Many have left; and continue to leave.

They are out there as citizens of the world. And, they are still Ghanaians! They are the lost tribe of Ghana. Many leave, never to return. Ghanaian Diasporans come from all tribes; some more than others. They are males and females, young and old, literates and illiterates, able-bodied and disabled. They are in different jobs – from accomplished professionals to stinky grinding odd jobs. They give birth, marry, remarry, get sick, die and are buried – some corpses make it on the arduous and very expensive journeys to several villages and towns in Ghana for grand burials. (Don’t ask me why).

We are everywhere – in all corners, counties, countries and continents of the world. Go to Ice Land; some are there. There are certain countries you expect Ghanaians to relocate to, especially our traditional colonisers and world super-powers, the so-called first world economies like Britain, France, Canada, USA, Germany and Russia, and these days – China, Japan, Taiwan and the likes.

There are other countries to which you might just nod and say – "Hmm, OK." These include: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Chile, South Africa, Lebanon, Brazil, Thailand, Turkey, Israel, Cape Verde, Jordan, Cuba and Cyprus.

But then, Ghanaians are in countries that might leave you perplexed, and wondering, you ask: "Why, oh why?" Or in understandable disbelief, you exclaim: "No!! Not possible." Fact is, you might never have heard of some countries with exotic and unpronounceable names, so justifiably, you ask with a fish-like look on your face: "Where’s that?" And, some places are dangerous! You might therefore be shocked to find out that Diasporan Ghanaians could be found in such unthinkable parts of the world; the very stinky armpits of the globe. These include: Kiribati, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Fiji, Liechtenstein, Laos, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Samoa, Luxemberg, Kyrgyztan, Estonia and Croatia.

What sends them out there, what causes the dispersion? For many, the abject lack of good old money provokes, entices and beckons the desperate to flee from our shores. Money swine! These are the economic refugees who leave with the super-sized dream to find wealth and return home to become ‘somebody.’

Others however leave with a curiosity to know the world. Some others leave for further studies to enhance their knowledge and deepen their skills. In the days of autocracy when fear ruled us ruthlessly, some simply run away, very fast, into exile, to save dear life. A common characteristic of these departures is that once a person catches ‘the itch’ to leave, for the most part, there is no turning back. It is: ‘Aburokyiri, or I go die.’

You simply cannot stop a rhino from charging! Desperation and determination combined are two powerful forces. So some sell the family heirlooms – houses, vehicles, jewellery and anything saleable within reach, or borrow money – then take off, to the unknown, but with the highest expectations ever, while loved ones heartily cheer them on with deep pride and uncontrollable envy.

Can a tribe be lost? There is a myth that won’t go away about the lost tribes of Israel. It claims that of the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob (the tribes), ten went into exile following the Assyrians’ conquest of Israel in 722 BC leaving only two tribes (the descendants of Benjamin and Judah) to inhabit Jerusalem.

So what might have happened to the descendants of the ten dispersed tribes of Israel? The myth, which has gained credence through DNA, points to the presence of Israelites and the continuities of Judaism in some unlikely parts of the world – England, Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Arabia, Mexico, China, Burma, Central Asia, Russia and you guessed right – Africa, in of course Ethiopia, but even in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe? Yes, Mugabe’s Zimbabwe! Well, someday, DNA tests might confirm the otherwise quickly dismissible oral tradition that claims that Gas originated from Israel! Hmm!

So tribes might not necessarily get lost. They simply disperse. Some do return though. Through dispersion, the Ghanaian Diasporans might gain strength and like the Jews, whether or not they return home to live in Ghana, they could become a force that can help to power our efforts at national development. Synergy is priceless!

My belief is that most (all?) towns, villages and families in Ghana have someone who left "in search of greener pastures" and on whom so much hope lies, to return one-day some-day may-be to spread the green and to create pastures where none exist and to bring much-needed vibrancy to their otherwise dull, meagre and desolate existence. Some return to fulfil these expectations, partially or beyond measure. Others get lost in fuzzy global transit – never heard of again, lost to the wind.

Fifty, 72 or 109 years from now, would the offsprings of the Ghanaians we gleefully see off today, especially those who never return, be considered Ghanaians or would they be lost to the world? Already, there are Ghanaian-Americans, Ghanaian-British and Ghanaians only-God-knows-what lots-of-other-things. They are our unofficial ambassadors. We are global! Once upon a time, I was a lost tribeswoman too, a proud but restless Ghanaian in the Diaspora. No more! Home sweet home.