Did you know...???

http://www.kuapakokoo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=80

I am sat in a stakeholder meeting with 40 cocoa farming community representatives from the District of Suhum in the Eastern Region of Ghana. In the meeting there are Chiefs, local Assembly Members, community members and District ASsembly Officers. The group represent 15 new communities who will work with Cadbury's Cocoa Partnership to help improve the livelihoods of Cocoa Farmers in this part of Ghana, who are amongst some of the poorest people here.

We have just listened to a presentation about the Partnership and I was astonished to hear that Cadbury's UK buy all of its cocoa from Ghana and that equates to 15% of all of Ghana's cocoa export.  The price that the farmers get for the raw product is disgracefully low compared to the final cost of the product in the shops. Much work is now being done to encourage Fair Trade, a fair price and a fair living for all partners in the process.  

Some of you will have heard of Divine chocolate.  The link above will take you to their site where you can find out how this Fair Trade organisation supports cocoa farmers here in Ghana.  You too can help make a difference to the lives of people at the bottom of  the cocoa supply chain by buying Fair Trade chocolate products such as Divine or Green and Blacks (I know many of you already do so).

Check out the website for  to learn more about some of the initiatives going on to make this world fairer and more just place for ALL not just the few.  You know.........

8 months in Ghana .....

October 2011.
http://thekexperience.okeiweb.com/past/ghana/cocoa-revealed-the-pod.html Ever wondered where your favourtie chocolate bar comes from? Click on this link to find out more

 For those of you tenacious enough to keep checking out my  blog I apologies for the large tracts of time in between posts.  I have been persuaded by my many friends here on the merits of using Facebook as a global means of sharing life experiences. To be fair to them it has been a bit of an eye opener for me. In the true spirit of 'sharing skills and changing lives' I  am able to now 'watch and be watched' by family and friends the globe over. Oh the pleasure and the pain, ha ha.

Some of you will know that I have transferred placement here in Accra. As of November 1st I am working as Volunteer Management Adviser with the Cadbury's Cocoa Partnership (CCP).  The partnership was established to improve the lives and livelihoods of cocoa farmers in Ghana. Trade in cholcolate earns the west billions of dollars/pounds every year however, Cocoa farmers remain amongs the poorest people here.  If you are interested to find out more about the lives of cocoa farmers in Ghana check out the NI articles from 1998 http://www.nhs.vic.edu.au/library/ni/issue304/contents.html

I will be working with the team and other international and national service providers to identify and establish corporate, international and local volunteering opportunities with cocoa farmers.  Previous research with farming communities in the cocoa producing areas has highlighted areas a range of support needs e.g. adult literacy, teaching, public health including sanitation and safe drinking water, environmental management, business development and women's empowerment.  I will be interested in any information that anyone has about volunteer management and/or development systems, training, etc. You can e-mail to iglynn2710@gmail.com.

I will try and keep you posted on my placement experiences. I get my first taste of cocoa farming life next week when I visit some communities in the Eastern Region.

October has been another good month for socialising (kakra kakra)  I met the Vice-President of Ghana at Osu Castle and went on to meet some MPs from the northern regions at Parliament as part of a fact finding tour by the VSO International CEO.  Last week (on our Birthday no less) Princess Anne paid a visit to Ghana. As patron of VSO she was very interested to hear the motivations of volunteers to do VSO and the variety of placements undertaken.  There are a couple of amusing photos on my facebook page.

I celebrated my birthday over 4 consecutive nights here and enjoyed every minute of it. Unfortunately as most activities occurred outdoors at nighttime the photos were rubbish but I will try and post a couple here just to brighten up this load of woffle!