{"id":2476,"date":"2023-05-15T10:27:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T09:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/?p=2476"},"modified":"2024-09-03T12:07:25","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T11:07:25","slug":"how-six-people-in-accra-earn-their-cedis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/how-six-people-in-accra-earn-their-cedis\/","title":{"rendered":"How six people in Accra earn their cedis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<header class=\"entry-header bg-adp-tan block--article-header alignfull block--article-header\" >\n\n  \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full entry--image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/istockphoto-1272072590-1024x1024-2-1600x1200.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group entry--title-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"entry--social-share\">\n  <ul>\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/how-six-people-in-accra-earn-their-cedis\/&#038;t=How six people in Accra earn their cedis\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/facebook.svg\" alt=\"Facebook logo - click to share this article on Facebook\"><\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=How six people in Accra earn their cedis&#038;url=https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/how-six-people-in-accra-earn-their-cedis\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/twitter.svg\" alt=\"Twitter logo - click to share this article on Twitter\"><\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frethinkq.adp.com%2Fhow-six-people-in-accra-earn-their-cedis%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/linkedin.svg\" alt=\"LinkedIn logo - click to share this article on Facebook\"><\/a><\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n          <span class=\"entry--tag tag-style\">Real People Talk Pay<\/span>\n    \n  <h1 class=\"entry-title\">How six people in Accra earn their cedis<\/h1>\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-summary-style\">From slums overlooked by high-rises to tourism campaigns amid an economic crisis, Accra is a place of opportunity and struggle.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  <div class=\"entry--meta content-width\">\n           <p class=\"authors\">By\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/delali-adogla-bessa\/\">Delali Adogla-Bessa<\/a>\n\n             \n         \n     <\/p>\n    \n  \n  <p>15 May 2023  <span class=\"desktop-only\">\u2014<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/issue-8-risk\/\">Issue 8: Risk<\/a> \n  <\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\n<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\t<div class=\"entry-content content-width\">\n\n\n\n<p>Accra, Ghana\u2019s capital and largest city, lies on the Atlantic coast in the Gulf of Guinea. Having come to prominence as a trading post in the 1600s, today Accra is Ghana\u2019s economic and political hub, as well as its most ethnically diverse city. Its currency, the cedi, is named after the <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/artifact-cowries-west-africa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cowrie shells<\/a> that powered the West African economy for centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one of the first countries to gain independence from colonial rule in Africa \u2014 from the United Kingdom in 1957 \u2014 Ghana inspired and spearheaded anti-colonial movements across the continent. The country\u2019s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, a devoted Pan-Africanist, hosted the first All-African Peoples&#8217; Conference in Accra in 1958. Because of this history, Ghana has been called the Gateway to Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--sidebar bg-adp-purple\"><div class=\"block--sidebar__inner\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Accra, Ghana<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>100 Ghanaian cedis (GHS) = $7.80<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Population of Accra: 5.5 million in the metro area<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Population of Ghana: 32.8 million<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Official language: English, with many local languages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>National minimum daily wage: GHS 14.88 per day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Median annual earnings in Accra: GHS 23,532<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/country\/ghana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Bank<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gna.org.gh\/2022\/11\/national-daily-minimum-wage-for-2023-increased-by-10-per-cent-now-gh%C2%A214-88\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ghana News Agency<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Embracing this nickname, Ghana\u2019s government has positioned itself as a global hub for the Black diaspora. Ghana\u2019s 2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yearofreturn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Year of Return<\/a> initiative \u2014 which sought to establish the country as a key travel destination for Black Americans 400 years after the first enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia \u2014 drove an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-51191409\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimated $1.9 billion<\/a> in travel revenue. A continuing initiative, <a href=\"https:\/\/beyondthereturngh.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Beyond the Return<\/a>, continues to draw investment and tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s not tourism that drives Accra\u2019s economy. Instead, it\u2019s heavily weighted towards manufacturing and service industry jobs. Among workers, 83% are employed in Accra\u2019s informal economy, with the figure rising to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wiego.org\/sites\/default\/files\/publications\/file\/WIEGO_Statistical_Brief_N21_0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">87% for women<\/a>. The city has a high cost of living: Average annual household earnings are about 63,027 cedis (GHS, about $5,000), nearly double the national average of GHS 33,937.