JT: Things are never easy or seamless when you’re working with farms so far away. Even transferring the money was not easy as the banks didn’t wire in their currency (Cedi), and it caused weeks of delay. Rikolto has done an outstanding job of launching the program, but report that even gathering these busy farmers for instruction on Village Savings and Loan (VSLA) is tricky. Each coop has days when they Those days vary by farm, so the trainers often must stay for days to ensure that each farmer is given instruction. Despite these initial bumps in the early stages, things are moving along very well, and we have already planted a seedling nursery with cocoa, shade tree and we have dug two bore holes for wells to be closer to the villages to relieve the burden of fetching water which typically falls on women and children. The wells are also important for the seedling nursery and for other endeavours like pig farming which help the farmers enjoy income over more months.
Jean and Ellie Thompson conducting their Women For Chocolate program in Ghana
KennedysConfection.com
What were some surprising insights or experiences you gained from your recent trip to Ghana that you hadn’t anticipated? JT: Ghana is a country with so much natural beauty but with more than its share of struggle. The people are kind, welcoming and curious. We hired a driver to take us into the bush and we still correspond to this day on WhatsApp. The drive was long and the roads rough. You can’t take our basic privileges for granted in Ghana: running water, air conditioning, paved roads, availability of a place to get food. These were things we experienced and for the locals, the list is far more extensive. After many hours of driving, we arrived at the beautiful jungle home of the Three Mountains Cocoa cooperative deep in the heart of the eastern region. It was March and extremely hot, dusty and humid but we were met by all the village chiefs for a welcome ceremony, to thank us for digging a bore hole for a well and funding a seedling nursery. They dress in beautiful, brightly coloured and patterned traditional garb. Unlike the rest of Ghana, English is not their primary language and even in this small area, there were a variety of languages spoken. They passed a bottle of local liquor around to toast us and when we took a swig, they burst out laughing, surprised that delicate Americans would partake in this tradition early in the day. One of the chiefs who spoke a bit of English invited my 27-year-old daughter to stay and help farm but told me it was OK for me to leave. He mentioned it a few times, always
Kennedy’s Confection October 2024 17
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