The Ride On! Project Paolo Nasr

The ladder is broken - the socioeconomic ladder of Ghana that is. There are several missing rungs, leaving a large gap between the first few steps and those leading towards the top. This disparity makes it difficult for underprivileged Ghanaians to improve their lots. Every day, on our 20-minute drive to school, I am reminded of those missing rungs as the car whizzes by students who are on their own 90-minute journey to school. They take so much time preparing for and traveling to school that they arrive late, hungry, thirsty, and end up too tired to concentrate. Naturally, their education suffers. Often, some lose the energy or motivation to go to school. Others drop out of school once they see there are other ways they can help their family. So much for the “Africa Rising” narrative and for education being a tool for upward mobility.

My interest in the socioeconomic gap stemmed from the realization that, in my opinion, it is the main factor keeping the country from achieving its full potential. In recent years, Ghana’s culture has become a force to be reckoned with; its music, fashion, and art reaching global standards. Growing up on Ghanaian soil, I developed a national pride that found me cheering alongside other...