issue. People hope that with support and funding, the situation in the north of the country will change and many young people will not have to live in fear for their lives and leave their homes in search of a better life.
1. Market on the outskirts of the country's capital. The Kayayo photo shows market porters who are mostly young girls and women, but occasionally men can be seen.
2. Many of Kayayo are from the northern part of the country, who came in search of work, and are ready to endure everything in order to earn money.
3. Sumaya, 35, works for Kayayo in Accra to pay for her daughter Aisha's education. Sumaya herself never went to school.
4. Women argue over who will get the job of unloading the car.
5. Tired women waiting for work.
6. on the outskirts of the country's capital.
7. Tired woman waiting for work.
8. Hundreds of young girls, like 23-year-old Sakina, have to spend the night right on the street.
9. Alima, 22 years old, was sexually abused in the slums where she has to live. In the photo, she is with her one and a half year old son.
12. Sekina, 16, and Zinab, 19, came to Accra to work in the market during the school holidays.
13. Every time they have to pay to wash and wash their clothes.
14. 11 people pay 50 Ghanaian cedis a week to live in this small room.
15. Maryam and her friend are working "Kayayo". They first saw the beach and the sea in Accra.
16. Linda, 20, and Alima, 25, work for Kayayo, but they also work part-time as hairdressers in an Accra salon.
17. Azimi, 42, worked for Kayayo for 15 years, and with the money she managed to save, she was able to open a small restaurant and hire Kayayo girls.
18. Girls "Kayayo" at work in one of the markets of Accra.
21. The wreckage of the slum, which was demolished by one of the private construction firms. As a result, hundreds of "Kayayo" were left homeless.
22. Thanks to one of the social organizations, the Kayayo girls have the opportunity to listen to music and dance on Sunday evening.
24. Amatu, 19, worked for Kayayo in Accra for several months. She wanted to earn money for training and become a nurse. As is often the case with Kayayo, she was hit by a car and is now unable to work. The girl decided to return to a family that lives in the north of the country.
The English-speaking West African state of Ghana is completely surrounded by French-speaking countries - Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. You understand that the languages in these countries took root and were declared official solely on the basis of the native language of the colonialist, although usually less than half of the population knows them. Among its neighbors, today's Ghana stands out only slightly in terms of GDP per capita. All these states are not too rich, even in comparison with the leaders of Africa, but not as poor as possible. So Ghana got some natural resources, among which there are even gold placers and diamond mines. Well, it is not torn apart by a bloody civil war, like some other states of the continent. An indisputable advantage is access to the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean.
Irina, philologist, translator, 32 years old, tells. Lived in Ghana for several years.
I met my husband when I was at university. He flew to Russia to study, and this alone indicated that he was from a family of at least a middle class, and an intelligent one at that. In countries like Ganna, universities are sent as if by inheritance. The poor classes and estates simply do not think about education at the family level - it is not available to them. Many are limited to school. Although this is not bad in Ganna, about 60% of the population is considered literate here. Well, it means they know how to read and write somehow.
Before I got married, I went to visit my husband's family for several weeks. We not only met his relatives, but also traveled all over the country. Before that, I had not been abroad. I immediately liked Ghana for its unusual nature, way of life, culture. And the new relatives reacted to me surprisingly without prejudice. Here, marriages with whites are not very common, although not prohibited.
I slowly got used to the heat. Yes, and in our homeland more than once there was a rather harsh summer. True, it is also humid here for several months, during the rainy season, because the climate is subequatorial. And here it is hot and stuffy for everyone, even for the indigenous people. The temperature does not change much throughout the year. On the coast, of course, breathing is easier, but now we live almost in the center of the country, in Kumasi. It is the second largest city in the country, with over a million inhabitants. We are far from the coast. But a little closer to the sea.
Didn't you know? Ghana has its own inland sea, many people call it that. This is the largest, no, just a huge reservoir on the planet, as far as I know. It is called the Volta, after the large river that flows into it. When it was filled, nine thousand square meters of land were flooded, which now makes up almost 3.5% of the entire territory of this 25 million country. The power plant on the reservoir and water supplies provide a large part of the population. I know all this, because now I work as a teacher at a school, and we went there on excursions more than once. It is very beautiful there, the green shores are indented with coves, they have a natural landscape. Large ships and whole fleets of fishermen go there.
The husband says that all neighboring countries are very similar to our Ghana in terms of lifestyle, level of prosperity and traditions of the population. Everywhere you can live well, if you earn accordingly. True, here the population has a different idea of income than we do. If you can afford to buy new clothes for all family members, you are no longer poor by local standards. Books and toys are considered luxuries, as are meaningless household utensils like souvenirs and other trinkets. Even kitchen utensils are strictly defined for all family members in most residents.
The husband's family belongs to the middle urban class and has their own spacious fenced house. Poorer people live in small separate houses without a fence and a front garden. The very poor huddle in a local semblance of a slum - a commune, or compound. Here, several families gather in a one-story building under a single roof. There are, of course, rich apartments in the city, with penthouses and beautiful finishes, and in some places there are real villas, but they are at a minimum.
There is quite high unemployment. Officially they say up to 15 percent, but I think it's more. Not all diplomas are valued and not many professions are in demand. Doctors, civil engineers, financiers, international specialists, programmers, and high-class agronomists are especially respected. And all sorts of professions of an entertaining nature, such as showmen, like people of culture, are not particularly in demand. Most of the population works in agriculture and manufacturing. There is quite a lot of processing industry here. There are also a lot of cocoa plantations for export.
Locals love it when they communicate with them, openly and without arrogance - this brings them even closer to a foreigner. Somehow, my husband's friends and neighbors immediately accepted me into their circle. And in cities, it is probably always easier to adapt and dissolve.
There are many Christians of all known currents and directions. But the bulk of the Pentecostals and Catholics. There are also Muslims. A small part of traditional African beliefs.
What I didn't like and what can't be changed. Here, all strangers with white skin are obviously treated as rich people. Until one of the locals vouches for you, or, as in my case, you do not intermarry with someone, you will be considered a rich man and wait for at least a tiny present or other favor. Whites, according to the local population, already have too many extra things, and if they came this far, then they are probably just millionaires.
