I Went to Ghana and Didn’t Make Any Content When I Was There – Here’s Why.

For those who knew that I was in Ghana, I’m sure you were expecting some content from my trip, some fascinating videos featuring the people I met on my journey, or some sort of emotive messaging about coming back home from the diaspora.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. But it was not for lack of trying. Prior to my trip, I made sure I came with my recording equipment, and I made appointments with interesting and prominent people in Ghana. I had planned to interview many different people from different walks of life, asking about their experiences in Ghana and where they thought the country was going. Unfortunately, my plans fell through for various reasons, and after a few days, it became apparent that I wasn’t going to be able to make the content that I desired to make.

So, what was my response? Panic? Disappointment? Frustration? Some mixture of the 3?

Not quite.

The central message we keep trying to deliver with The Diaspora Project is to take the ideas being discussed here and take them to your local community, to your family, for deeper discussion. “What do these ideas mean for me? For my family? My people?”

So, on this trip, with my plans in pieces, I took my own advice. I stopped thinking about making content and started thinking about my own learning and development. I talked at length with my family members about the things that were important to us. I learned more about my family history, and the great people that had come before me. I met new relatives and made new connections with people that I will cherish forever. I did ask people about their experiences in Ghana, not for the camera, but to feed my own curiosity, and for my own understanding.

So, if you were disappointed that you didn’t see any of the content you expected to see, I’m sorry. But I am also not sorry - some experiences are best had off camera.