By Martha Unity Flynn, University of Leeds graduate in Politics and International Studies July 4th of this year marked the twentieth anniversary of the end of one hundred days of systematic and state-endorsed massacres that we know today as the Rwandan genocide. Twenty years on, this date not only commemorates the Rwandan Patriotic Forces’ (RPF) … Continue reading
Two and four year olds play games amongst themselves called, “lights off-lights on.” “Lights off-lights on” is a local term used to describe the situation when the electrical power goes off and on. Accordingly, while the children play a game that requires electricity, one will suddenly shout, “lights off!” Immediately, all of them will simultaneously shout, “Mahama-oo!” After a few minutes of inactivity, obviously due to the lack of power, another shouts, “lights on,” and they all begin to laugh and continue where they left. Even when individuals cannot sleep well at night, they exclaim, “Mahama-oo!” Continue reading
When the Akosombo dam was built to generate electricity for Ghana, the Ghanaian population at that time was under ten million, and some of the electricity was even sold to Burkina Faso for a profit. Now, approximately fifty years later, the Ghanaian population has almost tripled and the Ghanaian government is now purchasing gas from outside the nation’s borders. The Ghanaian government went to great lengths to provide electrical power to the entire nation for Ghana’s first 2014 FIFA World Cup match against the United States. Electricity in Ghana was rationed prior to the game, causing power shortages throughout the nation. This post examines the ways in which Ghana can overcome its energy problems with the resources it has. Continue reading
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