Features
X-mas: Prudent expenditure needed
One of the glorious events that has captured and attracted the minds of many people, both Christians and non- Christians, is Christmas which signifies the birth of Christ who descended from his Father in heaven to this earth to suffer and save men and women in the world.
There are some non-Christians who even celebrate Christmas in a special way more than Christians themselves. This is good because it shows that irrespective of our religious beliefs, there is always the need to recognise that there is someone who came unto the world to save mankind.
REFLECT ON CHRIST
Christmas is a period to reflect on Christ not just about His birth but about His entire life on this earth and how He preached the good news to turn away people from their sinful life in order to live good lives and to bring quality life as deserved by all men and women created in the image of God.
Throughout the world, people celebrate Christmas in various ways. Indeed, Christmas serves as an occasion in which people send messages of joy to friends and relations everywhere.
NORM OF CELEBRATION
Apart from church services, people celebrate the occasion with their families as well as friends or even non-friends in the neighbourhood. This has become the norm of celebration in the world.
As part of the celebration, a lot of attention is focused on the preparation of special meals for visitors who may come and visit us at home. Sometimes, friends and relations visit places of interest such as the beaches and other interesting sites as part of their excursion to various parts of the country.
While it becomes necessary for certain people to embark upon travelling expedition, inside or outside the country, many a time, people prefer to spend Christmas in their home country or towns. Whatever it is, some high expenditure is incurred as a result of travel or visits to places of interest.
SPECIAL MEALS
At the same time, it is interesting to note that special meals are prepared to serve visitors and to make them happy.
This is not to say that it is only during Christmas that special preparations are made and expenses incurred to make people happy and to let them feel special during this occasion.
TOUGH TIMES
With the COVID and the Russia-Ukraine war, many parts of the world have been greatly infected with problems that have made people uncomfortable particularly with regard to our social and economic life.
Parents are finding it very difficult to finance the health needs of their family members as well as their own children. In other words, economic life has become very difficult, tough and unbearable in the world today.
There are many people who find it very difficult to make ends meet. They include people in both developed and developing countries.
DEVELOPED WORLD
In the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France and other parts of the developed world, life is not easy and there are times when commodities considered precious are rationed among consumers.
It is also important to note that people sometimes travel long distances to buy fuel so as to be able to move their vehicles to places that they may need to go. In Mexico for example, we are told that people drive all the way to border areas with the US to buy fuel at cheaper prices.
What this means is that all over the world, things have become unbearable. There are many people who even think that probably the events of today signify the end of the world even though this may not be the case because in times past, many similar difficult situations had been encountered.
GERMAN EXPERIENCE
During the 1st and the 2nd World Wars for example, the entire globe at the time experienced terrible growth. One country that suffered terribly during the 2nd world war was Germany. In Germany at that time, inflation was far higher than what is being experienced in Ghana today.
The money in Germany lost its value to the extent that people had to carry huge sums of money in their bags to be able to buy certain products including basic necessities. It was simply very difficult to even come across basic needs of life so conditions at that period became more difficult than is being experienced in Ghana and many other African countries including the very terrible economic conditions being encountered in certain parts of the world.
LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES
When these conditions emerge, it becomes necessary for every person to keep his or her financial resources well and put them to the best economic use. In other words, needless things ought to be overlooked by way of expenditure. It is only essential products, including basic medicines that ought to be bought whenever necessary.
It is often said that we have every opportunity to do whatever we like in this world yet only the essential and needful ought to be undertaken by way of expenditure. If this is done, it will go a long way to help reserve our limited financial resources so that we can survive the present financial conditions and overcome the challenges we are facing today.
This is achievable. If this is the case, then we need to work rigidly and assiduously towards achieving this goal to make life better for us all.
MEASURED EXPENDITURE
In view of the economic difficulties being encountered in the country, other African countries and also the rest of the world, it has become necessary for every person to become very circumspect when it comes to expenditure on goods and services so as to be able to preserve some financial resources for the family.
Measured expenditure is what is needed today. Unmeasured expenditure in times of plenty or abundance should be made to wait until we see great improvement in our economic conditions.
What is important in these difficult times, is to avoid unnecessary expenditure and only undertake expenditures that are necessary. Some of the expenditures that are necessary are those we cannot do without such as medicine, food and shelter as well as clothing.
PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE
When it comes to basic medicine, we cannot look on when people are sick so we will have to cough out money to cater for those who are sick.
Medical care is expensive so it is important for us to practise preventive healthcare.
Preventive healthcare is where we make special efforts to prevent sicknesses from coming our way in order to stay healthy throughout the period. If we observe basic personal hygiene and keep our surroundings clean, we can be healthy and prevent diseases from attacking us. Choked gutters ought to be desilted. Again, the water we drink must also be clean so that infection of diseases cannot be possible in our lives.
Other preventive health measures ought to be observed so that we will not throw away money on diseases that can be prevented.
HEALTHY BALANCED DIET
One other way of staying healthy is by having enough rest at all times and also eating good food. Eating good food does not necessarily mean eating expensive food. What it means is that we need to go by healthy balanced diet such as gari, beans and fried plantain and some of our delicious local meals that are not expensive.
It is some of these local meals that help us to stay healthy. We also need to avoid excessive sugar, salt, and fat and oil. If we are able to keep away from these things, we will stay healthy and avoid using the little money we have for medical care.
AVOID EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL INTAKE
Again, it is important to avoid any other thing that can make us sick such as excessive intake of alcohol. Excessive alcohol may result in destroying certain organs in the body such as the kidney, the heart and other internal organs.
It is generally known that we need to meet our basic necessities of life. These basic necessities are food, clothing and shelter.
With regard to food, the point has already been made that we need not necessarily eat expensive foods that may not even be healthy. Rather, what we need is healthy balanced food to make us strong and healthy, keeping us away from falling sick.
LOOK DECENT
In the case of clothing, we need to be content with what we already have. We must avoid the purchase of expensive clothing in order to impress upon friends and neighbours during this Xmas season. The important thing is to look decent in your clothes but not to buy expensive clothes to mark the occasion.
Another basic necessity of life is shelter. We must learn to live in simple houses and put in simple furniture and other items that may be needed in the house.
MODERATION
Cars are good because they serve useful purpose but we need to go in for simple ones that do not consume too much fuel especially at this time when fuel prices are very expensive all over the world. Here in Ghana, it is not very easy to buy fuel regularly for our vehicles.
For this reason, when it becomes necessary, we may need to park our vehicles whenever necessary and walk some distances in our neighbourhood. We may have to join public transport such as buses and other commercial vehicles so that our cost of living can be minimised.
These are measures that can be taken by ourselves, without any compulsion, so as to be able to save some money for ourselves.
We need to do all these to make our Christmas celebration more meaningful to show to the world that we make judicious use of the little resources we have to make ourselves happy. This is how we can celebrate Christmas in a simple way.
Email address/whatsApp number of author:
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By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
