Time has just been flying and I can’t believe that I’m actually going back to Sweden in a few weeks. Even though I really miss my loved ones back home in Sweden I looove Ghana I don’t really feel ready to go back just yet. I’ve got used to heat, happy people and everything that comes with Ghana.
The thesis is going great. Iv’e changed structure a bit to put more focus on International Organizations and democracy promotion. I’ve been struggling to get the key persons from both international organizations and domestic organizations that work with democratic governance and all those issues. At first things were moving sloooow, however around the end of April things were moving in the right direction. Also I finally met my supervisor Dr. Aidoo. (Standing ovations!)
The interviewees I’ve met with so far, except the people of Ghana, are the UNDP’s government analyst, CDD staff, Head of research at Danquah Institute, Ben Ephson, ex correspondent of BBC Ghana and now managing editor of the Daily Dispatch Ghana (practically a hero in Ghana’s democratic development) and I’ve scheduled meetings with IDEG and the World Bank. So finally I’ve got people from every group that I planned on.
One funny thing is that last week, I had scheduled a meeting with the Danquah institute. I had contact with a man named Nana Akufo-Addo from the Institute. Before we decided exact time for the interview he said that he would get back to me to confirm. He didn’t get back to me. No mail, no call, no nothing. I have to be honest I was really dissappointed. Anyway 2 days later I got a call from the head of research, Nana Attobrah who scheduled the meeting with me. I was a bit surprised thinking “but wait I was supposed to meet the other guy??”. But I was happy to get contact with him since he to was a key person. So when I finally got to the Institute, I conducted the interview, Mr. Attobrah was in time and everything. It went just like I had planned. So I decided to ask what had happened to the original interviewee. He was like “ohh he’s in court”, I looked at him wondering, and he was like “the presidential court case you know”. In Ghana, right now there is a huge presidential court case being broadcasted on national TV it’s the NPP vs. NDC presidential court case. Then NPP claims that there was some fraud going on with the voting in the December 2012 elections. So the Nana Akufo-Addo I was supposed to interview was actually THEE presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. I was a bit star struck I have to tell you and I was definitely not dissappointed anymore. It was a very good reason for him not to get back to me, cause he was in court. 🙂
And oohh a funny comment from an interviewee during a discussion about promises made from politicians that I have to share. “You know it’s like a man dating a woman. They make all the promises, once they get in good, all will not be fulfilled.” I couldn’t stop laughing!
Today I’ll just work on transcribing interviews. I’m transcribing like a crazy lunatic!
Me and Ben Ephson at his office.
Here at the beach in lovely Tema.