Ghana and Development, Part 2

35%-40% (inclusive mining) of Ghana's income depends on the primary sector
Source: this webpage

Looking at the graph above, please note there is very little manufacturing, most of the country's income comes from its natural resources which includes gold. Check this article for Ghana's gold production and its recent decline. Our van driver told us about illegal gold production in which he participated till he had an accident; he came out uninjured but not everyone is so lucky. Just like in the Amazon area and beyond, i.e. in Brazil and neighboring countries, people hope to get rich fast, they dig on the surface and also below ground to get to the desired metal, they use mercury to separate the rock from the gold in the process of which they endanger themselves as well as the environment. 

On the African continent Ghana is the second largest producer of gold after South Africa. If you are interested in the topic here is a book I can recommend; it is about a South African mine and its effects on the people. It is called Gold and the link will get you to an interview with the journalist author. 

House Building

The photo above shows how houses are built in most of this area--first there is the framework out of wood, then the walls get filled it with moistened soil (=mud) which will dry and be as hard as rock. The color therefore is that of the soil, sometimes this gets plastered over with more moistened soil of a different consistency for smoothness.

Farmsteads
The farm belonging to Kwame's brother is similar to that of Kwame--a large square surrounded by the necessary farming sheds.

The square--center of the farm. To the right: food storage shed.

The food storage shed was kept very clean, the walls and floor were very smooth--most of the foods kept were dry foods and/or bananas. This is due to the absence of refrigeration.

The dishes get washed in the center of the farm; there is neither sink nor faucet nearby.

From the Soil to the Plate
The most important staple food in this part of West Africa is cassava, a carbohydrate. It is grown in large fields and can be harvested for about five years. It is a tuber, so when the tuber is harvested, the plant will be placed back into the soil. After five years the cassava tuber contains too much cyanide and the plant must be replaced by a new plant. Again, this is done manually by taking the entire plant out, harvest the tuber and pant a new cassava plant. Below a cassava field:

Here is a photo of the cassava tuber being brought to the market :

In the photo above you see a young man pounding the cassava roots into little pieces--water is added to make the mixture smooth. If plantain is added to the mixture, the dish will be called fufu. Below you see fufu with a fish.

The dish is properly eaten by 1) washing your hands with soap --bowl to the right--and 2) then eating with fingers. In between one can wash one's hands.

Fufu is served with all kinds of stews; the one above is a popular one with cooked goat's meat.

Unpounded cassava pieces can be dried over heat and pounded at a time when needed--this is particularly important for rural areas without refrigeration.