“Little by little the chicken drinks water”
Blog number two from our Tony's Kennedy who is with the Abocfa farmers' cooperative in Ghana.
As you all read in the previous blog by Kennedy – our Ghanaian Amsterdammer –, Kennedy is with the farmers' cooperative Abocfa in Ghana. He is here to help Abocfa draw up a business plan to increase cocoa production. Then we can make even more delicious chocolate! In this blog you can read how his research is progressing...
Hi Tony's fans,
Here I am again! It took a while, because access to the internet is difficult in Aponoapono. For internet I have to go to nearby Suhum, but then there just has to be a trotro (small van) available or a 'shared taxi' to get there. And we succeeded!
But that is not the only adventure here in Ghana. We – a few colleagues from Abocfa and I – have given ourselves the name 'Field Officers'. Why? You can read more about that in a moment, but first how my research started.
A flying start
In January, Arjen – Tony's chain director and my supervisor – visiting here. During those days we visited various people and companies: cocoa traders, organizations that train farmers and local cocoa experts. We rushed from one appointment to the next, everything according to a 'as tight as possible' plan (quite a challenge in local Ghana). But super useful for my research!
After Arjen's visit, I am now back in Aponoapono near Abocfa with the farmers. I am getting closer to the villagers. When I walk on the red road with my bag full of books, forms and laptop, I am greeted friendly and with a smile everywhere.
'Field Officers'
But why do we call ourselves Field Officers? Well, first of all, in Ghana almost everyone has a title. But also because the 'Field' is where everything happens! Here we have to look for cocoa farmers to interview them. Together with three other Field Officers I went to various farming communities. We all do that on foot.
We started in Kokotesua (kokote means wild pigs, sua means river – there used to be wild pigs near the river so no one dared to go there). Our search then took us to the farmers in Safrosa (the village's river). And finally at the community of Kokoanu ('the place of cocoa').
At the end of our first campaign we walked about 15 kilometers around the three communities. My mission was to interview ten farmers, unfortunately there were only three. But as one of the Field Officers said: you have to be happy with the three, it often happens that you don't get to speak to anyone at all. And of course you can look at it that way...
'Onua aha je abotere abotere'
And so I notice that I have really become a 'cheesehead' in a number of things. Then my colleagues at the abocfa office say; onua aha je abotere abotere (brother, it is quiet and peaceful here). And I think, oh yes, I am not in the Netherlands where everything is arranged and appointments go according to plan. Here you have to learn to let go and improvise.
Illiteracy
During one of my campaigns I asked a farmer how old he was. “80,000 Years!” he replied. I laughed and thought he was joking, but he was dead serious. When I saw his card, I said: Dad, you are 81 years old!' (still very old for a farmer!) He replied: 'How can I know that if I haven't been to school?!' is indeed the disability of many people in Ghana. There are still a lot of people who are illiterate at the moment.
Fortunately, the large majority of the young generation goes to school,
but unfortunately the facilities are often not good enough. For example, there are no toilets in the schools here in Aponoapono. Tony's is working to improve this and has partners and fans who can help. For example, the Maartens college from Haren raised money with a project in which they learned about fair trade, and they visited Abocfa. The money raised is now being used to build toilets!
There is still a lot to be done
I think it is a shame to see that the farmers here cannot experience how special this fertile soil is. That the fantastic quality cocoa beans are very valuable. But their daily reality is different. They grow more besides cocoa: such as bananas, palm nuts, cassava, yam and papayas. Unfortunately, ignorance sometimes leads to poor maintenance of the fields and poor maintenance leads to little harvest. As a result, it produces little income, making it difficult to pay school fees for the children or to take a sick person to the hospital. This creates a downward spiral. These are important issues that bother me and sometimes give me sleepless nights. I now see what certification can contribute, but also that this is only a first step. Certification alone is not enough. It is mainly the long-term relationship and structural cooperation that are necessary in the coming years to realize change step by step.
Last wise African words
Sometimes things go slower or differently than you planned in advance. But one of the farmers said to me: Kakrakakra akoko benum nsuo (little by little the chicken drinks water), which means: Be happy with everything you do get. I'll remember that!
On behalf of the farmers of Abocfa, warm regards and see you again soon!
Kennedy Aduko
