It is possible to descend from grace to grass

We are all witness-bearers of decrepit poverty and deprivation in Ghana. It is everywhere. It is visible on urban streets, towns, villages, hamlets, kiosks and neighbourhoods. For the privileged who cannot easily see visible poverty, they need to do more “eye-shining.” 

Often, when I see street hawkers and beggars, I almost pinch myself because I can never forget my origins. I did not come from much; fortunately not from dirt-poor origins but then, I saw no rose petals! There were many patchy and dry spots. It is grace and the privilege of good education that have brought me this far. Many of my contemporaries and even younger ones who are successful have similar origins. Forgetfulness can birth indifference!

NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT

Periodically, I go through panic moments laced with unexpressed fears, cushioned with prayers and hope that my descendants will never descend to my childhood family conditions. Those of us who have seen some success should never take our success for granted. No condition is permanent. Success can be fleeting. Success does not automatically become inter-generational.

There is no guarantee that what parents work so hard to accumulate will be protected by their descendants and that they will not retrace their steps back into the bosom of poverty. Some people never really enjoy whatever wealth they acquire because they are so focused on leaving it for their children and grandchildren. It is good to focus on the future but it is equally important to enjoy today. 

Probably the children and grandchildren of the movers and shakers of our society (the first-level privileged citizens) will never end up as hawkers, spending their youthfulness chasing after moving vehicles in a maddening manner. Probably, the presidents’ grandchildren are very far removed from the coarse reality of street hawkers and those down on their luck who live rough on the streets and in kiosks. Oher high-level privileged folks of our society may not imagine their descendants in the hawkers’ predicament. 

Chances are that their offspring may be sent abroad to be educated at prestigious institutions to be prepared to become the rulers of tomorrow on their return to Ghana with their language laced with foreign accents.

I make it a point to regularly tell my grandchildren that they are not better than pure-water sellers or any of the children and youth hawkers they see by the roadside. That they are only in the category of second-level privileged Ghanaians with a weak backbone. And that they are only lucky because I was lucky. But that if something goes really wrong at any point, they and their offspring could also end up on the streets. That is a reality check!

WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

A lot of things could go wrong. Chaos in Ghana like had been experienced in other African countries, which led to dislocations and the rapid changes in people’s fortunes. Even in peace time, inheritances could be mismanaged and squandered. These are possibilities; not far-fetched! I have heard and seen enough extraordinary incidents of what had happened to the descendants of people who attained success in their lifetime. 

Let’s take the story of Mr Bampoe (not his real name of course!). Just five years after Mr Bampoe’s death, his children quickly began the descent to ground zero. As soon as he died, his two children (sons) began to fight over the properties. The three cars were the first to be sold since they could not decide on who should take which one. They sold them all and split the loot. 

Mr Bampoe owned a plush house at the Airport Residential Area. It was worth some millions of Ghana cedis. His children were unable to unite and figure out how to maintain the property. In no time, the house exhibited the “my owner is dead” look. It got run down and looked very dilapidated. Things broke down and were not fixed. Electricity bills were not paid so light was perpetually off. It was crying for paint.

So after five years of wrangling, Mr Bampoe’s sons decided to sell the plush house and split the proceeds. Each person took off to do whatever he wanted with his vast loot. Recklessness is reigning supreme! They have forgotten that the hen that laid the golden eggs had died and the proceeds from the sale of the mansion represented the last golden egg. 

But long before the death of Mr Bampoe, the spoilt sons exhibited the signs that they were not up to any good. After all, their reference point was their father so without him, they were really nothing. They were sent to the best schools but did not do well academically. The sons probably had no purpose for their existence, and to achieve anything on their own.Their chief focus in life was to squander what the benevolent father had bequeathed to them.

The truth is that their dad came from nothing, from a god-forsaken village in a far-to-reach armpit of Ghana. The poverty origins of Mr Bampoe was the sole driver for his success. He put in everything; he studied hard in school with a steel determination to bring an end to his battered existence. As a kid, he wore no shoes to school. He had one fairly decent shirt and shorts, purchased from a second-hand seller who used to hawk clothes in their village neighbourhood. 

Currently, the way things are going with his sons, there is no doubt that Mr Bampoe’s grandchildren will actually be on ground zero as third class citizens, and possibly as hawkers. The grandchildren’s fees are not being paid; there is no investment into their future. The wealth foundation was not solid so it has crumbled.

THE GRASS IS REAL AND WAITING

The possibility is so real that the descendants of some of the successful parents of today, who have acquired the status of grace, will someday crush into the grass. Some of the descendants may even descend into the roots of the grass after the original success had been dissipated. Yes, it is very easy to squander success.

There is therefore no guarantee that what parents work so hard to accumulate will be protected by their descendants. With some wrong turns, they will retrace their steps back into the bosom of decaying want. It should be enough to educate your children to the point that they will become responsible citizens. The measure of a person’s life should not be wealth because it can be short-sighted and fleeting. Values win any day. 

dorisdartey@gmail.com