There are few forests here - a lot was cut down during the period of colonization, and after gaining independence, the trees also got it. Although the savanna, which makes up most of the country, is not at all deserted. There are many animals and the bright green of grasses and shrubs looks like an amazing contrast on the red earth.
My husband is not too rich, although he went to study abroad. It's just the way it is in his family. His parents correctly guided him in school, and he prepared in advance to continue a quality education, and they also aspired and prepared financially for this. There is a state program for gifted students, which helps to get a job in Russia. But, as a rule, all gifted children inherit the goal and task of learning from their parents. Nuggets from poor, uneducated families are rare. Usually, children study there for only a few years and drop out of school.
Several times I was in the capital Accra - not too different from our city, the same life, streets, people, green suburbs and red soil of the roadside. One thing is certain - the majority of the inhabitants of the post-Soviet space is much richer than the majority of ordinary residents of Ghana.
My family and I have also been to Russia, we already have three children, and I took them all to show. I must say that in my homeland there are more sidelong glances at us than here in Ghana. In any case, our couple stands out here and there. My mom takes it all really well. Only at first we had a serious conversation, when I announced my decision to get married. And now she is so happy with her grandchildren! I calmed down and realized that they didn’t take me into any slavery, or somewhere else)).
The Ghanaians are quite friendly and responsive, and not at all carefree, as some Russians think. Everything here is like in a Russian village. Although we are called a city, and there are high-rise buildings in it, nevertheless, most of it looks like our domestic suburb - gardens, kitchen gardens, houses. Here they dig in the beds, wash clothes with their hands in basins, carry water in buckets. Only instead of apples, papaya, and instead of potatoes, yam roots.
I do not work every day, and rather just so as not to lose the skill of the language and, in general, teaching. The salaries of teachers are small, as in the Russian Federation, and my husband says that it is more profitable for me to look after the children, being engaged in their education. So far, everything suits me and my husband here, but perhaps we will change our place of residence to Russia or another country - time will tell.
M. Parshin /mirozor.ru/
#ghana #west_africa #african #volta_reservoir
#kumasi #accra #emigration #life_abroad #gulf of guinea
) . The girl who exchanged cloudy St. Petersburg for distant Ghana, which is located in West Africa.A few years ago, Natalia fell in love with a medical student named Frank. And from that moment I realized that her fate was forever connected with Africa.
“Our family is 6 years old. There are 4 people in it, 3 men, 2 babies, 1 mother. Between our cities 6573 km or 10 hours of flight by plane. The country where we live has 270 sunny days a year and an average temperature of 28°C. 12 noon and 12 noon. 0% winter, 100% summer. Here people speak 46 languages and write in nine. There is 1 ocean here. 3 stripes and 1 star on the flag. We are Natasha, Frank, Martin and David, and we live in Ghana (West Africa)"
“When I left my hometown, moving to Ghana was as natural for me as going to school after kindergarten, to university after school, to the office after university.”
“Why are you in Ghana and not in Russia? Where is better? Of course, it is better in Russia, where there is a good free education and health care, an established public transport system, many playgrounds and shopping malls. But I like Ghana more. Because my husband's house is in Ghana. And for the family it is easier and more comfortable to live in the homeland of the husband. Where he is, like a fish in water. Where he can be the head of the family."
“Frank loves classical music! Especially opera, especially choral parts. Frank loves to cook, although in Ghana it is not customary for a man to be in the kitchen. Frank loves to read so much that at one time he stole books from the library. And finally, my husband is the best husband in the world!”
“And you were there? So how is it? Hot? Wasn't it scary to give birth? Does he have any other wives? And inside everything freezes while you open your mouth to answer the same question for the hundredth time. And you think: was I ready for such attention? Did you know that dozens of looks would follow us down the street, that people would turn around and whisper behind our backs? I close my pages on social networks so as not to see angry comments. And then I open it again to tell people that the world is not divided into black and white. I go into the house and hug the most beautiful babies in the world, whose skin is much darker than mine. And then it seems to me that I can withstand everything!
“In Russia, tobacco smoke has always annoyed me. And in Ghana, I sometimes even miss such a “native” smell. This is because there is almost no smoking here. It’s even difficult for me to immediately say where cigarettes are sold in our city. Smoking in Ghana is condemned, as well as drinking alcohol. The whole family looked at our rare bottle of wine for dinner with condemnation. By the way, about alcohol: here it is for sale - for every taste and color. But seeing a man walking down the street with a bottle of beer in his hand is unreal.”
« 10 reasons to come to Ghana:
1. Make sure that Africa is not only adobe huts, monkeys, savannahs and people in loincloths.
2. Feel like a superstar. Get ready to constantly wave your hand to others, smile, answer questions and requests for photographs.
3. Without the latest iPhone and an expensive car, feel like a rich man. Everything is relative, right?
4. Without extended eyelashes, a beautician and stylist feel like a beauty queen.
5. Make sure that eating with your hands is sometimes more convenient and tastier than with appliances. Even if it's soup.
6. Make sure that a day without tap water and electricity is not the end of the world.
7. Enjoy the power of the Atlantic Ocean, the beauty of waterfalls and untouched jungle, the brightness of outfits and the aroma of flowering orange plantations.
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8. Test yourself for strength, endurance, adventurism and sociability.
9. Falling asleep under a mosquito net, feel like a hero of an adventure movie or a program on the Discovery Channel.
10. Proudly tell friends: "I was in Africa."
“Meat is very popular in Ghana, and all offal is eaten, and such unusual parts as a cow's head or hoof are generally considered a delicacy. In my husband's family, goat meat is held in high esteem. Not even a goat! Such that the goat smell is overbearing. The skin is not removed - the fur is simply scorched and boiled with the skin. Another delicacy is Achatina snails. They are grown on special farms to impressive sizes and sold in the markets.”
“I used to be very simple about the fact that strangers saw my one-year-old son with a naked booty. And my husband scolded me, because here it is somehow not accepted. In general, in Ghana they dress quite chastely. Short skirts and dresses are worn with leggings. Shorts until recently were generally taboo. Seeing a gank in a bikini is unreal.”
