ON A MOTOR ON THE MOTORWAY,

There I was at the Tetteh-Quarshie end of the motorway

Two weeks ago, I dangerously rode behind a MOTOR BIKE (Okada) on the MOTOR WAY, risking my life – but pursuing my passion- in order to positively IMPACT the lives of the less fortunate.

I was to attend the orientation course for the Vodafone World of Difference CSR programme which I volunteered to undertake to help arrest the emerging trend of child labour on the Agormanya Market.

Coming from an interior part of Tema, through the noisy, dusty and near lawless town of Ashiaman to the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra where the event was being held, I had to pick taxi 3 times because there was no DIRECT FLIGHT from my end that day to Ashiaman, neither were the taxi drivers willing to join the snail-paced traffic from my place to Ash Town.

When finally I got to Ashiaman after soiling my otherwise neatly ironed white shirt and pink stripped tie, worn over an oversized blue-black trouser, the queues by the Accra-bound troskies were like the queues that characterized late Prez Mills’ funeral while he was staging his last public appearance in the Banquet Hall, Accra.

The only way out was to pick dropping which I did without hesitation because I didn’t want to miss this BIG opportunity and guess what, it took the taxi 35 minutes to emerge from inside the Ahiaman station onto the main road because in Ashiaman drivers choose to park anywhere including the entrance to the station, go and chop, have siesta and come back.

When at long last we emerged on the road, this 1844 type of rickety taxi (the only one willing to convey me to Accra), would not move again, the engine went off and would not respond to stimuli (mu si pai -push).

It was already 10:30am and the program was to start at 9:00am at the Golden Tulip Hotel (at 37). There were only two options 1. I either return and miss the opportunity to implement my Warm Embrace project meant to help those children off the market (child labourers) or 2. Risk my life riding behind this okada guy (whose expertise in motor riding I didn’t even know) on the blood-thirsty monster called the MOTOR WAY.

Cars sped pass us on the motor bike like airplane; the only thing I could tell God was “I commit my poor soul into your hands” because I didn’t know I was going to survive the dangers on that monstrous motor way.

I didn’t wait to fully get off the bike at the Tetteh-Quashie interchange to “CUT” a cross on my chest and forehead (like a typical Catholic) for the miracle of surviving the ordeal on the motorway.

I rolled up my, now, dirty white long sleeved shirt, charted another taxi and landed at the hotel late into the programe but thank God I didn’t miss the opportunity.

Some of the children on the market who have known no smile, will soon start smiling as I kick start my community service project under the name “THE WARM EMBRACE”, to as the name suggests give a warm embrace to those children who seemed to have been left to their fate.

Published on my facebook wall on October 30, 2012

At the orientation at the Golden Tulip Hotel

Time to take some shots for official use

Group picture of the participants selected from across the country