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Just in time part 4
‘I quite understand the situation you are in’, David said as they approached her house, ‘The situation as you have described it is quite difficult. But I wish you did not have to leave your parents’ home on a sour note. If I make a suggestion, I would ask you to wait for just a few days, and try not to react to any provocation. If the situation gets worse, then of course you can leave.’ ‘Well, I agree with you. I will take your suggestion. Hopefully, they will leave me alone to make my own decisions. ‘Esaaba, I have never forgotten about you. Is it possible for us to start our uncompleted project?’ ‘You have a way with words, David. Uncompleted project. Well, I have told you my current status. If you don’t have any skeletons hiding in your cupboard in Denmark or in your hometown, then I am ready to listen to what you have to say.’ ‘I made friends and went out with a couple of ladies, but I never entered into any commitments, and I don’t have any cupboards anywhere. Maybe you and I will buy some cupboards, and store some interesting things’. ‘You did not tell me where you are working.’ ‘Ah. I was offered a position here at the local office of Eurofood, the company that gave me the scholarship. And I have been penciled in for some teaching at the Department, so hopefully I will be seeing you often.’
Esaaba went back to her room a much different person. She sat on her bed again, and this time she wiped her mental slate clean, and said a quiet prayer asking God to confirm if this is the relationship He planned for her. She felt thankful that she was able to forgive her parents and Beesiwa for treating her so badly. They certainly meant well, but they certainly went too far to have tried to force a husband on her. She enjoyed a deep sleep and woke up well rested.
Soon as she had arrived at work the following morning, Marian called, and wasted no time to ask questions. ‘Esaaba, so what happened yesterday after I left the two of you alone? Esaaba broke into uncontrolled laughter. ‘Ei, Esaaba’, Marian continued. ‘See how you are happy. You can’t even talk. David will have to pay for this.’ ‘You did well, Marian. We had a great evening, and we will be seeing each other.’ ‘I’m happy for you two. I pray that everything goes well. David is a great guy, and I’m happy you found each other at last.
Esaaba saw notification of a message from Stanley Forson, and she opened it. It was short and not friendly. ‘Good morning. Now that I have told you about the circumstances under which I made the marriage proposal and gave you the ring, I withdraw the proposal, and would like you to return the ring to my parents. Thank you’. Esaaba’s reply was also short, but polite. Thanks for your note, Stanley. I agree that my parents were wrong to have bullied you into making the proposal. I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I will return the ring to your parents’ home this evening. I will call them now and inform them. Thank you’. Stanley replied, to her surprise. ‘On second thoughts, please don’t call them. Just wait till I tell you what to do with it.’ ‘I’m sorry Stanley. After the insulting messages you sent me, I don’t want to keep anything of yours. I don’t need to call your parents. I will send it to them now.’ ‘Can you please wait, even if for a few days, Esaaba? I’m really sorry. You are a really nice lady, and beautiful. I have had too much to contend with since coming to Handover. If you will kindly give me a little time, I will clear my head, and we can restart. I think we have the basis for a really good relationship’. Esaaba replied after an hour. ‘Stanley, your ring is on its way to your dad. It should be there in a few minutes. Sorry, I cannot wait. I’ve put your indecision and your insults behind me. I wish you the best’.
Soon after she sent the message to Stanley, Baaba called. Esaaba answered, ready to exchange verbal blows with her sister. But to her surprise, her tone was much different.’ ‘Big sis, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. Mom and Dad should never have done what they did, and I should not have supported them. Please forgive me. I am truly sorry. I called them a couple of minutes ago, and they are very sorry. They are really afraid that you will carry out your threat to leave the house, and I want to plead with you, don’t leave. They have promised never to interfere in your relationship issues again. Please!
‘Don’t worry Beesiwa. I’ve put it all behind me. I’ve forgotten it all. No hard feelings. I’ve turned the page.’ ‘Really? What happened? What has changed so suddenly?’ ‘I will tell you everything later, but I have a visitor now. Let’s talk later. Esaaba looked up and said hello to David. ‘Good to see you, David. I wasn’t expecting to see you’. ‘Well, after what we discussed last night, I thought I should come and see you, and if possible, take the discussion a little further’. ‘Thanks David. If you will give me a few minutes, I will make a few arrangements, then I can go out for an hour’. ‘No, I will go to the Department and wait till lunch time, then I will come and pick you for lunch. If it’s okay with you’. ‘Yes, certainly. I will be waiting.’
David and Esaaba were inseparable from then, and after some month’s courtship, he proposed. Esaaba gladly accepted. ‘You came at just the right time, David. I had just had a bad quarrel with my parents and my sister, and was about to leave home’. ‘You were saved by the bell’, David said. But perhaps it was just the right time for us to meet.’
By Ekow de Heer
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