“Sling or stroller? For Ghanaian women, this is not an issue. Children are traditionally worn behind their backs, tied with a special piece of cloth. Carriages are also used by some, but mostly in the yard. Walking with children on the streets is not accepted. I brought a sling scarf with me and carried David in it for up to six months. Then it became hard to walk long distances, and we moved to a stroller, with which it is more convenient for me to walk.
“What's the price in Ghana? Prices are mainly from the market, in the supermarket may vary. Vegetables and fruits on the market are sold by the piece or measured in buckets, bowls, etc., so it was difficult to convert them into kilograms: 1 liter of milk - from $ 1.5; 1 white bread - $0.5-1.5; 1 kg of potatoes - $ 2.5; 1 kg of bananas - about $ 1; 1 kg of apples - about $4-5, 1 piece - $0.5; 10 eggs - $1; 1 chicken, broiler (whole carcass) - about $5; 1 kg of tomatoes - $ 1.25-1.5; 1 cup of coffee - $2.5; 1 liter of water in a bottle - $0.25; 1 burger - about $5; 1 avocado (in season) - $0.25; 1 bucket of mango (in season) - $1.25.
“In Ghana, it is customary to keep servants even in poor families. Most often, these are young girls or boys from the village, children of distant relatives, who are ready to do all the housework for the opportunity to live and study in the city.”
“In Ghana, almost all children are bilingual. From birth, they are surrounded by two languages: English and local. So my children are growing up in a bilingual environment: at home we speak English and Russian. They also hear the local language, but they do not speak it at all.”
“What I love about Ghanaian children is their patience and attention to kids. They are always ready to mess around, play with the younger ones, do not complain, do not try to get rid of them. The boys in the neighborhood and even the big guys are always ready to stop the game so Martin can hit the ball. Also, they are not greedy. Most of them live extremely poor by our standards, but even what little they have, they are always ready to share among themselves.
“And the two will become one flesh,” says the Bible, and there are no better words to describe the unity that we can enjoy. And for that I thank God.”
Even more fascinating stories from the life of Ghana can be found on the page of Natalia Sakado on Instagram -@natasakado.
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First, I wanted to go to Africa.
Secondly, I wanted to go to a non-tourist Africa, but that it would be quite safe there and it would be possible to travel on my own.
Thirdly, so that all this can be done for reasonable money.
Fourthly, Ghanaians speak English and they are Christians.
Fifth, in addition to natural beauties, Ghana has a cultural (colonial) heritage - a rarity for African countries.
Sixth. It is in winter that the best season for a trip is there (when we had this month - thanks to the New Year holidays).
And finally, there is where to swim: from the north of the country to the very south, an endless line of golden beaches stretches along the Atlantic Ocean.
In general, everything was confirmed as a result - to a greater or lesser extent.
There are practically no tourists in Ghana: more than 99% of those visitors (for the same 99% - whites) that you will meet are volunteers or those who work here. For example, there is Lukoil here - and, accordingly, there are Russian engineers and their families. But the vast majority are, of course, volunteers. Mainly from USA, Canada, England and Germany. The most curious thing is that, as a rule, they come to volunteer in neighboring Burkina Faso (a much poorer country), and go to Ghana on vacation, to relax.
Ghana is a democratic country and, by African standards, quite developed and wealthy. Well, certainly not a beggar. And they don't starve here. Therefore, they will not rush at you, as if this is the last chance to get money or a piece of bread.
For the same reason, you can safely travel around the country on intercity minibuses (with the funny name “tro-tro”), paying either the same as the locals or a little more (some drivers still can’t come to terms with the fact that you are white , which means, in their opinion, rich).
There are also buses, but we never managed to get on them - tickets are snapped up instantly the day before, and there is almost no information where to get them. There is no other transport.
Some rent a car, but. Whoever does this must be prepared for endless bribes on the road - constantly, constantly (for this, the valiant police even block the highway in some places - to take tribute from those passing by). And to big ones. And this is an additional expense for renting a car, gasoline and so on.
About the cost of the trip. It is probably commensurate with a trip to Latin America. For example, the average price for a room for two is from $20-30. Food is also more expensive than in Asia.
Ghanaians speak English, it's true. But the smaller part. And so they say that sometimes it is almost impossible to understand anything. But it's better than if they also spoke incomprehensibly French (we don't know French).
Christianity in Ghana is very interesting to watch - probably, as in all of Africa. It is cheerful, bright, with joyful songs and dances. Some of the most fun parties take place in churches.
The colonial heritage here, by African standards, is quite large and well preserved. Of the mandatory - these are the former slave ports of Cape Coast and Elmina.
(Cape Coast)
(Cape Coast)
(Elmina)
(Elmina)
Something in Kumasi is still preserved.
There are a lot of natural beauties in Ghana - and different ones. Firstly, it is, of course, a strip of beaches along the ocean: they are different, and some of them are very beautiful. For example, Busua is very beautiful.
And in the village of Butre, neighboring Busua.
The road to the Volta Delta is completely different and also impressive.
(Volta Delta)
(where the Volta flows into the Atlantic Ocean)
Fantastic waterfall Vli (Wli Falls, 70 m high!) - in the very east of the country, on the border with Togo.
Our route:
Accra
Cocrobit (nearest beach resort to Accra)
Busua (the best beach resort in the country, including surfing)
Elmina (slave port, with remaining colonial buildings, and fishing town)
Cape Coast (the main slave port of West Africa, very well preserved: it is the main colonial city in the country)
Kumasi (the second largest city in Ghana, there is still an Ashanti king there, but we didn’t manage to look at him - we were half a day late)
Bosumtwi (crater lake in the mountains near Kumasi, with cocoa plantations along the banks)
Return to Kumasi
Accra (inevitably, passing through)
Vlie waterfall on the border with Togo
Delta of the Volta River
Accra
Africa occupies one fifth of the land area of the globe. Its population is approaching one and a half billion people. On the territory of the Black Continent today there are 57 states, of which three are still not recognized. Scientists consider Africa the ancestral home of mankind, because it was on its land that the oldest remains of probable human ancestors were found. At the same time, it is Africa that is the poorest continent on Earth, where the death rate is not only the highest in the world, but also exceeds all norms available to the human imagination. Africa cannot be judged unambiguously. For some, these are the beautiful resorts of Egypt and the azure beaches of the Red Sea, Arab palaces and the luxury of oil magnates, for others - constant hunger, disease, lack of water and absolute illiteracy. Africa is heterogeneous: on its territory there are also the poorest countries in the world, at the same time there is also the Republic of South Africa, which is among the twenty world leaders in terms of economic development. Therefore, it is worth considering life on the Black Continent, dwelling in more detail on its regions and individual countries.
