The Money (Many) Types Of Poverty

As I traveled through Ghana I witnessed a lot of what I would call "conventional poverty". I know this term sounds very glib, but I only use it to frame the idea of "unconventional poverty". Make no mistake, for most people in Ghana life is very difficult and challenging, and while I witnessed widespread challenges I also witnessed people rising to those challenges.

In my own life, I have had periods of poverty, Canadian style al a me. I add the two qualifiers, Canadian style" and "a la me" because the type of poverty and hopelessness that I experienced does not compare to what people in Ghana may go through.

First of all I am blessed to live in a country that provides free medical care to all. From a broken ankle, to a disturbing rash, to cancer, I can get access to world class treatment for free. While the system is not perfect, it is probably the most significant thing that makes me proud to be Canadian. We all contribute to a medical system, so that all of us may access it. Its a noble idea, and I am proud to support it.

The next thing that I have access to is a pretty good welfare system. Make no mistake, I dealt with issues of deep shame when I accessed the system. Poor people in Canada are highly stigmatized, because North American culture is primarily based on monetary status. It doesn't matter much how many friends you have or how big your family is, the key to status in this culture is how much money you make.

The other huge advantage I had when I was truly poor, was that I am deeply blessed to have family who would help me out in a worst case scenario. While I have only accessed this as a last resort, the mere knowledge of the fact can help. Many poor people in Canada do not have the privelige of this safety net.

More to the point, the vast majority of people in Ghana live in poverty without access to free medical care, a stable welfare system or the last resort of parents with a bit of money to spare.

So how is it that people in Ghana seemed more happy and alive than most of the people I know in Toronto? Is it actually possible that there is more to life than money and that most of the people in my urban culture have been conditioned to achieve happiness through consumerism, and despite all the glittering promises of consumerism, the empty returns are doing nothing but cultivating a shallow and angry culture?

Just wondering.