Eat well + Live well is easier said than done. In Ghana, we have most of the ingredients for this, but access and knowledge on how to use it are needed. In this video, I introduce you to Ben Asamani, founder of Tatale Vegan Restaurant. We have an insightful discussion on thriving in Ghana, the restaurant and hospitality business in Ghana, and the mindset needed to eat well and live well in Ghana. We also get an exclusive experience cooking some of Tatale’s signature dishes with Ben.
Tatale Vegan Restaurant is located in Osu, Accra and offers a menu of Ghanaian traditional dishes reimagined for a healthy lifestyle. You can find more information about Tatale Vegan Restaurant here.
What do you think of this experience? Are you coming to eat at Tatale Vegan Restaurant? Let me know in the comments.
My first Q+A! Thank you! I want to give a big shout out to you who sent in your questions. This was fun. Did anything I shared surprise you? Do you have any questions to add? Let me know in the comments.
There is more than one way to thrive in Ghana. I believe the mindset behind defining success and maneuvering reality is so important in developing the path that works for you. In this post, I introduce you to Michelle Konadu, founder of Villa Diaspora. We have an insightful discussion on her experience building Villa Diaspora in Accra, cultivating community in Ghana, and defining success. Have you heard of the “Republic Boys?” Do you know how to “face your front?” Do you know what success and family have in common in how to thrive in Ghana? We drop all the gems and spill some tea in this post.
Villa Diaspora is a co-living apartment and community space that provides a “soft-landing” to returnees, repatriates, and expats in Ghana. In this video, you also get to see an exclusive tour of Villa Diaspora. If you are looking to move and experience Ghana, you need to connect with Michelle.
I also asked Michelle what she appreciates about Ghana and what she needs Ghana to improve on. Here’s what she shared.
Things I appreciate about Ghana:
The culture
“I’m an Akan person. So, everything I thought I knew about Ghana was really just my parents’ village. But, living in Accra, it’s like a melting pot. It’s just that the pot itself is a Ga pot. Living here I’ve learned a lot about the Ga people. Our caretaker here is from the North but is not really from the North. You just learn so much about migration, culture, and people that are matrilineal versus patrilineal. Especially as a woman, I see our strength and the power we’ve always had. The woman with the baby on her back and the load on her head is self-sufficient. She is not a victim. She prioritizes. I’ve learned a lot about the women who came before me and the woman I am meant to be. We never lacked anything. We’ve been voting since voting started. We’ve owned property, sometimes even more than men. We’ve married multiple people. I love the culture.”
The pace
“I love the slower pace. I think people usually look at a slower pace as if people are slow or don’t know anything. But it’s the best thing you could do. I’ve been able to come back to my humanity. Being in Ghana keeps you on your toes. You never know when you are going to have light, water, or anything else. You might have it the majority of the time, but you’re always on your toes in case you don’t. But we don’t panic. Things happen and we sit back and say …hmmm… but it will solve itself. I think we are also great manifesters because we never speak negatively. We say “it shall be well” or “everything will be ok.” We then wait for it to be ok. I think that has a lot to do with why we are still here. Despite all that has transpired here, we are still here.”
It’s Ghana
“It’s got everything that you ever want. Whatever your lifestyle, you will find it here. If you want to be natural, you’ll find it here. If you want to be bougie, you’ll find it here like 10 times. It’s such a multifaceted place that no matter what you want in the place you can definitely find it, as long as you don’t limit yourself. Ghana will definitely not limit you.” (que…snapping fingers!)
Things I need Ghana to improve on:
The system
“One thing Ghanaians have been able to do is to find their place in the system. It would be great if the system did work. If we had the infrastructure everyone keeps talking about and complaining about. It would be great, but we found a way to fit ourselves into things. It would be great if we could utilize our energy in other ways and didn’t have to scheme.”
Year of Return / Beyond the Return
“The Year of Return was a great idea. One thing I had an issue with though was that all of the marketing and speeches and conferences and panels were done outside in the States or London or other places. The people here who you are sending people to come and meet have no idea about what’s going on and those people who do are like ‘we’re scamming to make some cash.’ So instead of being in a position where you are educated and also heart is softened and ready to embrace these people who are coming 400 years later…because Ghanaians, we like these things…long lost siblings and stuff like that. Hence ‘sankofa,’ to go back and get is not considered taboo. I think they could have done a much better job with that and we can still do a much better job than that. Educating people on the ground so it’s a better union. We can be better educated on the diaspora to not see them as money bags or strangers. That part breaks my heart because the faces are there…our noses are the same. It’s like Don Cheadle. If I draw African, it’s you I’m drawing. I think we can do a better job of embracing each other. Educating ourselves on who we are and where else we are in the world and how much we have been able to endure. There is more of us out there than everything leads us to believe.”
