When people ask me why I wanted to move to Ghana, I usually say that I was going there to rest (in spite of the weighty to do list and the stack of books that I've brought along with me!). I would say I was going there to feel the same lightness and serenity that I'd felt on past trips here to visit my friend, walking along the beach, looking out at the ocean. I was going to be transformed through time away.
In other words, I was thinking of this time as a kind of sabbatical. Looking back, I came here with a desire to retreat into my own little bubble here by the ocean for a while.
But my experiences during a recent whirlwind tour of a slice of Ghana (and Togo:)) reminded I’m not in a bubble; I'm in a place where many people are struggling and hustling to survive.
Poverty, injustice, and inequality are real everywhere in the world, and yet, they seem especially visible and visceral here.
Thankfully, as I started to spin out on frustration, despair, and privilege-shame in the face of all that I saw that seemed broken and unjust at an overwhelming scale, an incident happened that reminded me that the actions of a single person can lead to injustice being challenged.
And, as a friend reminded me recently, it’s possible to see people’s resilience not just their struggle in their hustling and striving to put food on the table.
This is not a place where I see people sitting around wringing their hands in despair, and I don’t want to be one of them!
I'm still trying to find my place in this new place. And as I do so, I'll keep asking myself questions that move me towards understanding, compassion, hope, empowerment, and action. I invite you to reflect alongside me:
Have you ever experienced "privilege shame"? If so, why and how did you engage with the shame?
What’s one action, however small or large, that you can take today to address an injustice or issue that you’ve been feeling a sense of resignation or despair around?
As always, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to drop me a line on IG @missjanaiashley or via email at janai@gilmorefacilitationllc.com.
