The village Adjeikrom has a special role in the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership. Along with scientists and Earthwatch, an environmental group, Cadbury runs a project called Earthwatch here in partnership with an environmental group and scientists. It’s all about sustainable cocoa farming.
1. Earthwatch and tourism
Earthshare, the environmental group that runs Earthwatch with Cadbury, has a base in Adjeikrom. The base includes accommodation for Cadbury staff and others from all around the world. They come here as volunteers to help the scientists carry out research into making cocoa farming sustainable. Adjeikrom rents out the accommodation to tourists when volunteers are not visiting. The village has developed cocoa tours for these tourists. All of this brings extra money into the village.
2. Fresh water wells
A new well was funded by Cadbury as part of the ‘Well a day’ campaign to build 365 wells in a year. Before the wells, people, often women and children, had to get their water from a stream far from the village and carry it back to where it was needed – a back-breaking task. Now, Adjeikrom residents have more time and energy for work or school, which helps them to increase their crops.
Clean water has improved the health in the village too.
Some benefits of the wells include:
Health
Reduced risk of diseases caused by unsafe water, e.g. cholera and dysentery
Reduced risk of diseases caused by too little water, e.g. scabies and trachoma.
Education
Collecting water is quicker and less hard work – children spend less time helping their mothers and there is more time for education
Reduced risk of disease, so children are less likely to miss school because they fall ill or, especially in the case of girls, need to care for sick relatives
Children are properly hydrated, so they can concentrate better
Diet and nutrition
More water available for crops, vegetables and livestock
Communities can use waste water, run-off or their old water sources to meet farming needs
Many families say they can cook better food
Family life
Many families say they can spend more time together, are less stressed and are more able to observe religious rites and customs
Women say they can look after their families better e.g. they can cook meals more regularly and eat at regular times
It is easier for people to wash themselves, their children, their homes, their utensils and their clothes more regularly, leading to a happier, healthier environment
3. Private School
Adjeikrom has two schools. This one is a private (fee-paying) Kindergarten and Primary school.
4. Public School
Adjeikrom has two schools. This one is a public (non-fee paying) Kindergarten, Primary and Junior High school.
Books
Cadbury employees have collected thousands of books to send to Ghana.
Cadbury has worked with some local communities and the Participatory Development Associates (PDA) to provide community libraries.
Books sent to Ghana by Cadbury employees
“I am 50 years old but I still remember when I was able to read my first book without help from anyone. I felt like a bird, free to dip into any book of my choice.
That is how it feels to be able to read. It is one of the basic skills all children ought to have. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Ghana. Cocoa farmers settle in very remote areas in the forest, where there are fertile lands. It takes some time before government is able to provide such communities with basic education facilities.
It is these remote communities that the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is supporting with a library building and books. The children are beginning to experience the joy and freedom of reading. As a result they are doing better in their examinations. In one community where previously only two or three children make it to Senior High Secondary School, this year over 10 children have made it, and the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership Library Programme contributed to this.”
Tony Dogbe, Managing Director of the PDA
5. Cocoa farms
Farmers in villages such as Adjeikrom receive regular copies of a free newspaper for cocoa farmers. The newspaper was launched in July 2006 by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana with the help of Cadbury and CABI [Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International]
The newspaper is written in simple English and uses illustration so that farmers with low levels of literacy can understand the messages.
More than 250 languages and dialects are spoken in Ghana, with Twi being spoken by many in Adjeikrom. English is the country's official language, used for education, government and business.
The newspaper allows farmers to share information about farming practices and technologies that could help them to produce more and better quality cocoa beans – which would be good news for the farmers and good news for Cadbury.
6. Education
Cadbury supports Digital Links International to provide ICT training in Ghana’s teacher training colleges and secure the donation of old computers in the UK which can be refurbished and sent to schools in Ghana. Cadbury offers enterprise loans to help people to start small enterprises. They also sponsor apprenticeships to that people can master a trade e.g. carpentry, baking or hairdressing.
Cocoa farmers can go to a Farmer Field School to learn about different techniques which may help them to increase their crop or improve its quality, so that they can earn more money.
7. Diversification
As growing cocoa is seasonal, farmers earn money at some times of the year, but not at others. Diversification, or growing more than one crop, can help.
The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership will offer loans and advice so that cocoa farmers can start to grow other crops alongside their cocoa, making sure that they can earn money all year round.
8. The main road through Adjeikrom
Adjeikrom is off the Kumasi–Accra main road. One end of the road that runs through the village joins the Kumasi- Accra main road. The other leads to a town called Beforo, the capital of the Fanteakwa district.
More visitors have been coming to Adjeikrom since Cadbury and Earthwatch have been working there, so the people of Adjeikrom requested some speed bumps for the main road going through the village to help deal with the extra traffic.
A bus runs through Adjeikrom, taking people to Begoro and other surrounding villages. Buses in Ghana do not follow a timetable. They move then they are full.
9. The market
Many people in Adjeikrom grow some of their own food and sell any surplus at the local market. There is no specific market day – people do this every day of the week.
10. The church
According to the 2000 government census, 69% of people in Ghana are Christian, 16% are Muslim 16% and 15% hold traditional African beliefs.
11. The football pitch
Football is very popular in Ghana. It's national football team is known as the Black Stars.
12. The disused railway line
There is a disused railway line running through Bososo, a town near Adjeikrom. It was constructed over fifty years ago to convey cocoa, timber and passengers to Accra and Kumasi.