General overview of life in Africa
In today's globalized world, Africa is developing quite rapidly. But, unfortunately, there are actually no countries on the Black Continent that have any influence on the rest of the world. Most people associate Africa with the poorest countries in the world. And this association is not erroneous, because more than half of the population of the continent lives below the poverty line, spending less than one dollar a day on themselves. For many decades, political instability and constant armed conflicts have been noted in African countries, which greatly complicates the lives of ordinary Africans. In the vast majority of African countries, the foundations of civilization and culture were brought at one time by European colonialists, who at the same time took out millions of the most healthy and efficient representatives of the indigenous population to Europe and America, making them slaves.
Africa occupies one fifth of the world's land area
One of the main troubles of the Black Continent is that Europeans and white people in general have always had a consumerist attitude towards African land, using it as a source of minerals and practically free labor. Conventionally, Africa is divided into several regions that differ in the degree of development. Scholars and economic analysts are accustomed to dividing Africa into five regions.
North Africa
The North African region is the most developed from an economic and cultural point of view. It has been inhabited since ancient times by peoples who came to Africa from Asia and the Middle East. The Arab conquerors, who captured almost all of North Africa, left many states as a legacy to their contemporaries, which stand out very brightly and colorfully from the background of other African countries.
Egypt is considered the oldest of the states In the Northern region, Egypt is considered the most developed state, which ranks second on the continent in terms of economic development. Almost all the states of the Maghreb (the political union of the countries of North Africa, with the exception of Egypt) are Islamic, they draw their main income from their land rich in oil and gas deposits. The "Arab Spring" that swept across the territory of the Maghreb countries and Egypt to a large extent undermined the economic foundations of the North African states. For example, before the war, Libya exported more than $70 billion worth of oil, but now its potential has fallen by almost five times. The inhabitants of North Africa are mostly Arabs, so the black color of the skin for the population of these countries is atypical. The immigration policy of the Maghreb states is aimed at creating an impenetrable wall for their much poorer neighbors on the continent in order to avoid a massive influx of illegal immigrants and their further advancement to prosperous Europe.
West Africa
The Western region includes many relatively small states, most of them adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.
The countries of West Africa are unevenly developed, the economic and political leader in the region is Nigeria, whose population exceeded 187 million people in 2017. West Africa is home to the most populous city on the continent and one of the most populated cities in the world. This is Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. The number of its inhabitants reaches 21 million people, if we take into account the inhabitants of numerous suburbs.
West Africa is made up of many small states West Africa during the colonial period was the main source of black labor. The colonial heritage has left an indelible mark on the mentality of the indigenous people of this region. At the same time, the Western colonialists built many ports on the Atlantic coast, which were created as centers of the slave trade. After gaining independence, African countries began to use the economic potential brought by Europeans and Americans.
West Africa has many minerals, including gold and diamonds, which attracts mining companies from Europe, America, Russia and China to the West African countries. The largest suppliers of gold and diamonds are Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Most West African countries speak English, with the exception of Guinea and Senegal, which were formerly French colonies. The deadly Ebola virus had a very negative impact on the development of the region, which claimed tens of thousands of lives in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in 2014-2015 and stopped the flow of investment in the economies of these small African states. The standard of living of the population of West Africa is disastrously low.
Central Africa
The countries of Central Africa are landlocked, which greatly limits their economic development. The territory of part of the Central African states is occupied by the Sahara desert.
Central Africa is considered the poorest region of the continent Central Africa is the poorest and most undeveloped region of the continent, it is here that the standard of living of the population cannot be compared at all. Today, geological surveys are being carried out in the region, the region is rich in deposits of precious metals, metal ore, uranium and nickel.
The countries of Central Africa are the least controlled by international organizations. The "great silk road" of drug dealers and arms dealers passes through the southern regions of the Sahara. Drugs are grown in West Africa and thus end up in Middle Eastern countries, and weapons are consumed by local gangs and are involved in tribal and interethnic conflicts, in particular in Mali, Chad, South and North Sudan, where the echoes of a long bloody war are still heard. Therefore, in the Central African countries there is practically no state power, it exists only nominally. The real power belongs to arms dealers, drug dealers and local gangs.
East Africa
Tanzania is the undoubted economic and political leader in the East African region. She also owns a kind of world tourist Mecca - the island of Zanzibar. East Africa is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, its development was significantly influenced by immigrants from the Middle East and India, who colonized the East African coast from time immemorial. The standard of living in East Africa is relatively low, the economy is based on maritime trade, as well as the extraction of minerals, including precious metals and stones.
Tourists from all over the world visit Zanzibar South Africa
There is still no consensus on exactly how many countries are included in the South African region. Some experts believe that there are thirteen of them, while the UN micro-zoning limits South Africa to only five countries.
The leader in the South African region of South Africa, which is not only the most developed country on the continent, but also one of the world's economic leaders. The Republic of South Africa is a striking exception to the general African rules. Wages in this country are at the level of European, American and Australian standards, the standard of living of the population is very high. The main role in the political and economic development of the republic was played by the large white population, which only relatively recently transferred political power to representatives of the black race. Today, hundreds of thousands of labor migrants from all over the world are looking for work in the Republic of South Africa, but getting it in this country is quite difficult, because you need to be a very high-class specialist in demand in its economy.
