Humans of Accra

We are looking for people with a connection to Ghana who might want to share a story or two about that connection. Inbox us or send us a mail at [email protected]

Sunset at the Nungua bus station. Public transportation made up of trotros and taxis are the main means of transport for Accra's heavy population. Our railway system is not in the best shape so at the moment, you can say they are the 'spine' of the country. #ghana #accra #nungua #samsung (at Nungua Snr High)

It was strange to me. I'd heard of opioids but I guess I didn't understand their gravity. Here I was screaming at the sight of people overdosing on my TV. Maybe I was in that state of shock because I hadn't seen anyone blackout like that, not to talk of that many people. Literally unresponsive to all calls and physical attempts by others around to revive them as their eyes rolled over and their pupils vanished. It was scary. I was watching "Warning: This drug may kill you", an HBO documentary about opioid addiction and the fact that victims' addiction was caused by legal prescriptions from doctors. I was baffled. I mean how can the people supposed to cure something as 'simple' as a headache be responsible for your addiction? I just couldn't think something like this was happening. Go to the hospital to get cured, and you are prescribed addictive medication that could ruin your life. It didn't make sense to me and so you can imagine my horror when I discovered the next day that the medicine I was taking was an opioid.

Humans of Accra was started back in 2013 as a way of doing something that I loves that is, taking photos. The inspiration came from Humans of New York (HONY). The project became more than me when I had a lot of people contacting me because they had a connection to Accra through one way or another. I had to go on a hiatus in 2014 because I was going to College mainly. However, throughout my four years in College, people kept on asking that HOA be revived and so it will. This time with contributions from YOU the HOA family. This is definitely an experiment which I honestly don't know how it would go. Maybe the name will change or even the approach, I don't know. So, let us know what you think in the comments and if you want to be a contributor, kindly email [email protected]

"I'd say it's been welcoming and bumpy. People open up to you easily and let you into their space. They are very welcoming. I came to Ghana a week ago and I have already tried waakye, fufu is a bit slimy though. By Wednesday I had food poisining, so yeah it's been bumpy."

“When I was 12 years old my dad died and my mom was sent away. I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I moved from the north to Accra in search of work. I came to work at Agbogbloshie because I could find steady pay. I take old computer parts and wires, dumped here by western companies, and melt them down for their copper. The fumes are so bad I barely walk by the end of the day and if I’m lucky I can get 4 cedis for the day. “

"I had a dream that I was standing beneath a tree in school holding a placard with similar inscriptions on it. When I woke up, I told God that I couldn't do it. I couldn't see myself holding a card with Christian messages on them, you know. What will people think of me? So I didn't pay much attention to it. Sometime later, I went to a Christian program at Christian High School and Hosanna by Hillsong was being played. It's my favourite song and I was moved by it, raising my hands in worship. All of a sudden, I heard God tell me, 'Do you think this makes you Holy?' Then it hit me, that I was only worshiping God in my comfort zone. I wasn't going out. I wasn't doing what he asked me to, but again I didn't budge. I was going to have my quiet time the very next Saturday and I heard a voice telling me to open my Bible to Joel 1:9-12. When I did, I shouted 'God, I will do it!' So here I am. I started last week with a few friends in school, we were five in number. Then we did a second one and our number increased to eleven. We are now a lot so we decided to come outside the school into the streets. For all we know, all this is happening so that one person can see it and be encouraged."

"When I grow up, I want to be a hero, just like my dad"

"I want him to do more than I ever could, to be more than I ever could and to love more than I ever could."

"I have no where to go."

Cheers and have a good day!

It is with a whole lot of mixed feelings that I have to announce that I will not be able to continue with this project for the mean time due to other commitments that I have. I started this project a little over a year when I found Humans of New York and fell in love with it. I decided to try it out here in Accra and the response has just been amazing. I have met different people from different backgrounds with unique stories. It has been an amazing experience and I wish I could continue to do it but unfortunately, life is taking me toward another direction. That explains the dormancy of this page for the past few months. Don't despair so soon, I had a thought of accepting contributions or to leave the page for another person to administer and post various contributions from you guys out there. If you buy into the idea, then that is great. We can keep this page running and show the world the beauty that resides in Accra and it's people.  It's been great knowing all of you. To those who sent me messages, commented and liked every post, to the followers and those who just scrolled past the posts, to the media houses The Stream - Al Jazeera America and the rest, to the friends I made, I say a big THANK YOU! You do not know how much you have changed my life this past year. I will be back (soon I hope). PS: If you are wondering what I will be doing while I'm away, well, a little bit of school (actually a lot, lol), work and other projects (Seasoned Magazine).  These are my profiles: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bineyyawlovesjesusdoyou Twitter - still @humansofaccra  Instagram - @Seasonedgh Follow me if you want to.  Peace and love.  Signed, Your street photographer - Yaw Biney

Thank you too!

The FIFA World Cup starts tomorrow people! 32 teams, 32 days, one cup. Who wins the World Cup this time around. Top us with your favourite teams. #WorldCup #Brazil #Brazil2014