Four months have passed since I arrived in Ghana, I have to tell you how my work and my stay have evolved, but above all how the landscape has changed.
One of the most fascinating aspects of living here has been seeing how the natural environment changes between the dry season and the rainy season. During the dry season, the landscapes are tinted a golden and ochre hue, with a stark beauty that highlights the resilience of the local flora and fauna. However, with the arrival of the rains, everything is transformed: the landscape becomes green and lush, the rivers come alive, and the air feels fresher and more revitalising. This contrast is truly something that must be experienced to be fully understood.
This change has also marked the start of the harvest, where people of all ages can be seen, hoe in hand, firm legs and bent backs, tilling the land to sow everything from millet to rice.
While the landscapes change with the seasons, gold mining in Ghana is an activity that continues throughout the year. One of the most exciting experiences was our visit to the gold mines. I had the chance to go inside and experience first-hand the hard work that goes into mining in Ghana. It is not until you are inside that you understand the challenges and risks that miners face every day. The scariest thing was finding myself in a claustrophobic hole, with no beams or safety pillars to hold all the earth above. Hitting the rock wall with chisel in hand feels like a countdown before everything collapses.
To give you an idea, each underground tunnel has an owner, and ordinary people ask the owners for permission to enter and try their luck, giving the owners a percentage of what they find. This means that you can find people who really take it as their full-time job, and even young people who skip classes or drop out of school to help their families financially. All of them risking their lives in exchange for a small hope.
In addition to exploring the landscapes and mines, I have had the privilege of starting a project that consists of teaching locals how to make espadrilles using high-quality local materials. Starting with jute, which farmers have been growing for years, as well as local cotton fabrics that seamstresses make every day with colorful and vibrant designs. This initiative not only promotes the use of sustainable resources, but also, if sustained over time, could provide an additional source of income for families.
At the same time, I have continued with computer classes, now not only at the Kongo Technology Centre, but also at the Kongo Senior High School. Education is a powerful tool for change, and teaching students how to use computers (especially tools like Excel) provides them with valuable skills that they can apply in their studies and future careers. Seeing their progress and enthusiasm for learning has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my time here.
