Gloomy Happiness

Reporters in Isolation 2020

By Anne-Marie Barnes (Ghana)

Cars honking, goats running here and there in a chase, birds chipping, people bargaining with the butcher to reduce the price of the cow meat, increased prices of foodstuffs, people sitting by the beach, intense music echoing from sound systems, citizens glued to their televisions for an update on Covid-19. These were some of the activities that went on before the lockdown in my country.

Before the pandemic hit rock bottom, people were scared and companies were considering laying-off some of their staff. Schools were closing down, and I must say that this didn’t favor the poor as they couldn’t partake in the ‘famous’ virtual classes these prestigious schools were planning on. However, it is important to note that the president of the country, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, made some arrangements for students to have free distance learning across the country on and assigned a television station which is highly commendable.

Moreover, it is interesting to know that as the cases rise, people are less worried and do not see the need to put on their face masks. My dad tells my siblings and I every day, “Covid-19 is there oooooo” (the “oooooo” is a typical African parent speech add up to let one know how important his/her point is). However, in Ghana, we have over ten-thousand cases now and to buttress my point in the former, the President in his speech yesterday, 14th June 2020, said the wearing of face masks is now mandatory.

Talking of face masks, it is interesting to note that you can get them for as low as GH¢5 as hawkers sell lots of masks on the street and in traffic. They are nicely wrapped, but to be safer I washed mine and dipped it in Dettol. Oh, and I just heard my dad tell my sister, “Coronaaaa”. Well, we all know the end of that right?

Furthermore, most of our face masks are made of African Cloth also known as ‘ankara’. It’s so beautiful going out and seeing people with beautiful colorful face masks. People even go the extra of matching their face masks with their clothes and, yes!! Some face masks have beads beaded on the cloth and those are costly.

All in all, cases are rising, churches have opened with a minimum of 25 people with strict protocols and social distancing, restaurants have taken to delivery services, students are writing exams online, the price of foodstuffs have gone normal, children miss partying with their friends, ladies can have their hair done and gentlemen can have their hair trimmed now, gyms are still closed, and people are now happy as they can freely go about, but with a face mask on!

These are little stories from my country Ghana on the pandemic and I would be happy to read yours.