&nbsp;Amid concerns about inequality and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imf.org\/en\/News\/Articles\/2022\/07\/13\/pr22256-imf-staff-concludes-visit-to-ghana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inflation<\/a>, people in Accra work to keep their beloved city running. We spoke to six of them about their experiences living and working in Ghana\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Innocent-Tsey-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Innocent Tsey, 37<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Carpenter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I have made a living from wood for the past 13 years. Life as a carpenter made me feel independent for the first time in my life. My first job in carpentry, which I did for a year and a half, paid me 45 cedis a month. It was the first time I had made any form of money. Before that job, I was being supported by my family, but earning that money, however little, brought me real joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s still been a hard life for me. Having lived with my wife and kids in decent quarters in a high-end part of Accra, I had to move out after the property was sold to an international investor. I really couldn\u2019t afford the high rent in Accra for regular accommodation and thought I would be better off temporarily in a shanty town. It\u2019s not safe or comfortable, and I am not happy raising my children here, but it is cheaper and helps me save.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Work for me is sometimes seasonal, and when I do get drafted into some work for a year or so, the pay isn\u2019t much. When working as an artisan for a company, I make a little over 1,000 cedis a month. If I\u2019m lucky, this salary increases a little because of overtime work on Saturdays. What gave me hope in my trade was a side job as a subcontractor for a project that earned me 15,855 cedis. I was able to buy a plot of land and hope to start a building project. I\u2019ve already started molding the blocks I will need for the construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That subcontractor job gave me a renewed focus. I learned maybe I could make a lot more money as a carpenter. Since then, I have been trying to save up to get certification as a subcontractor, so I can do more work on my own terms and hopefully make more money. This year, I also hope to reserve enough of my income to start building the home I want my children to grow up in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Comfort-Owusu-5-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comfort Owusu, 27<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cleaner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It took me a long while to get my first formal job. I had basically been unemployed until 2022, when I was 25. I engaged in some trade here and there with my sister in some of Accra\u2019s markets, but nothing steady. Before my first job, the most I made was selling tomatoes at the market. I could make 80 cedis a day sometimes. Maybe that\u2019s why my first job disappointed me: I was a shopkeeper in a clothes shop, and I was making 500 cedis a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I was initially okay with this salary, but as the years went on and the economic crisis worsened, things got harder. I couldn\u2019t save, and I was living hand to mouth. Heading into 2023, I knew I had to make a change. I managed to get a new job as a cleaner at a company that posted me to a hospital not too far from where I live, so I spend less on transportation. But the money has only improved slightly \u2014 not in any meaningful way.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I now earn 600 cedis monthly, which is worth much less than the 500 cedis I started 2022 with. I will admit I am a little more content now than last year. I am now used to the economic crisis. This cleaning job is also the only work I could find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is still hard to save. I hope I find a better job soon. The little money I can save, I want to use to try and learn a trade. I want to learn how to sew and make clothes. I will have to pay to take up an apprenticeship. I hope I can one day become a seamstress and maybe a designer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Clarice-Taylor-1-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clarice Taylor, 36<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Teacher<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I love my job as a teacher. I\u2019ve been in this profession since 2010. I can\u2019t say I always wanted to be a teacher, but once I started this profession, I came to love it. I guess the writing was on the wall in this regard, given teaching runs fairly strong in my family. My mother was a teacher, as well as both my grandparents. Once the opportunity to teach came, the love that was hidden in me came out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first teaching job was in a private school in my home city of Takoradi, in southwestern Ghana. I was making 500 cedis a month. It wasn&#8217;t much money, but it was fairly good compared to other places. Marriage brought me to Accra in 2012, where I continued as a teacher, also in a private school. I started out as an English teacher, but I\u2019ve transitioned into teaching French in a new school that has provided me with opportunities for professional growth with better networking opportunities and better pedagogy technology. It has made me feel like the full package as