By Eline GADEGBEKU
BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEP!
Did you know that the highest form of pollution in communities in Ghana is noise pollution? From the early morning tea-bread seller boldly announcing her presence to the neighbourhood with “Yesssss tea bread!!!” to the ‘Hallelujahs’ and ‘Praise the Lords’ coming from the pastor on the side of the road, this has become our normal. So what’s the big deal?
Experts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tell us that we Ghanaians really do enjoy making noise! To be honest, as somebody who even plays music when studying or reading a book, I too enjoy “noise”! The booming honk of the garbage truck or loud conversations from across the street can break concentration, make schoolwork harder and steal peace of mind when it’s time to sleep.
Sometimes on Sundays, it feels like the growl of my father’s motorcycle and the harmonies from the church nearby take turns waking me up. Though there are some noises that cannot necessarily be controlled, there is no need to overpower those noises with just more noise.
Especially for Gen Z and now Gen Alpha — where it seems like attention spans decrease by the decade — even the smallest noise outside can hijack our attention, throw us off track and leave us scatterbrained. Loud noise can also cause lack of sleep, throbbing headaches and, of course, hearing damage — problems many adults face without even realising they’re directly linked to how noisy our environment is.
Noise is in our DNA
But out of all forms of communication, why loud, repetitive noise? This dates back to pre-colonial times when talking drums (atumpan) were used as a form of communication by mainly the Akan tribe, and gong beaters banged a loud gong to announce a message on behalf of a chief, elder or the village.
During the colonial era, music could not be dimmed out; it was instead used as a form of tension and rebellion against colonial standards, and it also brought about the introduction of music as a form of Christian worship. But it was truly during the post-independence period of Ghana that loud drums, booming megaphones and music playing all around were seen as a sign of celebration, identity and joy.
With all of this rich background, nowadays noise-making is ten times! Now, with easy access to speakers and microphones — the rise of roadside worship, the use of loud music to draw attention, and the need to alert others around you of your presence – like tro-tro mates shouting destinations or hawkers calling out what they’re selling – are at an all-time high. But how can we blame ourselves? This is who we have been even before the fancy name “noise pollution” came about!
The right way to be heard
Now the issue is: how can we preserve our lively and unique culture of loud sound and music while still maintaining our health and other important life factors?
To be fair, Ghana does have laws in place to control excessive noise. The EPA Act 490, passed in 1994, sets maximum sound limits for residential and commercial areas, and local assemblies even ban loud noise at night. The issue isn’t that there are no rules — it’s that many people either don’t know them or choose not to follow them.
Even in my household, if I am watching a video on my computer and my brother is watching a movie on the TV and his volume is high, my first instinct is to turn up my volume so I can hear my video, instead of telling him to turn his down. This easily causes the back-and-forth, sometimes passive-aggressive, increasing of each of our volumes, which then leads to me getting a headache or feeling weirdly tired — and the rest of the house feeling disturbed. All because I competed instead of communicating.
I don’t believe most people are intentionally trying to create so much noise. Not everyone is trying to outdo someone else — like in the case of my brother and me. In many cases, people are simply trying to be heard. A hawker might shout to sell their bread. A preacher might call out in an open space filled with cars, other vendors and fast-walking passers-by. They’re not competing — they’re trying to catch your attention. That’s why I think the real solution starts with awareness.
Many of us may not even know that Ghana has laws that prohibit loud noises. Whether you are a child or an adult, you can spread awareness to those around you about how certain activities can damage the hearing of both themselves and the people nearby.
Also, remember to be self-aware yourself! Keep in mind how many times you honk your horn, how many speakers you rent for just a small event or how loud you play your music at home.
In the end, we all want to be heard — but let’s make sure we’re not hurting others in the process. And if all else fails… buy earmuffs!
>>>This article is dedicated to my aunt, Selassie Dugbartey, for always encouraging my writing and supporting all my literacy projects — from book drives to Saturday reading sessions.
>>>the writer is a 13-year-old student, writer and literacy advocate. She is a member of her school’s newsletter club and the founder of Titanic Beach Readers, a community reading programme she created to help children in her neighbourhood fall in love with books. Eline is passionate about storytelling, empathy and helping kids discover their voices through reading. Through her writing, she shares her thoughts and experiences from a young person’s point of view—speaking to both kids and grown-ups with honesty, curiosity and hope. She
can be reached via [email protected]
