Havilak Baskets - Ghana

Bolgatanga, or Bolga as it is usually called, is situated in the Upper East Region of Ghana in West Africa.  This area is poorer than other areas of Ghana, and the land is not fertile enough for extensive agricultural production.

Basket weaving has become a way for subsistence farmers to supplement their income during periods when crops are not being produced.   Consequently Bolga has become well-known internationally for its straw baskets, also known as the ‘Bolga basket’. 

Basket weaving is a long-standing traditional skill, but it is the quality straw or ‘elephant grass’ that makes the Bolga basket a high quality product suitable for export.  These baskets are woven from straw and are known by their distinctive leather handle.

Havilak Enterprises has joined up with ten basket weaving villages in and around Bolgatanga to produce and export their products.  Havilak has the support of the fair trade movement in Denmark and is a producer partner with Global Trade Denmark (a certified fair trade importer).  Havilak will eventually become a certified fair trade member with the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT), through the help of Global Trade Denmark.

Global Mamas - Ghana

Global Mamas is the brand name for products produced by a co-operative of individually owned businesses in Cape Coast in Ghana.  It is managed through the not-for-profit organisation Women in Progress.  All proceeds from Global Mamas sales go directly to the women producing the products and to the business development programs carried out by Women in Progress. 

Global Mamas is recognised as a fair trade manufacturer and distributor by the Fair Trade Federation (FTF) - a non-profit organisation in the United States comprising an association of businesses that follow fair trade principles. 

Global Mamas produces unique, high quality, handmade apparel, while providing sustainable livelihoods for women and girls in Africa.  Global Mamas has recently expanded its product lines to include recycled glass beads.

Ahiagble Bob Dennis - Ghana

‘Bob’ is a master Ewe kente weaver from Agbozume in the Volta Region in Eastern Ghana.  He is from a renowned family of weavers and now has his own business employing some 30 weavers, known as Authentic Traditional and Modern Kente Weavers.  Like most kente weavers, Bob started learning the various aspects of weaving from a young age.  He would help his father by winding threads onto bobbins, and then as soon as his legs were long enough to reach the treadles, he was allowed to start learning to weave.  Bob is very concerned about the future of traditional kente weaving as the demand for it is limited in Ghana itself.  He has had his business for the last five years and employs weavers in his home village (Agbozume) and others in his weaving village in Accra.

Bob wrote a book titled “The Pride of Ewe Kente” in 2004 which documents the history and traditions of Ewe kente weaving.  The book was funded by the Royal Danish Embassy in Ghana and the British Council. 

It is fascinating to watch the kente weavers in action.  They work from memory, rather than written patterns.  This task is made all the more difficult because they weave in narrow strips and a number of strips are then sewn together to form a large piece of cloth.  They must be able to repeat the same pattern with the exact same colours, designs and number of rows repeatedly so that the strips will match up when sewn together – a remarkable feat!

Paul Aponsah - Ghana
Paul is a brass caster using the ‘lost wax’ technique.  He lives in the village of Krofrom, near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, which is known for its brass work.  He is 29 years old and supports his elderly parents.  

When he was 9 years old, Paul started playing with wax to form shapes.  His uncle then taught him how to use the shapes to cast brass.  Paul was initially employed and trained and took over the business at the age of 24 when his employer moved away.

Paul now employs 25 people in his village and is very proud of his achievements.  Even though he has had little education, Paul has a skill that enables him to be proud of what he has achieved.  Paul was chosen by UNESCO in 2005 to travel to Italy for two weeks to learn about glass bead making.  He is extremely grateful for having had this opportunity and experience (although winter in Europe took a little getting used to!)  He is an active member of the Bead Society in Ghana and loves to share his knowledge about brass and beads and is very passionate about teaching people about the lost wax process and the traditional symbols that many of his products represent.

Fair Trade Quilts - Ghana
Fair Trade Quilts and Crafts is fair trade organisation based in the United States that has partnered with a new artisan group based at the Buduburam Refugee Settlement in Kasoa, Ghana.  The Buduburam Refugee Settlement was established in 1990 for refugees escaping from the civil war in Liberia.  Although civil war has now ended, the camp still houses over 40,000 refugees who, for various reasons, do not want to return to Liberia. 

The Fair Trade quilts are made by a sewing group which is part of a skill development program at the camp.  The program provides valuable vocational skills for the women, as well as income so that they can support their children.  The wax cloth print which is synonymous with Africa is bought from the markets in Accra and then sewn by the group into quilts.  The women are paid a fair wage for their sewing, and the remainder of the money raised from the sale of the quilts is returned to the project to expand its capacity.   The women’s children can attend a free school, as part of this innovative program.

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