GIFTS

Words are Gifts


This Woman

I write from my observation of a ‘typical‘ Ghanaian market woman.

As it was International Women’s day recently, I want to celebrate this very hard working woman.

I am always in awe of the hardworking Ghanaian market women especially with the zeal and skill in which they take on different roles, juggle them, and keep their balls from falling.

This woman I’m writing about;

has her baby tied firmly in a sitting position, settled on the seat of mother’s bottom with the third piece of her African cloth holding baby up in a sitting position,

at the market, she would have bought some vegetables and other grocery, balanced most of her load in a basket on her head,

she trudges through the the crowd, with her load both on her back and her head.

This woman has leased a stall, where she sets her shopping down and sells her goods in this very tiny space, squeezed between two others, the only space she has to sell her wares.

After a hard day’s work, sometimes with very few sales, this woman, weighed by with her concerns, responsibilities, the weight of a child and her groceries, travels home to find the evening meal has to be prepared.

The battle continues…

I respect this woman, with all her sacrifices and still finding the energy to shower love and attention on her family.



5 responses to “This Woman”

  1. If all of women’s labor were paid labor, women would have earned $10.9 trillion https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/04/opinion/women-unpaid-labor.html Thank you for this slice of one woman’s life.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Motivated by love and survival…every day finding the courage to get up and do it all over again without days off .People are all the same, but this has me reflecting on the different privileges that we have in our lives.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. This is a perfect choice to write and share as we honor women world-wide. I couldn’t get enough of your descriptions. Thank you for sharing her with us.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Your slice gives us a window into other worlds and the world of others. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. This is such a beautiful slice! I could visualize the woman at the market through your words.

    Liked by 1 person

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About Me

I am am Elementary school teacher at an International IB School in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. I write with groups of writers, such as Teach Write.

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