South Africa is one of the world's economic leaders General characteristics of natural conditions and the epidemiological situation
Natural conditions in Africa are extremely different. In the north of the continent is the largest desert of the Sahara, while the main part of the continent is covered by savannahs and humid equatorial forests. The equator cuts the continent almost in half. The main problems of African countries, in addition to catastrophic poverty, are the lack of an adequate level of medical care (often no medical care at all), the difficult epidemiological situation in the vast majority of regions, the lack of fresh water and ongoing armed conflicts. At the same time, Africans fight with extreme cruelty towards their fellow tribesmen who support the other side of the conflict or belong to a different group of tribes. For example, the war between the tribes of both Northern and Southern Sudan claimed more than one and a half million lives in twenty years. A significant part of the Sudanese who became victims died as a result of ethnic cleansing and epidemics. According to some estimates, two million Sudanese died in this civil war, and another four became refugees. The Eleven Years' War in Sierra Leone claimed more than 300,000 lives. Local residents who did not want to go to serve in the armed formations of the United Revolutionary Front (RUF) had their hands or feet cut off so that they could not serve in government forces. And today in this country on the streets you can see many people who have no arms or legs. In addition, the war was marked by a huge number of atrocities against the civilian population.
Africa is a huge fertile field for investment in its development. But this field can also become sand, into which the money invested will go like water. This is due to the economic, political, epidemiological and ethnic instability of African countries, which scares off Western investors. It is believed that investing money in most African countries is a kind of gamble. Lack of investment significantly hinders their economic, political and cultural development.
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The poorest rich African countries
In 2017, according to the UN, the Central African Republic became the poorest country in the world. It leads the world in terms of the number of AIDS patients (as a percentage of the total population), and the size of the per capita GDP is only $540. The United Nations has also identified Somalia, which is even poorer, as a "competitor" to the CAR in terms of poverty. But the ongoing civil war actually does not allow talking about Somalia today as a single state.
In third place in terms of poverty is Chad, which is also part of the Central African region. 85% of the population of Chad lives below the poverty line.
The fourth poorest country in Africa is Liberia, whose economy and infrastructure have been completely destroyed by two civil wars, followed by neighboring Sierra Leone, which is still reeling from a long civil war. The level of GDP per capita in these countries does not exceed $550 per year, while there is a large social stratification of society.
Most people in poor African countries live in slums. The three richest African countries look like this: South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. At the same time, the Republic of South Africa somewhat slowed down the pace of economic growth, which gives Egypt the prospect of taking a leading position on the continent. As for Nigeria, its economic power is based on huge reserves of oil produced both on the continental part of its territory and on the continental shelf. But the huge number of the population does not allow the government of the country to pursue a pragmatic and balanced social policy. Therefore, today Nigeria can in no way be considered a prosperous and developed African country. The armed tribal conflict on its territory, a very high crime rate and a strong social stratification of Nigerian society add to the drama of the situation.
The average life expectancy in African countries is much lower than in the rest of the world. For example, the inhabitants of Morocco live the longest - 76.5 years, almost the same in Algeria and Libya. The average life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 57 years, while in Chad it is only 49 years. These are official UN data, but they do not take into account the fact that in backward African countries, far from all residents have passports, and no one takes into account children who died in infancy, because there are simply no official state institutions nearby. In the tribes, in general, no one keeps records of "personnel", the number of which is not always known even to the leader. Therefore, in fact, the situation with life expectancy can be even more depressing.
Features of the mentality
If you look at the situation as a whole, you can distinguish two types of mentality of the inhabitants of Africa, despite its five official regions. The first type is North African. The inhabitants of the North African states are overwhelmingly orthodox Muslims, they clearly observe the traditions of their faith.
Muslim traditions are strong in North Africa North Africa has a rich and eventful history going back far beyond our era. After all, it is not without reason that Egypt, which is located precisely in North Africa, is considered the most ancient state in the world, and a lot has been written about Carthage by ancient Roman authors. The population of this part of the continent is closer in spirit to the Middle East and Europe than to people from the African jungle. The predominant language is Arabic, but nomadic languages such as Berber are also common. French is recognized as the second official language in Algeria and Morocco. There are many Europeans in North Africa, including immigrants from the CIS countries. There are still a large number of Russians in Libya who came to this country during the regime of Colonel Gaddafi, who was overthrown as a result of the Arab Spring. In Egypt, many Russians and their CIS neighbors are employed in the tourism business, both as employees and as owners and co-owners.
Ghana, compared to its neighbors, is a quite pleasant country, people live there relatively tolerably, and the middle class is even quite decent - people respect education, are not concerned about politics, like to dress beautifully, eat delicious food and chat with friends. The Ghanaians are a wise people, friendly, with a good sense of humor. Remember the cartoon about the spider Anansi, who outwitted the boa constrictor? Here he is, this Anansi - a Ghanaian from the Ashanti tribe. Well, of course, they still have to walk, walk and walk to the level of Europe and America, but they are walking, and at a faster pace than we are.
vlad_n_vanhttps://travel-africa.livejournal.com/
Some Africans are still faithful to tribal traditions The mentality of the inhabitants of other regions of the continent is very different from the North African. Representatives of the black population of Africa are very committed to tribal traditions, they, as a rule, perceive people of the white race in terms of material gain. A significant imprint on the character of Africans living in the west, center, east and south of Africa was left by the colonial yoke, when the indigenous population was massively exported into slavery and the colonizers cruelly imposed their policies and rules of life. In these regions, local African beliefs are widespread, shamans, sorcerers and other representatives of the local cult have a significant role and authority in society.
Most African countries do not have an official religion, except in North Africa. Here you can find Christians, and Catholics, and Protestants, and Sunni or Shiite Muslims. The foundations of Christianity were brought by missionaries who built many churches in almost every African country. Muslims predominate in East Africa, which is determined by the historical trends in the development of this territory by immigrants from the Arab countries.
In most African states, the attitude towards non-Christians is quite tolerant. An exception may be Nigeria, where inter-religious armed conflicts have repeatedly arisen, as a result of which tens of thousands of people have died.
Christianity was brought to Africa by European missionaries. Africa has developed a kind of culture of violence, where for several generations the violent resolution of disputes has been accepted as normal. And a boy of 8-10 years old is already a warrior and a killer here, and there are many countries where this is in the order of things. Rituals of human sacrifice are still practiced here, often children become victims of these rituals. There are tribes that, as a gift to the bride, must present the genitals of their enemy. Until now, there are peoples who have not submitted and will not submit to any of the governments and do not pay taxes.
