PAUL AYEPAH

Paul Ayepah is 36 and a member of the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers’ cooperative in Ghana. As well as running his own farm, he has been elected as the Recorder of the Gyeduakese Kuapa Kokoo Society in the Asankragwa Area in the Western Region of Ghana.

Paul has two children – one at school, and the other still a baby. He has 12.6 acres of land which his wife Gladys helps him farm. On average they produce around 38 bags of cocoa a year. Apart from cocoa, he also grows foodstuffs like plantain and cassava. He has an oil-palm plantation and rears other animals like goats and sheep.

He has been a member of Kuapa Kokoo since 1999, and he was elected as Recorder the same year, and re-elected in 2003 and 2007.  His role as Recorder means he is responsible for weighing and paying for the cocoa all the local Kuapa farmers bring to him.  48 farmers are currently bringing their cocoa to him and he encourages others to join Kuapa Kokoo too.

Paul says: “Before Kuapa Kokoo came here, buyers used to come and cheat us and say the wrong weight.”. 

Now that he is Recorder local farmers are a lot happier. “They trust me. I was born here – they know how I am.

“They trust me with their money. I feel happy because it makes the farmers happy to get prompt payment, so I don’t have any problems with the farmers.

“May role is to educate the farmers about better care of their cocoa – if a farmer comes with inferior cocoa I will explain how the come back with better cocoa. The farmers need to spend the right time for fermenting and for drying, depending on the weather.”

In Paul’s village there is now a water well. “We used to fetch water from streams but it was not good water,” he says.

Paul Ayepah has tasted Divine and his message to chocolate lovers in the North is:
“Please buy more Fairtrade chocolate because we make good quality cocoa and we sell it to Divine. The right beans make good chocolate and we get money to develop our communities.”

JULIANA FREMAH

Juliana Fremah lives in Amankwatia village.  She is a cocoa farmer with 12 acres of cocoa trees, and a member of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, which co-owns Divine Chocolate Ltd in the UK.  Born on 10th February 1950, Juliana now has six children, and seven grandchildren.  Her husband has his own 42 acre farm.

As well as tending to her farm daily - whether it be weeding, planting, or the long period of harvesting - she is also treasurer of her village society's womens' group, and looks after all her grandchildren, getting them dressed, fed and off to school!

She joined Kuapa Kokoo in 2000, and is very clear about what joining has meant to her.  "Getting together to form a Women's Group, which Kuapa encourages us to do, meant we could get a Kuapa Credit loan, and use the money to plant secondary crops like Okro and Cassava.  Money from these crops helps in between cocoa harvests.  Since joining Kuapa we have been able to build our own house."

"If not for Kuapa, I would not have enough money to feed my family, or enough to sell all year round.  Kuapa Kokoo has really helped me!"

What makes her happiest is knowing she can support her family.  She also really enjoyed a special worship week she attended organised by Kuapa.

Her message to the UK "Thank you to all you in the UK who buy Fairtrade Divine and Dubble made from Kuapa Kokoo beans.  Now I can look after my grandchildren.  Please buy more and God Bless You!"

SAKINATU RAZAK

Sakinatu Razak lives in Aboabo Camp, a village in the Central Region of Ghana, with her five children.  She is 32 and she and her father are members of Kuapa Kokoo. Sakinatu works on the farm, and belongs to her village Kuapa Women’s Group.  “Cocoa farming is hard work,” she says, “but I have to do it.”

She has belonged to Kuapa Kokoo for five years, and she sees one of the biggest benefits as being able to access a loan from the Kuapa Kokoo Credit Union, which she has used to capitalise additional trading enterprises, such as selling fried fish and rice, to help cashflow in between harvests.

“I want to educate my children to the highest level,” she says – a priority for most cocoa farmers.  She has two children in the village school, which was built with Fairtrade premiums.  “The Kuapa Kokoo school is very good – the best in the area, and my children can now speak English,” she adds.

Her message to UK chocolate lovers is “Please buy more Divine chocolate, so I can get more money for my children’s future.”