Queen Elizabeth II Visits Ghana Image: Creative Commons

Ghana was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence from British colonial rule.

Since that time, however, and since independence the country had been beset by a history of economic instability and social upheaval.

This led to a series of military coups and failed civilian governments.

In 1979, a young Air force pilot staged yet another coup and ousted the sitting military junta

He embarked on a ‘house cleaning’ exercise.

Many people were summarily convicted and either  sent to jail for long periods of time or simply executed.

He pursued policies which rescued the country from economic oblivion but at what cost?

This documentary looks at ordinary people who lost loved ones through the ‘house cleaning exercise’ of Jerry John Rawlings and the orphans left behind.