Sergey Borisovhttps://myslo.ru/club/blog/gulbarij/xHNNc0hmREix1YpD82jHBA
Separately, a few words should be said about the Republic of South Africa. Arriving in South Africa, you might first think that you are somewhere in Southern Europe. Only a large number of indigenous Africans, as well as nature unusual for Europe, catches the eye. Otherwise, this country is very similar to a southern European state or, for example, Australia. More than half of all food consumed on the African continent is produced in South Africa. Also, a significant part of them is exported to other regions of the world. South Africa has developed industry and agriculture. The country has the world's largest reserves of gold and diamonds, the extraction of which plays a significant role in its economy. The abolition of the apartheid regime, which provided for the undivided domination of whites, led to an increase in the number of the black population and its role in the political and economic life of the country. This could not but have a negative impact on the pace of economic development, as well as on the deterioration of the crime situation. For example, in Johannesburg, the largest financial and industrial center of the country, there are separate quarters for blacks and whites. The white population is trying to protect itself from the indigenous people of Africa with high fences and armed guards. But this trend in South Africa is more of an exception than a ubiquitous phenomenon.
Video about Namibia
Myths and misconceptions: what is really
It is possible, having casually visited Africa, to make a not entirely objective impression of life on the Black Continent. For many compatriots, basic knowledge about him is limited to a school geography course and a children's tale about Dr. Aibolit, which is alarming in relation to Africa. Therefore, in the minds of an average Russian or, for example, a Ukrainian, life on this continent is depicted in terrifying black colors, diluted with the dark green of the jungle and the blue of the oceans washing the continent. So, are some of the common assumptions about Africa confirmed, or are they wrong?
Table Mountain in Cape Town is a big deal. But you need to spend not a couple of hours on it (as I did last time), but a day or two. Wander around the very top, “poke your nose” into the farthest places. The views around are stunning. At the same time, you don’t really need to strain yourself - tourists are thrown there by a funicular. They take them off from above. And at the same time, be sure to stop by the Cape of Good Hope, feel the power of the ocean and the expanses of space and ride along a very beautiful path.
Eugene Kasperskyhttps://eugene.kaspersky.ru/2015/07/02/top-100-afrika/
Myth one: for a white man, Africa is a priori dangerous
For a white man, Africa can be dangerous only in two cases: if he first set foot on its land or went unprepared into the desert, jungle or savannah. Africa really resembles a parallel reality, the locals, their dwellings, culture and way of life are so unusual to the European look.
For an amateur, Africa can be dangerous because a person who is used to safely wandering the streets of Paris or London finds himself in a densely populated quarter of an African city and does not understand the difference. Here he is clearly not expected, although they often smile. It is unlikely that someone will cut or strangle him, but you should not vouch for the integrity of the wallet. The Africans themselves call their thieves Ali Baba. No one still knows where this name from an old oriental tale came from. But Africans are quite tolerant of ali-babs, since they steal, as a rule, only from whites. Initially, the threat to the life of a white person only because he has the wrong skin color practically does not exist in Africa. At worst, Africans may only be interested in his purse.
In the African market, a white man immediately becomes a target for local thieves A European should not go alone into the African jungle, savannah or desert. In order to feel relatively safe there, it is advisable to take a local guide with you. In Africa, there are indeed many wild animals that, when meeting a person (regardless of his skin color), can perceive him exclusively as food. In addition, there are a large number of other threats: poisonous snakes, scorpions, tarantulas and other representatives of small but deadly animals. In Africa, you need to be careful even on city streets, because such representatives of the fauna feel calm in megacities.
Sometimes the main criterion for hiring in Africa is the ability of a foreign specialist to live and work on the Black Continent, because survey statistics in Russia show that only a fifth of those with higher education are ready for this.
Myth two: upon arrival, you can “catch” a deadly disease
If the first myth can be called such only relatively, then the risk of a fatal disease is indeed the pure truth. In civilized countries, they have long forgotten what plague, cholera, typhoid are, they rarely remember dysentery. In Africa, all these deadly diseases can be found at every turn. It is especially worthwhile to monitor the cleanliness of hands, cutlery and in no case drink water from local sources. After drinking some water from the well, in a few days you can almost with absolute certainty prepare for a long and painful treatment for dysentery or jaundice.
Malarial mosquitoes are a particular danger. There is no guaranteed vaccination against malaria, since the malarial plasmodium (virus) has more than a dozen varieties and it is almost impossible to guess which of them will be infected by a bitten mosquito. Local residents sometimes suffer several dozen cases of malaria throughout their lives, which for them is akin to the usual domestic flu. To a certain extent, Africans are immune to this disease. But for a white man from Russia, it can be fatal. Not everyone manages to endure the first attack of malaria. Without taking medication, this situation can end in death. Even worse, when a European who has been in Africa, for example, from Ukraine, comes home and a month later falls ill with malaria, and in these latitudes there are practically no cures for it. In this case, too, a fatal outcome is quite likely. It should be said that the incubation period of this insidious disease can last up to two years. Usually, after a bite of a malarial mosquito, a person becomes ill within a week or two.
Deadly epidemics in Africa Those who have traveled across West Africa in the past few years will be familiar with roadblocks on African roads with armed police and military, as well as electronic body temperature checks and the mandatory requirement to wash hands with a special sanitizer. In this African region in 2014, the deadly Ebola virus was discovered, which claimed tens of thousands of lives. Among the dead were European doctors who fought the deadly epidemic as part of international UN humanitarian missions.
An indispensable condition for crossing the border of any African country south of the Sahara is vaccination against yellow fever. This procedure should be completed at home, the vaccination is valid for ten years.
Myth #3: Everything is cheap in Africa
Just the opposite. In Africa, it is customary to bargain, even in stores. For a white foreigner, the price of food, clothing, or services can sometimes be ten times higher than for members of the local population. Therefore, upon arriving in Africa, it is advisable to immediately learn how to communicate with sellers who initially do not take seriously any person who immediately agreed to their price. In general, prices in Africa are very high. This applies to both high-quality food products imported from abroad, as well as clothing, household appliances, and medicines. After all, almost none of this is produced on the Black Continent. Except, of course, South Africa, Morocco or Egypt. Products and clothing produced in these countries are much cheaper than European or American, due to their proximity.
