My Modern Home

Ghana is a country that used to be known as Gold Coast in West Africa. The land was full of rich minerals and resources. Colonization is when a country or a power takes full control over another country. The British colonizers came to Ghana in 1844 to colonize and gradually take the minerals and resources of Ghana. The colonization of Ghana had so many effects on Ghana. After Ghana's independence from the British colony in 1957, The political and economic system changed for the better. Colonization helped in building our modern Ghana. As a result, colonization affected and impacted my family in many ways.

One of the effects colonization had on my family was the introduction of formal education. The Colonizers established schools for the generation of my great-grandparents to have formal education and skills. After the establishment, our forefathers decided to follow the path the colonizers created, and to set a goal for the following generations to follow. However, learning used to be through storytelling and missionary schools to gain religious knowledge before the establishment of formal schools. My father had the opportunity to be in school and made sure all his children were educated. Because of that, my siblings and I grew up maturely and intelligently. Formal education played important part in my family, since my elder brother got a job upon acquiring a degree in a college.

Moreover, another effect of colonization was the invention of modern technology and equipment. Every household in Ghana is now more into technology than before, so is my family. There are so many technologies now in my home that did not exist before the arrival of the colonizers. For instance, there were no access to the internet, electricity or modern communication channels. Just imagine a household without a technology set up. My parents now can reach out to me at anytime and anywhere with a mobile phone. With the help of technologies like planes, cars and others, my family can travel outside the country at ease. In addition, house chores at my house have been easier and faster with the use of technologies such as washers and dryers. furthermore, my cousin was saved from a terrible situation with new machines at the hospitals. She was pregnant and had to deliver prematurely, so the baby and her were both at risk. Thank goodness they are safe due to the availability of machines and equipment present at the hospital. Technology has made a house a home now, and I am glad it has come to stay.

However, the major effect colonization had on my family was adopting foreign cultures and ways of living. My whole family, including myself, adopted the British way of living. My family and I lived daily following their cultures, including their way of eating, dressing, music and dance, movies and many other instead of our own traditional cultures and beliefs. I grew up not liking Ghanaian movies because I thought they were boring. In fact, my parents would tell me to watch more western movies to be more fluent in English. I had classmate who would not eat some kinds of Ghanaian food, not because she has an allergy but because she does not like local foods. Ghanaian homes used to have myths and taboos that were used to guide and protect the family and its members from some certain situations. For instance, my elder brother and I were told not to speak or sing while you are in the shower because our mom could die. We later found out when we grew up, that it was to prevent soap chemicals from entering our mouths. Trust me, no one believes that anymore because of the adoption of foreign culture. The British culture is part of my family now due to colonization.

To sum up, colonization had both negative and positive impacts on my family, but it helped shaped my family for the better. On the other hand, it also caused the loss of some traditional culture, norms and beliefs. Therefore, I think technology and education really had a good impact on my family and myself, and I am very proud of how my family has advanced in modern technology and education. Some outmoded cultures are not followed in my home currently, which shows how much my family has progressed because of colonization.