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Beyond the Books: The Real Cost of Tertiary Education in Ghana
By Jasmine Legon, Ghana — Under a corrugated-roof hostel near the University of Ghana, 22-year-old Maame Esi carefully scoops rice into containers for lunch orders. It’s 6:30 a.m., and her day as a food vendor is just beginning — well before lectures start at 10 a.m. “I have to hustle to stay in school,” she says. “My fees are paid, but there’s no money for anything else.” Maame is one of tens of thousands of Ghanaian university students navigating a complex web of tuition, housing, feeding, and social pressures. While headlines often focus on admission numbers and academic rankings, the untold story is what it really costs to survive and…
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Can You Live on Minimum Wage in Ghana?
By Nomako Tema, Ghana — At 6:00 a.m., John Tetteh is already walking the dusty road to the construction site where he mixes concrete six days a week. His daily pay? ₵14.88 — Ghana’s official minimum wage as of 2024. “That’s if the contractor doesn’t ‘forget’ to pay me,” he adds dryly, adjusting the second-hand boots he bought from Kantamanto market for ₵35. John is part of a silent majority of Ghanaians living on or below the minimum wage. As prices continue to rise, the question looms large: can anyone truly survive on such a figure in today’s Ghana? Understanding the Minimum Wage Ghana’s daily minimum wage is set by…
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The Cost of Commuting: How Rising Transport Prices Affect Everyday Workers
By Nomako Accra, Ghana — When Lydia Mensah leaves her two-bedroom home in Kasoa at 5:30 a.m. each morning, the first thing she does is check the contents of her purse. On most days, there’s enough for transportation. But lately, that hasn’t always been the case. “I used to spend GH₵8 total for trotro from home to work and back,” she said, referring to Ghana’s shared minibus taxis. “Now it’s closer to GH₵14. It may not sound like much, but it adds up, especially with school fees, rent, and food.” Lydia is one of thousands of working-class Ghanaians bearing the brunt of surging transportation costs, a ripple effect of global…