African sellers are happy with a white man: you can charge more from him Actually, yes, talking here, getting to know each other, or just nodding to an unfamiliar African is just in the order of things. Somehow it goes without saying. It’s so easy with us that you don’t wave your hand to the first person you meet, you don’t say hello. Another question is that such immediacy is common in many regions of the world, not only in Africa.
griphonhttps://golos.io/ru—afrika/@griphon/afrikancy-negry-ili-zhiteli-afriki
Myth four: there are few cars in the country and very bad roads
The statement about roads and cars is only partly true. Roads in Africa can be of two types. The first are impenetrable paths in the jungle or savannah. There are practically no roads in the deserts. The second ones are comparable in quality to the German autobahns. Africans attract foreign companies, primarily Chinese and Turkish, for the construction of infrastructure, including highways. Roads are being built for a long time, but on the conscience. In addition, their good quality is due to the absence of large temperature fluctuations, unlike Russia.
New African roads are very high quality There are many cars in Africa, but almost all of them are in a terrible, from the point of view of a European, technical condition. A typical picture for Africa: a representative of a local business/criminal who got rich on the extraction of gold or diamonds paints over a serious scratch on the side of a brand new Ferrari with a brush, another can straighten a dent on an expensive jeep with an ordinary metal hammer.
Traffic on African roads is chaotic, traffic rules practically do not apply. Therefore, it is highly undesirable for an inexperienced European to drive on African highways. Locals, seeing a white man driving, will try to specifically expose their car to a blow in order to “cut down” damage from it.
A few words about corruption
In the situation described above, the police officers who arrived at the scene of a traffic accident will do their best to prove the innocence of their compatriot. If he manages to get damage from a white foreigner, then he will definitely share part of it with his native police. No wonder African countries occupy the top third of the list of countries in the world where corruption flourishes. Almost everything is possible for money in Africa. And all for big money. The countries of the Maghreb and South Africa more or less control the level of corruption. Even in Egypt it is quite high. Any businessman from the CIS who decides to open his own business in an African country will definitely face the need to pay bribes to a large army of officials. If he thought that he was tormented by corruption in his homeland, then he would understand that he had fallen “out of the fire and into the frying pan.”
The level of corruption in most African countries is very high African children
That's who is not sad, simple-hearted and open to communication - African children sometimes surprise with their spontaneity and gullibility. Of course, one cannot speak of the same deplorable situation of children throughout the continent. Children in Egypt, South Africa, Morocco or Tunisia have the opportunity to attend school, for the most part they are well fed, dressed and shod. In other countries, such as Liberia, Zimbabwe or the Central African Republic, the vast majority of children have never attended school.
For the most part, African countries do not control birth rates, so families can have 10-15 children. In disadvantaged states, almost every third child does not live to be three years old. Most of the African continent lacks any medical care for African children, let alone mass vaccinations and periodic medical check-ups. Women give birth, as a rule, at home, and childbirth is carried out by local healers.
Today, doctors are massively leaving for work in Africa as part of UN humanitarian missions, the purpose of which is to prevent and prevent infectious diseases, curb the development of the epidemic and improve the general hygienic and medical culture of the African population. Children most often suffer from infectious diseases: typhus, malaria, hemorrhagic fevers, rickets. The latter ailment develops in them from hunger and a chronic lack of essential vitamins. This situation, as already mentioned, is not observed everywhere. It is worst in West, Central and South Africa (with the exception of South Africa). In the eastern part of the continent, the level of medicine is best in Tanzania, while the rest of the countries in this region are experiencing similar problems.
African children learn early to work on a par with adults According to WHO forecasts, the situation will not change for the better in the near future. Despite the fact that under the auspices of the UN thousands of doctors, teachers, volunteers are sent to Africa, humanitarian aid is regularly sent, all these efforts are not enough to normalize the situation. The majority of African children, as before, continue to experience an acute shortage of the most necessary. In addition to objective reasons (poverty, wars and epidemics), there is another explanation for this. African parents almost always leave the upbringing of their children "to the will of fate", so few people are seriously engaged in the education and upbringing of the younger generation. Such is the nature of Africans, nothing can be done about it ... The degree of care of a Russian mother for her child cannot be compared with the attitude of an African woman towards her child.
The trouble with humanitarian aid is that it undermines the foundations of the agricultural sector in African countries, whose workers, armed with shovels and hoes, are not able to really compete with modern food production technologies. Why work yourself in the sweat of your brow, if good white uncles from across the ocean will bring everything for nothing ...
Video about the terrible life of children on the Black Continent
The life of Russian immigrants
Frankly speaking, the Dark Continent is not a dream for an immigrant. Russian immigrants in Africa can be divided into three categories.
The first category also includes Soviet specialists who came as part of the assistance and exchange of experience with their African colleagues. Among them are many doctors, teachers and engineers. Compared to the Soviet Union, they were paid simply fabulous (for the USSR) money in Africa. Some local governments offered to stay, further increasing their motivation. Having settled in an African country, Soviet specialists moved their families to live with them, and their children have already become second-generation immigrants.
In pharmacies, unlike in Russia, there are all medicines without exception and queues. Prices for good European medicines are cheaper than in Russia. I had malaria several times - I didn’t even notice it and suffered it like a common cold. The doctor is expensive - a call is about 1000 rubles. But if you don’t climb the jungles and national parks, but live by the ocean, then everything is fine.
novikovskihttp://pora-valit.livejournal.com/3060236.html
The second category includes girls and women from the CIS countries who, after the collapse of the USSR, married wealthy Africans and moved in with their husbands. Most of the former compatriots today are in the Republic of South Africa and the Maghreb countries. There are many of them in other states of the Black Continent. Most often, the acquaintance took place at home, when future husbands studied at the universities of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. And there were many of them, because education in higher educational institutions of the CIS is famous in Africa for its quality and low price, while opening up excellent prospects at home. After all, African countries are experiencing a catastrophic shortage of their specialists in almost all sectors. And no one will force you to nostrify a CIS diploma in Africa, especially when it comes to a compatriot.