a teacher now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m at a point where my job as a teacher really isn\u2019t about the money. While I am happy with what I make now, about 3,000 cedis, I am driven by passion and my ability to impact kids. The children that pass through my class, what will they take away from me? That is what concerns me. Overseeing kids in Accra is also quite the experience, and underrated in how marked a departure it is from teaching in Takoradi. The kids in Accra are more cosmopolitan, more expressive and more assertive. That has also helped me grow as a teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though I don\u2019t like to obsess over money, I do worry about the value placed on teachers in Ghana. Our value doesn\u2019t match our importance to society. The average teacher in Ghana isn\u2019t well paid or given the best possible tools to succeed. Sometimes I feel like parents expect us to act like nannies taking care of their kids during working hours instead of being educators imparting knowledge. That said, when it comes down to it, I really don\u2019t care how we are perceived, because I love the children I teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Aaron-Abuosi-2-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aaron Abuosi, 59<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lecturer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I have spent the final leg of my working life in Accra, having grown up and started work in the northeastern part of Ghana. I didn\u2019t see the inside of a classroom until I was a teenager, and my first job was as a nurse in a government hospital. I don\u2019t remember what I used to make in 1992. But it was enough to take care of me and start a family. The cost of living in that part of Ghana was quite low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I had always wanted to become a lecturer, so the next legs in my career saw me become a nursing tutor and then an administrator at a private hospital. I was pretty comfortable as an administrator, making about 3,000 cedis a month in my last year of that job. That was big money at the time since I was outside Accra and the cost of living was low. But when I moved to Accra to pursue a Ph.D. and my dream of becoming a lecturer, it was a different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I started at the bottom of the ladder at the University of Ghana Business School, working as an assistant lecturer as I worked on my doctorate. I taught courses on hospital administration. I was making 4,000 cedis, but with a family of five and the significantly higher cost of living, it was really tough. Not only did I have to cut out all luxuries, I even had to forfeit some basic household items. For example, after renting our first home in Accra, we had no furniture and had to make do with plastic chairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s gotten easier, thank God. I make much more, with a basic income of about 7,000 cedis a month. But I get good allowances that push up my salary, and I also do some consultancy work on the side, which are the perks of working in Accra. I have been able to put my kids through school, with my eldest recently graduating from university. I expect the other two to follow as the years go by, God willing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I will formally be retiring later in 2023, when I turn 60, but I expect to continue working on a post-retirement contract. I really want to continue in academia and do some more research work. I also want to mentor students who I hope are inspired by my professional trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Justice-Ansong-3-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Justice Owusu Ansong, 31<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Administrative officer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Coming out of school in 2014, I had my eyes on a job in the financial sector. That had always been my career goal. I worked extra hard for my first job in the risk department at a multinational bank in Ghana. I had to go through interviews and even had to pass an aptitude test before working there as national service staff and later on a contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My pay at the time was 420 cedis a month \u2014 peanuts now. It would be impossible to live on that today. But I could meet my needs at the time. I could buy 100 cedis worth of treasury bills every month and could also give money to my mother at home. Thinking back, I also got some extra money from some colleagues at the bank who knew my entry-level salary wasn\u2019t much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uncertainty started to creep in some two years into the job. At the time, the bank was going through some restructuring, and staff were being laid off. I didn\u2019t want to get caught up in that and decided to leave on my own terms. I had some offers from graduate schools outside Ghana, but the education path didn\u2019t materialize. No scholarships came my way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a couple of years without steady work, I got an offer to fill an administrative role at my church. That wasn\u2019t part of the plan, but it gave me a healthy salary, upwards of 3,000 cedis, and it allowed me to rent a place for myself and support my family. My time being unemployed wasn\u2019t as bleak as it could have been, given how tough it can be in Accra. I did some work for Washington University as a programs coordinator in Ghana. I was paid good money, about $3,000 in addition to some stipends. That was how I was able to go through that period without struggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, I want to be my own boss. I am laying the groundwork for a business and keeping things close to my chest, but my long-term goal is to be an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Eyram-Atakli4-1600x1067.