It was a pleasure sharing time and learning insight from Michelle. Isn’t Villa Diaspora beautiful? I love how she has decorated the place. Sitting outside was so peaceful. I’m excited to see how Phase 2 turns out. Building community is easier said than done, but when people invest their energy and resources to create a space to house community, it makes all the difference.
What do you think of our discussion and the tour? Are you coming to stay at Villa Diaspora? Share with me in the comments.
Also, remember to connect with me wherever you spend the most time. YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook…I’m there. I love hearing from you.
I get a bit personal and vulnerable with you in this video. Heads up, if you’re not in the heart space to hear sadness, you may want to save this for later. If you are ok, you may want to grab some tissues.
Summertime is here! That means (among other things) we are one year out of the “era” that felt like the world was on fire through protests, murders, arrests, awareness, and a whole lot of noise. Can we reflect on what has been accomplished since that time? Instead of discussing this broadly, I’m taking it personally.
In this post, I share with you my experience receiving messages/apologies influenced by the “era,” how kindness and meanness have influenced my life, and what I hope all of this means in the future. This is part of my story (not all of my story is sad). I felt called to share this because someone needed to hear it to encourage them to keep going. To reassure them they are loved. To remind them they are heading in the right direction. So, this is not solely about me. It’s deeper than that.
I am encouraged, but we still have a long way to go.
Let’s go outside and have fun. In this post, I take you with me to dance and paint with Roxanne at Elevent15 Restaurant / Lounge.
This event was hosted by Roxanne, who is the founder of Dance 4 Mental Health. She is a life coach who produces content to demystify mental health and hosts activities to uplift mental health. During this event, we did some dancing, journaling, and painting.
This was also my first time at Eleven15 Restaurant and Lounge. It is located in East Legon and is a really nice spot to enjoy the outdoors and colorful art. They also host different activities.
We started with a short Kizomba dance. I look forward to dancing more next time.
Part of the event included a writing exercise where we wrote about what pivotal moment has happened in our lives recently and what beliefs and consequences came out of that. We read each out loud anonymously.
Overall, the main feeling in the group was deep frustration. There has been a disruption in important parts of their lives within the past year and things are not looking up. It was beautiful to be part of this circle as we shared encouragement and insight.
This reminded me of how the heaviness we are carrying from last year has yet to be released. Rather, it’s being further compounded with the continued heaviness of this year.
For what it’s worth, to those who feel this way and are keeping it bottled up inside, I want you to know I feel it too. This time last year I was also frustrated and sad. Maybe it was a good thing I had to stay home. I cried a lot. But, as time passed, I felt like my tears were part of a transformation. Like, you know how a butterfly turns into a butterfly? It’s not a pleasant experience, but the destination is beautiful.
Just like the butterfly, no one can fix you or take action for you. I made a pivot, took action, and surrendered. Released my grip on control or what I thought was right. Fast forward now, I’m not crying as much and I’m balancing different frustrations. Life happens for you. These waves of feelings happen for you. The growth will happen for you if you take action and surrender. If you can do it alone, go for it. If you can’t, please reach out to the right people.
Take care of yourself. You are worthy.
Lastly, we painted a ballerina dancing. It was nice to see how we all customized our ballerinas at the end.
I enjoyed spending time outside and meeting a lovely group of new people.
Would you attend this type of event? What kind of activities would you like to see more of in Accra and Ghana? Share with me in the comments.
Also, remember to connect with me. I love hearing from you.
What does it take to make money move in Ghana? In this post, I share my experience discovering the challenges with moving money in and out of Ghana, the dynamics behind mobile money, and the challenges in finding investment options.
Let’s dig deeper into the reports I found. Like I said in the video, this experience lead me to do more research on what the digital financial services industry is doing in Ghana and Africa.
There is a lot of talk about digital financial inclusion in Africa. Half of the world’s mobile money transactions happen in Africa. Thus, financial tech is pushing to further develop this sector and formal banking still has room for improvement. According to the World Bank, in Africa, savings and credit are conducted through a semi-formal method with family and friends…not with a bank. Having mobile money be an option across all transactions may become a reality sooner than we think. Due to the pandemonium (in part), this demand pushed innovation into gear to expand mobile money access. According to the Africa Report, we are now in a new chapter for mobile money transactions in Africa where we might start to have “super apps” to pay for transportation, medical appointments, and other things all through mobile money. This is also why all tech eyes are on Africa to expand mobile money into savings and lending.
It is exciting to see how this industry continues to evolve. I do hope we truly fill the voids and implement solutions beyond the hype and buzz.
Have you had a similar challenge to what I discuss in the video? Did you find a solution? Share with me in the comments. Do you know other investment options in Ghana, beyond real estate and treasury bills? Share with me in the comments.
Also, remember to connect with me on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facbobok through the icons below. I love to hear from you.
Dagny Zenovia 