Nature, Abandoned
Patrick stands tall against the backdrop of Mifetu, a small coastal village in Ghana that bears his family's legacy. "My father named this village," he says, with pride and sorrow in equal measure, as he looks at what the village has become. The ocean stretches before him, an endless blue expanse that was once brimming with life and sustenance but is now an empty reminder of what used to be. "Nature has abandoned us," he murmurs, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the sea meets the sky.
The humble village is a testament to this community's resilience, which once thrived on the sea's abundance. Speaking of times gone by, Patrick reminisces about the days when the waters teemed with fish, the sole source of sustenance and livelihood for his community. But those days are now a distant memory. "We have no fish left in the sea," he states, with a stare that conveys both the weight of a lost heritage and the uncertainty of an uncertain future.
Though Patrick's pride remains undiminished, his heart bears the scars of change. He fears he will be the last of his line to really know the ocean, as only those who have lived their lives on its cruel waves can understand. Yet, in his gaze, there remains a quiet defiance, a determination to honour the past while confronting the stark reality of the present.
