Farmer's Day

Last Friday was Farmer’s day in Ghana, a day when the work the farmers do is celebrated. We were invited to join Grace and her mother who is a farmer to go to a nearby village where the celebrations were taking place for Ho Municipality.

So Michael, Aidan (A new VSO volunteer who is based in Kofuridua) and I followed Grace and her mother in their posh 4x4 in our little Kofi. Kofi had got its road safety worthiness the day before and had been spruced up for the test. Walla a very helpful mechanic had helped Michael get that sorted (this of course involved some dash – backhanders) and for the first time it did not break down when we travelled away from Ho. Walla is a bit of a magician with the car (as well as a nice guy) – healing hands and is fascinating to watch as he tinkers, teaching the young men he employs on the job – a perfect example of the master tradesman – apprentice model.

Grace knew the organisers so we left when she had a call from them that the Minister was on his way. It was meant to start at 9:00 a.m. and we left at 10:45. On reaching the village not much was happening but a lot of people had already gathered for the event. There were goats on sale and produce for sale including lovely chillies (hot ones I was informed), other vegetables, huge yams and plantains, ground nuts still with the roots (or is it stems) attached – never knew they grew in clusters like that and many other interesting things – even locally grown potatoes. When we return from our holiday we will definitely be going back to the village to buy fresh produce.

A little while later the dignitaries arrived and went round the whole place greeting everyone (got to shake the head honchos’ hands) and then the endless speeches started. 3 hours later and after occasional musical interludes – lots of bobo (drumming) and waving of handkerchiefs and dancing – and some comic relief provided by a woman with painted face and huge backside (a pillow stuffed up her wrap) messing about with her skinny sidekick (far more interesting to the locals than the boring big man words) - the prizes were given out and surprise surprise, Grace’s mother got the best farmer in Ho prize and (of course) we were asked to join her at the podium to receive her prizes (motorbike, microwave, insecticide sprayer, willies and lots of other small items). Many people got bicycles (nice, big chunky Chinese ones), machetes, sprayers etc. One person also got a television! We wondered how you get to win but then some questions are best left unasked.

The local chiefs then started to leave – the usual bling, under an umbrella and fanned throughout – a young man assigned to carry the royal throne. Next the VIPs – sirens – a police motorcade and the Captain (retired), our local mp was driven off followed by the Municipal Chief Executive, the Coordinating Director, Agric and a whole retinue of lesser mortals, all of them wearing matching shirts and dresses made from special farmers day cloth. Cute! We headed off out to meet Dick at a spot in Ho before he disappears off to Mali for a week and I managed to lose my camera on the way.

So major panic when I discovered the loss at the spot – manic rooting about in bags – disbelief and that apprehension and gloom/doom, hoping against all odds but deep down knowing that it had gone. We quickly retraced our steps to discover that a woman had seen someone pick it up outside the shop where we had stopped to drop off some empty bottles where I must have dropped it. It turned out that a security guard at a nearby office had it and sure enough I found him with his mate fiddling about with the camera. He was about to contact Volta Star radio to announce the lost camera – I was a happy person indeed and another good example of the fine upright citizenry here in Ghana. Yo! So back to the spot and finally an ice cold beer and a chance to chill.

Photo opportunity for the two of us to show we were in the midst of the award ceremony as the token "yevus".