Starting a family is one of the most common reasons why Russians move to Africa The third category of immigrants consists of those who have moved to Africa to work or do business. Many immigrants from the CIS moved to South Africa back in the 90s, found work and have already managed to become citizens of this country. The rest of the immigrants came to Africa either to work for Western or Russian companies operating there, or to start a business themselves, risking investing in the unpredictable African economy. The largest number of immigrants from the CIS countries today is in the Republic of South Africa, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea.
There are rich areas here - for white people - where renting apartments is more expensive than in Moscow. I live in a simpler area, but this is not a sewer or a slum. It is quite safe here, everything is fenced with barbed wire fences, several guards with machine guns walk around the clock. At the same time, I know where you can run into trouble - it's not so far from my house, only two kilometers. In the slums, it is better for a white man not to appear alone. Pretty much the only transportation option for me is an Uber order. In Nairobi, there are also unofficial taxis whose drivers periodically rob people. Among the locals, matatu are popular - minibuses, where the crowd is crowded.
Mikhail Lyapin, Kenyahttp://www.the-village.ru/village/business/opyt/268316-v-afrike
In the eyes of Russian immigrants, Africa looks like a different planet. After all, the realities of life, doing business, nature and the somewhat hectic African life course are significantly different from what they are used to in their homeland. If you ask a Russian immigrant about what, in his opinion, life in Africa differs from life in Russia, he will say that everyone. On the Black Continent, perhaps South Africa is a bit like Europe. Nothing reminds Russia at all.
Video about life in South Africa
How Russians work in Africa
Working conditions in Africa can be more comfortable than at home. 99% of specialists from Russia and other CIS countries come to Africa to earn money to buy housing, a car, etc. For the most part, these are doctors, civil engineers, hydraulic engineers, and power engineers. In Africa, several large hydroelectric power plants are under construction, for example, in Equatorial Guinea and large reservoirs in the eastern region. In this way, African countries are trying to cover the lack of electricity and water resources, which are vital not only for the development of countries, but sometimes for the survival of their citizens themselves.
Foreign specialists who came to work on the Black Continent earn quite decent money. The average monthly salary of a doctor in Tanzania is in the region of five to six thousand dollars, and a geologist in Sierra Leone receives about seven thousand "evergreens". A hydroengineer or power engineer can earn about five to seven thousand, depending on the construction project. Specialists come for several years under a contract, which allows them to bring home quite a decent amount at the end of the contract.
Relatively tolerably work only those offices that are headed by Europeans or Americans, and the work process goes quickly and also relatively smoothly, only when you complain to the higher authorities - “pale-faced”, and they, in turn, write out a pendel to the Negro performer. The magic pendel, unfortunately, has a short-term temporary effect, and complaining to a pale-faced person, and he has to write out the next pendel regularly. Naturally, if you want to spend a sane amount of time on your question. Unfortunately, so far their bodies are physically in the second decade of the 21st century, but morally and mentally they are at best in the middle of the 20th. Of the pluses - being even in such a cloaca of life circumstances, they are cheerful and for the most part friendly.
Dimetrio http://www.bpclub.ru/topic/38917-%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BD%D1%8C-%D0%B2-%D1%87%D0%B5%D1 %80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9-%D0%B0%D1%84%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1 %80%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D1%8B/
And they have great genetics and natural health!
Most often, Russians find themselves at work in Africa as temporary invited specialists. The advantage of working in Africa for specialists will be the absence (in most cases) of the need for nostrification of documents on higher education and high wages. At the same time, you can earn much more in Africa than in Europe, and it is very difficult for a specialist with an unconfirmed CIS diploma to find a job in the EU. Well, the potential threats described above will become significant disadvantages of employment in Africa: wars, epidemics, crime. But the economic crisis, which continues in the CIS, makes more and more people think about working in Africa every year.
How are whites treated in Africa?
In addition to the points already described above, the black population treats whites in a consumer way, perceiving them as a big wallet that is periodically opened. But the attitude is more servile than respectful. A white man feels like a white crow in black Africa, to which everyone pays attention. But at the same time, if he has money, everything is available. And no one will ask unnecessary questions. It practically does not matter in which country this happens, unless in the states of the Maghreb, Egypt or South Africa.
White people bring many benefits of civilization to Africa Flying up at the airport of Dakar (the capital of Senegal), in the coastal zone of the Atlantic, from a height of half a kilometer, white “lambs” of waves are visible. There are very, very many of them, it seems that it is storming below. But now the liner is descending, and inexperienced passengers sitting near the windows realize with horror that these are not wave crests, but myriads of plastic bags and other debris, a wide strip of which stretches for several kilometers towards the ocean.
Where to invest in Africa
Slowly, businessmen from the post-Soviet countries also reached out to the African continent. The most promising, from their point of view, areas of investment on the Black Continent are:
In addition, Africa provides excellent opportunities for importing tropical fruits, coffee, cocoa and transporting them to European countries and the CIS. Africa itself is the largest (after Southeast Asia) consumer of rice. But on her land, it grows in few places, so rice is brought from other regions of the world.
Gemstone mining is a good investment opportunity The biggest profit is not for those who extract raw materials, but for those who have a manufacturing industry and produce a finished product from it. Diamonds from Sierra Leone are already being cut outside the country. For example, in Israel, where diamond processing is one of the leading articles of the economy, despite the fact that Israel does not have its own reserves at all. Or in Belgium, which is one of the world centers of the jewelry industry (jewelry production there is 12% of GDP). Africans have practically no own jewelry industry.
Denis Kazanskyhttp://deniskazansky.com.ua/ukraina_vs_africa/
Africa is a continent of contrasts, where luxury and terrible poverty, modern skyscrapers and huts of tribes forgotten by civilization coexist. A working trip to the Black Continent or moving for other reasons will require a very balanced and thoughtful decision. To accept it, you should first study all the information about Africa, its regions and directly about the country to which you plan to move. This will greatly help to protect yourself from possible risks and errors.
