Stacey Knott

Aside from how I handle the heat in Ghana, one of the most common questions I get about my life over here is ‘‘how safe is it?’’

It’s difficult to answer. Like anywhere in the world, you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you just try to mitigate immediate threats as much as possible.

I recently posted a photo on my Instagram of my kitchen, showing how you cook by torchlight when the power is out, something I am getting good at.

Someone asked me if I was actually in prison, noticing the bars over the windows.

I can see why she asked, but steel bars over the windows is the norm here. Every window in my apartment and in my office has metal bars. Shops, businesses,

As terror attacks spread to West Africa, looks at security in Ghana.

schools, public and private buildings have this same, uninviting look.

So, the fact that we need to barricade ourselves inside might not seem ideal, but it’s a necessity.

Burglaries seem to be a top conversation topic, people talking about the ingenious ways robbers will get what they want, sometimes despite the bars.

There’s the sticky tape on a pole