Because of the broad nature of the question: Check out this website for a quick introduction to Ghana's culture. The content, unfortunately, is slightly outdated.

The first thing to note is that Ghana as a nation is quite culturally diverse. The major ethnic groups include the Akan, Ewe, Ga, Gonja and the Mamprussi. Although each group has its own set of cultural norms, some of these norms are either cross-ethnic or gradually taking on national status.

The easiest example that comes to mind are the restrictions that govern the use of one's left hand. It is considered very rude, infact a faux pas, to shake someone's hands with your left hand or to offer it in greeting. It is also considered rude to offer someone an item using your left hand or accept one using the same.

Most Ghanaians I know will however readily forgive your cultural transgression if they realize that you are a foreigner. Across the length and breadth of Ghana, hospitality to guests and foreigners is generally expected and given.

I don't know where in Africa you went to where there were mud houses next to mansions. In all the places in Africa that I've been to where mud houses still exist, they were in the rural areas.... which isn't where a majority of the rich people live - you shouldn't assume that because someone is living in a mud house they're poor. There are some rich farmers in the rural areas who choose to continue to live in mud houses (which aren't all necessarily backward)

There's inequality in African countries, just as there's inequality in the US. What are the rich people in America doing about the poor people?...Not much! It's not any better in Africa. I think that most African countries actually have a better informal social safety net than countries like the US...but there are fewer of the more formal welfare programs and stuff - A Swat. African

Answer here

In the recent past it would seem to AIDS watchers that African elites (business and political) were not visibly active in the fight against the disease in Africa and worldwide. To a large extent that is a pretty fair accusation.

Few people imagined that the epidemic would so sorely affect Africa. According to latest figures, 80% of all AIDS patients live in Africa. In Zimbabwe, which with Botswana has the highest incidence of Aids, life expectancy is likely to fall from 61 to 39 by the year 2010 because of Aids. One in four people in the country is HIV positive. The situation is so bad that in a recently released British government study, it predicted that that if left unchecked, the epidemic will result in the disintegration of a significant number of Southern and Eastern African countries. We also know from the experience of these countries that AIDS is definitely not a disease of the poor. Wealthy Africans are just as affected by the epidemic as less-to-do Africans.

Most African elites at home and abroad have been galvanized into action by these chilling facts. Infact one of the reasons that African nations whole-heartedly endorsed Kofi Annan for a second UN Secretary-General term is because of the attention he has showered on the African AIDS epidemic.

On the local front, SASA will contribute its widow's mite to the effort by actively supporting all AIDS-related events here at Swarthmore.

The simple answer to this question would be no. The main difference between infection rates in Senegal and Uganda is not due to cultural differences between the two nations. Across Africa, economic factors as well as governmental public policies (tautology?) largely determine infection rates.

AIDS struck Uganda in the 1970's but reached Senegal in the 1990's. It was not until 1986 that Uganda launched a highly succesful full scale campaign against the further spread of the disease. Senegal began its fight against AIDS as soon as it was detected in the country and subsequently the virus was coralled pretty early. Check out this website for detailed info: www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol12no4/pioneers.htm

Unfortunately, they are some in the Western world who seriously believe that if "those Africans would be a little less promiscuos they wouldn't be dying from AIDS". That view is wrong since African populations (generally) aren't any more sexually active than American or European populations. I hope that more African governments would take the path that Uganda and Senegal are taking in the fight against AIDS. - Kwabena Adu

Although the problem of war afflicts some African countries, these war-torn countries are thankfully in the minority. Here is a list of countries that are **currently** in the throes of one kind of civil strife or the other.

Swat has a large number of Ghanaian students cos Swat has a high profile in Ghana. Last summer when I went home to Ghana everyone that found out that I was at Swat was so impressed, unlike out here where people at the mall ask where Swat is. In Ghana I've actually had someone compare Swat to Harvard. More Ghanaian students apply to Swat than from other countries, and hence there is a higher yield as well. - Nii Addy.

As to the names Addo and Addy (I don't know anybody at Swat called Addi), it's a coincidence that there seem to be "many" at Swat. Considering that the Addys are related, and the Addos are related I guess I can compare that to having generations of families going through Swat. That's my take on it. - Nii Addy.