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Relocating – Living abroad A personal experience
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My first attempt at moving from Ghana my home country to live as an Expatriate in Papua New Guinea was in 1981. It was to take nine years for me to take that position as a Tourism Lecturer in Lae Technical College, Lae Papua New Guinea.
Yes, for some of us the decision to move from our land of origin to live in foreign lands comes after great consideration and preparation.
The psychologists will explain one’s travel patterns and there may indeed be much credit to their travel behavioural analysis as the word ‘wanderlust’ resonates with what perhaps led me to a South Pacific island.
In our geography lessons in 1974, I had been fascinated by the teacher’s explanation of Borneo as a tropical country. In my Ghanaian teenage-world then, I’d known only Africa, and oh yes, parts of South America as the places on earth with sunshine all year round; Europe, North America and all other parts of the world were different in the four seasons they had in a year. They were ‘cold countries’ to which my parents, their friends and other members of the family had returned to from their studies.
The ‘coldness’ of England had been confirmed when I had the opportunity to visit London for two weeks before going on to secondary school. I had not liked the cold much, neither had I enjoyed being indoors for most of the time with the cousins I’d stayed with.
The living style of the people in Borneo in my mind’s eye as Miss Owusu of blessed memory went through those Geography lessons where the people of Borneo lived the outdoor life as I knew it in Ghana was very appealing.
Seriously tucked away somewhere in my sub-consciousness was a deep imprint of a big factor that was to decide where else I could live should I at any time decide to leave Ghana for abroad. This, added to gaining the most in terms of economic fulfilment made the choice of Papua New Guinea where a childhood friend had relocated with her husband, a very alluring one.
I needed a place to give me not just a head up in the static economic situation most newly-graduated Ghanaians are familiar with, but also an outdoor lifestyle that would give me warmth internally and externally.
Other sunny beautiful places in the South Pacific were no options because of a lingua franca problem. I transact official businesses in English!
Nine years; understandably a long time but a time that saw a sustained journey of academic and skills preparation; of a maturity of my tenacity of purpose; a journey which also meant I now had the added responsibility of getting two young sons ready for a long journey far from home, school and church.
When one decides to travel into a 10-hour time zone from their original place of abode, a country that exists only in the history and geography lessons of family members, there is the added challenge of getting elders of the family on whose guidance and mentoring one has depended or hitherto buy into the whole idea.
These are no mean ‘elders of the family’ as is known in Ghanaian society-the uncles who turn up with a list of bride price nor are they those whom one meets only on funeral occasions at the village.
The ‘elders of family’ in this wise were uncles and aunties in the city who have great knowledge about ‘abrokyire’ – countries of the great beyond – the UK, U.S.A. and other such places; not places in the South Pacific!
So it was that their nod in such a venture was very vital.
Needless to say, there were overt and covert deeds and words of discouragement that eventually changed to prayers for the welfare of my children and I, when it dawned on everyone nothing could change my mind.
Having acquired the necessary skills, academic advancement and experience in the industry of my choice; and having also researched for and laid hands on pictures of anything positive from Papua New Guinea to get my sons excited, I set about voicing my intentions of gaining employment in my ‘dream country’ to any and every one.
A colleague at work picked it up, introduced me to Ghanaian Expatriates on Christmas holidays from Papua New Guinea in 1995 and before anybody could discount this dream of mine further, my very young sons and I were on our way from Accra through London, Hong Kong and finally arriving in Port Moresby on April 11,1996!
That is almost 28 years ago…..
As I listen to the elder of those two young sons I embarked on this journey with steps to relocate, I find my inner self smile.
A smile that means it may have been all worth it if he indeed sees that experience as having impacted his life positively enough to warrant him tread a similar path.
My chats with him informs me he’s done his homework well. Being a Mentor, I’ve had to add a few. The Expatriate life has a ‘shelf life’ and one needs to ‘know when to hold them’ and ‘….. when to fold them.’
One needs to research the terms of their contract vis-à-vis what other conditions of service, and pension pot contributions they would have had to work with back in their home of origin.
Completing mortgage payments, issues surrounding children’s education in higher institutions, changes in syllabus etc; simply a return from dreamland to reality so to say.
Above all, ensuring the baton of broadening horizons in forms that may not necessarily be exclusive to a relocating, is handed over to the next generation.
By Dzigbordi B-A
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP 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.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP 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.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP 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!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
