On my first visit to Ghana in October 2022 I had decided I wanted to wake up at the Co-operative House in New Koforidua, Africa's first fair trade town.
I knew that the house had been built with people like me in mind - fair trade campaigners who had a thirst for knowledge about the lives of the farmers and workers who grow the treats we love.
Having spent twenty years sharing photos and videos of cocoa farmers and their farms the opportunity to talk to them first hand, to learn about their lives - the challenges and joys of cocoa farming was too tempting.
However when I arrived at the house, it was impossible for me to hide my disappointment. Two years of covid had meant no visitors. Walking into the large central room I found a bare concrete floor, a plastic table and two plastic chairs. There was a bucket on the floor catching the rainwater as it dripped in. I bent to sit on one of the chairs and it collapsed under me - only three of the legs were attached.
I was with my then driver, now my husband Samuel who had been involved in building the house initially in 2011. He was as disappointed as I was, and we started to talk about the places he routinely took clients while acting as a professional tour guide. We agreed that The Co-operative House had the potential to be a fantastic AirBnB listing with some investment and a lot of love. We asked the Chief and elders if they were happy for us to proceed, and they gave their blessing. The Chief's words have followed me ever since. "We are the first fair trade town in Africa. But what does that mean? What does fair trade mean for the people of New Koforidua." It was a big task to turn the house into the answer to that question.
We knew we needed to do significant renovations and wanted to employ predominantly local labour and suppliers. The tiles and paint were from a supplier in the nearest town, Konongo, and we engaged local carpenters, painters and electricians to refurbish lighting, fans and window frames. The walls were covered in laminated sheets of A4 telling the story of the house - reminiscent of a primary school classroom but not suitable for a hospitality venue. They were carefully removed and cleaned, before being filed away as an archive. Back in the UK I ordered six large posters which we took to a place in Kumasi to be framed. They now tell the story of fair trade, the town and the house in a professional way.
We commissioned a sofa and coffee table to be made from pallets which now dominates the central space. We have added bookshelves and a range of board games for guests to use.
The kitchen is equipped with plenty of crockery and cutlery, storage and a new fridge, kettle and toaster
Our three bedrooms - two doubles and a twin - are simply but comfortably furnished, with ceiling fans throughout.
We are really proud of all the people who have worked so hard to make the Co-operative House as warm and welcoming as it is, and we can't wait to say "Akwaaba" to our first guests. You can book now via the Airbnb platform and if we can do anything to help you plan your trip please email us: allsfairtours@gmail.com
But the work doesn't stop here. The idea has always been to increase and diversify incomes for the people of the town, so our future plans include a Cocoa Kitchen where cocoa farmers and their families are able to bring the cocoa beans they have grown and use them to make chocolate, cocoa butter and other products for local sale. The kitchen should be available by the end of 2024. We have trained three people from New Koforidua to make chocolate and they will be holding workshops to share their knowledge. It will also be possible for guests to take part in a chocolate making workshop.
In 2025 we plan to open a tourist cafe, staffed by locals and selling locally made products to help bring more people into the world of The Co-operative House.
All of this is only possible thanks to the people who book us to deliver workshops and talks, buy our products and donate to our social enterprise
So on behalf of All's Fair, our sister organisation The FIG Tree and the people of New Koforidua: Medaase!
Kommentarer