Kaneshie Market. Mission: Cassava

At Kaneshie market we were on mission. Our mission was cassava. Part of our class is to map the commodity chain of one good, and ours is cassava. We spent about 2 hours speaking with various cassava vendors to better understand where value is added in the cassava value chain within Ghana. 

For example, we want to understand where cassavas are sourced, and how much was paid for the product. Where/from who do vendors purchase their cassava? Is it directly from the producer, and if not do they even know who the producer is and where they are located?

We're also interested in who the vendors' main customers are? Individuals? Restaurants? And then of course we're interested in profit of the vendor (versus the middleman versus the producer). 

I didn't feel too great this day. Actually, I felt like shit. We were on our feet for a few hours and I started to feel faint. Maybe it was due to the heat and dehydration, the orange I ate earlier that day that may have been rotten (but that's another story), or from staying out late dancing to reggae music at the beach the night before (and that is yet another story). Anyways I decided to sit down on a step leading to the second floor when a young girl got my attention and motioned for me to come sit in one chair in front of her hair braiding shop. I politely declined at first, but she even more politely insisted that I didn't sit on the ground because it was dirty. Her gorgeous smile drew me in. Although I wasn't a customer, I was relieved she let this 'obruni' take up the one chair in front of her business. Just one of endless examples I can think of demonstrating how Ghanaians are genuine, kind, and generous people. 

They noticed my camera and asked me to take a picture of them. Immediately after they asked if I had a Ghana cellphone number and wanted my contact information. Ghanaians are extremely friendly when it comes to exchanging contact info.

Woman cassava vendor outside Kaneshie market.

These two female cassava vendors are also the producers. They grow and sell the cassava at Kaneshie market as a family. I forget what the mother's name is, but I remember her child's name was Reina.

Fresh coconut break with some of the NYU Wagner kids.