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eyram Doe-Atakli, 29 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Software engineer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I have spent my working life behind a screen, working as a back-end software engineer. After my national service year in 2016, I became employed with a fintech company based in Accra. It was during that period that working as a software engineer started to make sense. Before then, I knew I wanted to work in IT, but didn\u2019t have a concrete plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I spent five years with my first company, starting at 2,000 cedis a month. By the time I left, I was making 6,000 cedis a month. These salaries came with different emotions. When I got my first paycheck, I was really happy. I had my own money to spend and didn\u2019t have to ask my dad for money anymore. I remember going to the mall to shop and treat myself. By the time my salary had gone as high as 6,000 cedis, I felt I was truly independent. I could even afford to get my own place if I wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the rewards of my job came at a price. The work pressure was affecting my physical and mental health. I developed some back issues and needed a break, but there was none in sight because of the responsibilities. After five years, I left my job with the fintech company. I was due to be promoted, but I didn\u2019t think I could manage the strain of the extra responsibilities, even if it had meant more money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I recuperated, I was only really looking for part-time work opportunities. But a friend introduced me to a tech firm that eventually hired me. It had flexible working hours and paid so much more money \u2014 over 20,000 cedis a month. That said, I am hoping to land a job outside Ghana. That\u2019s the next step for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I expect to be in the tech industry for the next decade or so. Afterwards, I want to run my own business, and it won\u2019t be in tech. I don\u2019t want to have to answer to anyone. Yes, I\u2019m making good money, but sometimes I don\u2019t feel the direct impact of the work I am doing. I want to be doing work where I can actually help people.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--author\">      <div class=\"block-author__inner\">\n        <div class=\"author--image\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/delali-adogla-bessa\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Delali_Adogla-Bessa-298x305.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n                  <\/div>\n        <div class=\"author--info\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/delali-adogla-bessa\/\" class=\"author--name\">Delali Adogla-Bessa<\/a>\n\n          \n          <p><b>Delali Adogla-Bessa<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a freelance journalist, researcher, and photographer based in Ghana. He has written on governance, health, education, the environment, the cocoa value chain and film, among others. Delali has produced work for The Continent, SWI Swissinfo, Africa is a Country, Equal Times and UNESCO.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n          <div class=\"block--author-social\"><ul class=\"author--socials\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/delali-adogla-bessa-324a7b41\/\" title=\"LinkedIn\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/muckrack.com\/delali-adogla-bessa\/portfolio\" title=\"Author Website\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fas fa-globe\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n       <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--recommended-content alignwide is-style-bg-adp-tan\"><div class=\"block-recommended-content__inner\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/pandemic-pay-challenges\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2BN3DCC-1-1084x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">How companies and workers are reacting to pandemic pay challenges<\/span>\n          <p>Many employees have experienced changes to their jobs and pay due to the pandemic, and the results have not always been positive.<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/kelsi-black-bristol-myers-squibb\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2022-07-05-at-14_28_46-1084x576.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">Kelsi Black is helping medical researchers do their best work<\/span>\n          <p>The senior director of HR and payroll services at Bristol Myers Squibb helps scientists do what they do best: save lives. \n<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/debate-labor-shortage-pay-issue\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/now-hiring-up-to-15-an-hour-sign-amid-a-shortage-of-workers-companies-and-restaurants-are-increasing-wages-to-attract-applicants-2JTT52P-1084x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">Do we have a labor issue or a pay issue?<\/span>\n          <p>Two experts debate the underlying causes of the current labor shortage happening worldwide. \n<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull section--sign-up has-background\" style=\"background-color:#7967ae\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\"><a href=\"\/sign-up\/\">Sign up<\/a> to keep up to date with ReThink Q.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From slums overlooked by high-rises to tourism campaigns amid an economic crisis, Accra is a place of opportunity and struggle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[67,310,44,61,272],"coauthors":[303],"class_list":["post-2476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-people-talk-pay","tag-africa","tag-ghana","tag-payroll","tag-real-people-talk-pay","tag-workforce","issue-issue-8-risk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - 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