{"id":430614,"date":"2025-02-09T08:12:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T07:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/toy-soldier-jonathans-dream\/"},"modified":"2025-03-15T08:09:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T07:09:18","slug":"toy-soldier-jonathans-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/toy-soldier-jonathans-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Toy Soldier, Jonathan&#8217;s dream"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-430481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Jonathan-with-tools.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jonathan &#8211; \u00a9Marco Siciliano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">The sun scorches the orange ground of this open car office in Ablekuma, a western district of the Ghanaian capital. On a plastic bench near the parking slots, the radio of Mr. Quaye, the chief mechanic, blends Twi and English in the homilies of a pastor. It\u2019s Sunday, but broken cars know no rest days.   <\/p>\n\n<p>Seated on a pneumatic wheel, a twenty-year-old boy drenches in sweat, but his young smile is brighter than the rusty white car he\u2019s fixing. His name is Jonathan, but he tells me the friends he plays football with call him <em>Balo<\/em>. He\u2019s the youngest among the crew of mechanics\u2014Mr. Quaye\u2019s newest apprentice.    <\/p>\n\n<p>Despite his age, something different lurks in the eyes of this man. Where Balo\u2019s shirtless colleagues swear over soulless packets of tin and rubber, he sees a playground nurturing a dream, but I soon discover it\u2019s not about football.  <\/p>\n\n<p>A glimpse of scorn crosses Mr. Quaye\u2019s face when I steal his apprentice for a talk.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"margin-top:0\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper has-smush-lazyload-video\"><div class=\"lazyload smush-lazyload-video smush-lazyload-youtube\" style=\"--smush-video-aspect-ratio: 800\/450\" data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=smush_video_thumbnail&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FTNcNN8ZQIaM%3Ffeature%3Doembed&#038;video_width=800&#038;video_height=450)\" ><iframe title=\"TOY SOLDIER - Jonathan&#039;s Dream | PART #1\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TNcNN8ZQIaM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\"><\/iframe><span class=\"smush-play-btn\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<span tabindex=\"0\" class=\"smush-play-btn-inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Play<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p>Protecting his country and the people he grew up with has been on Jonathan\u2019s mind since his childhood\u2014a time when, after watching a movie with his classmates and teacher, he saw in a military uniform what inspired his vision. <\/p>\n\n<p>Jonathan doesn&#8217;t make me wait too long before spilling the beans. The \u201ctoys\u201d he juggles\u2014these wrenches, screwdrivers, holed wheels, and hot car hoods\u2014will make him what education could not: a soldier. <\/p>\n\n<p>The question is legitimate, how does a mechanic who hasn\u2019t completed secondary school become a national soldier?<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper has-smush-lazyload-video\"><div class=\"lazyload smush-lazyload-video smush-lazyload-youtube\" style=\"--smush-video-aspect-ratio: 800\/450\" data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=smush_video_thumbnail&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FGIdfjs395Gs%3Ffeature%3Doembed&#038;video_width=800&#038;video_height=450)\" ><iframe title=\"TOY SOLDIER - Jonathan&#039;s Dream | PART #2\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GIdfjs395Gs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\"><\/iframe><span class=\"smush-play-btn\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<span tabindex=\"0\" class=\"smush-play-btn-inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Play<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A project for the future<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">For Jonathan, working for Mr. Quaye isn\u2019t just a job; it\u2019s a plan. A journey he expects to last three years. A period meant to teach him the art of craftsmanship and repair.   <br\/>Once his training is complete, Jonathan will obtain a certificate from Mr. Quaye\u2014a document he will present to the army, testifying his ability in dealing with vehicle maintenance. With that, he hopes to be accepted as a technician soldier, crawling the ranks to fulfill his dream. <\/p>\n\n<p>Jonathan\u2019s eyes grow misty, and a few forced smiles attempt to hide his sorrow when asked about his father, who passed away when he was younger. Knowing that his father would have not liked seeing him giving up on his dreams motivates Jonathan to keep on working through hardships.   <\/p>\n\n<p>Now, it all starts to make sense. This is when these screws, hammers, drills and allen keys lying on the burned ground of a car office in Accra stop being just toys, but they become tools for a man to craft the life he dreams. <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper has-smush-lazyload-video\"><div class=\"lazyload smush-lazyload-video smush-lazyload-youtube\" style=\"--smush-video-aspect-ratio: 800\/450\" data-bg-image=\"url(https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php?action=smush_video_thumbnail&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FcBtKcf9_iHE%3Ffeature%3Doembed&#038;video_width=800&#038;video_height=450)\" ><iframe title=\"TOY SOLDIER - Jonathan&#039;s Dream | PART #3\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cBtKcf9_iHE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\"><\/iframe><span class=\"smush-play-btn\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<span tabindex=\"0\" class=\"smush-play-btn-inner\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Play<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a garage in Accra, a young mechanic dreams of becoming a soldier. Jonathan uses his skills to pursue his dream of serving his country <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":430479,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_tracks":0,"wds_primary__dg_original-language":0,"wds_primary__geo-map":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1123],"tags":[1181,888,942],"tracks":[1172],"_dg_original-language":[1038],"_geo-map":[1194],"class_list":["post-430614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-borderline-lives","tag-children","tag-testimonials","tracks-talks","_dg_original-language-english","_geo-map-ghana-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430614"},{"taxonomy":"tracks","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tracks?post=430614"},{"taxonomy":"_dg_original-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_dg_original-language?post=430614"},{"taxonomy":"_geo-map","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_geo-map?post=430614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}