Beyond Cocoa

Dates

2021 - Ongoing
Author

Carolin Hirschfeld
Topics Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Documentary, Editorial, Portrait, Social Issues
Location Ghana, Ghana

I spend some time with the cocoa farmers to get to know the living conditions in Ghana.

Most of the inhabitants of Oparekrom are cocoa farmers. They live here in the village to grow cocoa, as their organic cocoa plantations are located all around them, which they visit and tend every day. The plantations are not large and often belong to a landowner who lives far away from the village in the city. They have to share the harvest with him. However, the annual yields and the cocoa prices, which are set by the state in Ghana, are so low that the income is not sufficient - and certainly not for large families. Despite this, residents have decided to live here and grow and sell cocoa. At the same time, they actually have to create additional income opportunities. But in the small village, which is far from the main road, this is anything but easy.

During my three-week stay in the village, I visited all twelve houses in the village to get to know the inhabitants better. To understand why they have chosen this place as the center of their lives, I simply asked them how it came about. Where were the inhabitants born and why do they live in Oparekrom today?

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project

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Christabel - she helped me out as interpreter. She is the daughter of my host family. Since she was 4 years old she lived with her grandma in the small town Aburi.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project

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Akosua has four daughters to support. She was happy to spend the whole day with me and taking pictures of her and her daughters.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - View out of Brights room. He left it to me during my stay and spent the night in the cocoa warehouse instead.

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View out of Brights room. He left it to me during my stay and spent the night in the cocoa warehouse instead.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Dina lives with her four children in her father's house.

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Dina lives with her four children in her father's house.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Yassa has built herself a house and would like me to contribute a sum of money in exchange for the photos.

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Yassa has built herself a house and would like me to contribute a sum of money in exchange for the photos.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project

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Oforiwaa is still very active: she washes by hand, she fills the water cans and she cooks for herself and her husband. Oforiwaa died after a sudden and short sickness during my stay in 2022.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project

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Evelyn tells us that she is depressed. She has a piece of land, but cannot use it because of her illness. She dies soon after from an illness.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Food storage instead of refrigerator.

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Food storage instead of refrigerator.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Dinas father

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Dinas father

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Ekua - the neighbor of my host. She always called me "My name" because my name is also Ekua - wednesday born.

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Ekua - the neighbor of my host. She always called me "My name" because my name is also Ekua - wednesday born.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Yao live with George and help on the cocoa farm during their time off from school.

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Yao live with George and help on the cocoa farm during their time off from school.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Capi wants to become an engineer.

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Capi wants to become an engineer.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project

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Under the new bridge we built together with the farmers we took some photos of the fermented and dried cocoa beans and a fruit.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - View out of Brights room. He left it over to me during my stay and slept in the cocoa storage.

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View out of Brights room. He left it over to me during my stay and slept in the cocoa storage.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - This house is a home for more than three families.

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This house is a home for more than three families.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project

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Francis is sick but his grandma cant afford the treatement. So he has to stay in house during the daylight as otherwise his eyes and skin are hurting.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Kwarme and Yao live with George and help on the cocoa farm during their time off from school.

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Kwarme and Yao live with George and help on the cocoa farm during their time off from school.

© Carolin Hirschfeld - Image from the Beyond Cocoa photography project