You are Welcome

I had heard good things about Ghanaian hospitality, but didn’t know the full extent of it until I actually arrived. Whenever I go somewhere new and meet new people, before even asking for my name they greet me with a warm smile and a kind "You are welcome".


I can tell by their facial expressions and their subsequent actions that their words are genuine and my presence is truly welcome with them. It’s a comforting feeling, especially on those days when the difficulties of life here seem to be overwhelming and my own family is thousands of miles away. Hearing those words at home after each work day is like being wrapped in a warm blanket and told there’s no need to worry.


Greetings are another big part of Ghanaian culture. Every morning, I say more "Good Mornings" than I can count. It’s rude to pass without greeting, and if you know someone then it’s necessary to stop and chat.


During a recent dinner with one of the local chiefs (he’s a chief of a nearby village, but not of the large town where I stay) we were discussing the concept of "Africa Time". He said that one of the reasons he ends up being late often, is because any time he travels anywhere, he needs to stop by everyone on the way to greet them. These greetings can add an hour to a 10 minute trip. He said that if he is staying in the same town as his mother, every morning before he does anything else, he must go to her house and greet her. I told him that I live in the same city as my mother and can sometimes go for a week without talking to her because we are both busy. He told me "In Africa, we don’t value time". I said "Maybe not. But you value people".


Ghanaians have really taught me something about how to properly host a guest, and it makes me want to bring the spirit of Ghanaian hospitality home with me.