“One of my nephews is in Germany, the other is in Norway. If I had that level of education, I would be President.” This is one of the moments when I realized how much you can learn about a person through conversation. Conversation is how Brandon Stanton reaches the “Humans of New York“. Through this he is able to share genuine and personal stroies, which is what inspired me to create “Humans of Akaa”, one of my main projects this summer.
If you’ve never heard of Humans of New York, Stanton interviews and photographs people at random on the streets of New York City. He posts each picture along with a caption of something the person said in their conversation. The people he talks to and the content of their conversations vary greatly, but the posts are honest, insightful, and often deeply personal. With each post, Humans of New York gives the whole world a small glimpse of humanity: of happiness, of sadness, of fear, of hope, of regret, of passion, of love. The posts are a constant reminder that each and every person has a story to tell. Every story we hear or read allows us to understand a little bit more about the world we live in. With Humans of Akaa, I hope to share the same snapshots of humanity to all of you, with the members of this community. It’s a way to share voices across boarders, to see the differences and similarities and connect beyond the misconceptions of a rural Ghanaian village. I want to capture home life, work, relationships, past memories, children, and anything else people are want to share with me.
Over the next month, I will be sharing moments, emotions, and memories of the people I have been living and working with. I am able to do this because of The Akaa Project’s intimate relationship with the community. People want to share and we want to listen. From taking me to farm, pounding fufu, or just sitting down to chat, everyone has a different story to tell and I am thrilled to pass those stories along to you.
Follow the Akaa project Instagram and Facebook to meet the wonderful Humans of Akaa!
Post by Zoe Keller
Zoe Keller is an Elementary Education major at Webster University in St. Louis. Clayton, St. Louis Missouri. Passionate photographer, cat enthusiast, adventure lover. Zoe is leading photography and video projects in the Akaa community for eight weeks this summer. This is her second year volunteering with the Akaa Project in Ghana.
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