The awesome Alema Court guards and gardeners

Richard Dadzie (King Richard)

Daniel Aboni

Other guards and gardeners were:

Emmanuel Offei

John Kesseh

Bernard Nketia

Kwame Amenu

James, Fordjour, Bruce Emmanuel

We don't have pictures of all the guards and gardeners we have gotten to know.  Just Richard and Daniel.  Richard and Daniel are two of our favorites.  We got to know them well.  These men work outside all day at the gate and take 12-hour shifts letting cars in and out of the compound, weeding the gardens, mowing the lawn (it feels so good to hear the sound of a real lawn mower.  The simple things we miss!).  And taking care of the pool and generally keeping things clean.  It is good to know that strangers cannot come and go.  There is tall wall all around the compound with an electric fence on top.  Not sure the electricity is turned on, though.  We wouldn't be surprised to find out it is mostly for show.  Just about every business, residence and church has barbed wire or electric wire surrounding it.

There are many security companies.  The security personnel are basically untrained, wear a uniform and made to look as official as they can.  None carries a weapon.  Only policemen carry firearms; pistols, rifles and machine guns.

Daniel wanted me to take him home to the states.  Not just to meet our own Dan, but to be in America.  I explained to him several times it just wouldn't work and I couldn't take him to the states.  His village is way off the main road up in the Volta region.  On the road from Ho to Tafi Atome Monkey Reserve, once you get to the windy mountain road close to Tafi, you take a road north way back into the jungle and up higher.  That's where he grew up.  Dan left his security guard job at our apartment complex for another one for an NGO  in Legon where he would make more money.  A good move.  I am glad for him.  And will miss him.

Security guard jobs are everywhere; restaurants, apartments, parking lots, grocery stores, malls, etc., etc. They all have their uniforms complete with boots.  The pay is not much.  It appears there is little to no training involved.  

These guys took good care of us to make us safe by guarding the complex night and day.  In the colder nights of the year, they would wear coats and hoodies below the coats.  Elaine and I were still hot and enjoyed the respite from the high temperatures.  They were honestly cold.

That's just the way it is.