This post is part of an ongoing collection of photos exploring the joys, contradictions, incongruity, and ridiculousness of urban living. I am particularly drawn to the ways in which privilege coexists with poverty and deprivation. As a photographer and poet, I hope to offer an authentic perspective on how people adapt to the complexities of urbanity.
Google defines juxtaposition ( https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=google+dictionary#dobs=juxtaposition ) as:
‘the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect’.
In this post, I share glimpses of life on two sides of the Accra-Tema railway line as seen from the Airport Residential Area of Accra.
Two men walking on the railway line at dusk. The track is a thoroughfare for many people.
Another walker on the railway line. In the background is Villaggio, an iconic high-end residential address.
Children walking home after a football game in a dirt field nearby. Notice the informal settlements on the left.
Even when the train was operational (pre-COVID-19) it ran only twice daily - once in the morning and once in the evening. For the rest of the day, the track is a free-for-all.
In April 2020, a fire broke out in this crumbling and abandoned development along the railway line. The fire was said to have been started by squatters.
The smoke as seen from the grounds of the Accra Polo Club. The railway track (concealed by the bushes behind the stables) runs between the club and the abandoned property. The fire was not as close as it seems in the photo.
The buildings were pulled down in April 2021, one year after the fire. They had become too unsafe for the squatters who lived there.
Young men scavenging for metal in the building during demolition.
A view of the Accra Polo Club at twilight, with Villaggio in the background.