Anne Sophie Avé And 2 Other Foreign Ambassadors Who Became Very Integrated With The Ghanaian Society
- Ghana, like other countries, has had many diplomats residing here but a few of them have stood out thanks to their outgoing nature
- Jon Benjamin, the former British High Commissioner to Ghana, was known for his iconic tweets about social issues in Ghana as well as individuals such as John Dumelo and Obinim
- Anne Sophie Avé, former French Ambassador to Ghana was one social butterfly who grew very close to many Ghanaian celebrities and got crowned as a queen mother in Osu
- Former Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Gregory Andrews was a very driven environmentalist who joined forces with Ghanaians to organize clean-up exercises
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The popular perception when it comes to ambassadors in any country is that they are very busy individuals who work tirelessly to protect the interest of their citizens in foreign lands and to provide a safe place where they can always run to in times of need.
Regardless of their busy schedules, there have been a couple of ambassadors in Ghana who were very intentional when it came to getting to know more about the Ghanaian culture and the people. Three such diplomats have been highlighted below by YEN.com.gh.
1. Jon Benjamin, former British High Commissioner to Ghana
Source: Instagram
John Benjamin served as High Commissioner to Ghana from 2014 to 2017 and during that time, he was known as the most socially interactive diplomat Ghana ever had.
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He contributed to Ghanaian debate, occasionally drawing criticism for the way he casually mentioned some delicate domestic matters.
Jon Benjamin developed a following for his tweets on topics that were widely discussed during his time. Bishop Daniel Obinim, the contentious founder of the International Godsway International Church, was one of his favourite targets.
In an interview with Joy News as he prepared to leave Ghana, the former British High Commissioner spoke on his experience in Ghana saying that sometimes, the British humor he shared was taken too seriously by some Ghanaians.
Jon Benjamin is currently the British Ambassador to Mexico.
2. Anne Sophie Avé, former French Ambassador to Ghana
Source: Instagram
Anne Sophie Avé was the former French Ambassador to Ghana. Her position as France's ambassador to Ghana commenced from 2018 to 2022. While here, she hosted the TV chat program called "Touch of France".
By touching down and making friends at every step with her active socializing abilities, Anne-Sophie established herself as one of the most engaged ambassadors of Ghana. Numerous celebrities from Ghana appeared on her chat program.
In an interview on Joy News, Anne shared some of the things that were cultural shocks to her when she first landed in Ghana. One that stood out to her was the difference in time management between her home country, France and Ghana;
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"The Ghana times were somehow surprising because in France when you have an appointment at a very specific time, you arrive 10, 20 mins before. If you arrive late, the person expecting you might be offended.
But if you take it that way in Ghana, you are going to be offended by many people. You just have to understand that it's just a relaxed and laid-back way of doing things in Ghana and they don't mean to disrespect at all", she said.
On Thursday, August 11, 2022, Anne Sophie (Akosua) Avé was enstooled as a queen mother in Osu in recognition of her community-building efforts and earned the stool name, Naa Narley Owaa Oman I.
3. Gregory Andrews, former Australian High Commissioner to Ghana
Source: Instagram
The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Gregory Andrews commenced his role in 2020 and it lasted for just a year until his next posting.
During his short time in Ghana, he was known as a diplomat who was intentional about getting to know the natives of his host country and also participated in a number of community works due to his love for the environment.
A typical instance was when he joined forces with the Ghana Wildlife Society along with over 100 volunteers and embarked on a clean-up exercise back in 2020 on World Clean Up Day.
Gregory captured the hearts of many Ghanaians with his modest lifestyle, which included going to neighbourhood barbershops for clean haircuts and buying products created in Ghana like clothing with African prints.
In an interview, he was asked what a typical day for him as the Australian High Commissioner in Accra was like and he described it with two words: different and surprising. He also shared some of his unforgettable moments as an ambassador in Ghana;
"Sometimes the highlight of my day was giving a speech or meeting a particular person. But other times, the thing that touches me was the face of a child with a disability smiling at me through the window of my vehicle at the traffic lights. One of the best things about being a diplomat anywhere is the awareness I get every day of our common humanity; I may be in Ghana, I may look different but I felt the connection with real people", he said in an interview.
At the conclusion of 2021, Gregory made the decision to go back home and live as a full-time father and environmentalist.
Anne Sophie Avé: French Ambassador Shares Difference Between Ghana and France; Netizens Find It Amusing
Still on ambassadors, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Anne Sophie Avé landed in France following the end of her term here in Ghana, and she had some stories to tell. After an emotional farewell party which trended over the weekend, the diplomat posted a couple of tweets informing her followers she had arrived in Paris.
The first tweet saw Her Excellency point out the differences in handling luggage at the Kotoka International Airport and the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. She also showed appreciation towards the porters at the airport here in Accra. Anne Sophie Avé wrote;
Landed in Paris: Me: I have 12 suitcases can someone help me, please?
Luggage service: you should have ordered online. So I carried all 12 by myself.
In Ghana; Me: I have 12 suitcases, can...oh thank you guys! All cases are in the car before you are done asking.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
