Food Processing - Community visit!

After a week of work at ITTU, the team was very excited for our community visit trip this weekend.

On Saturday we packed the tro-tro to leave for Konongo at 7:30am. Konongo is a market town in the center of the village’s communities. Here we stopped at a local bakery owned by our partner’s family and picked up our partner to help us translate throughout the trip. We also got ingredients for dinner by squeezing through a small open market, as well as mattresses for the night.

tro-tro with matress packed on top at our overnight stay

Peanut butter (left) at the Konongo market. In Ghana, most foods are wrapped and sold in plastic bags.

Then we departed for the three villages Wyaso, Nyanpenase and PKK, where we looked at the women’s machines and fixed any issues in the hot sun. Children in the communities crowded around us as 'O bruni' (foreigners) is a rare sight for them.

Wyaso village, the first one we visited

At Wyaso a nut on the lead screws of the press came off so we changed 2 handles with new nuts onto the lead screws. We also collected samples

At PKK, we met with one of the most productive user of QueenTech’s machines Auntie Ak in her yard.  Her machine had several issues: it was overheating so rust and bearing rubber was oozing out of the bearings, and the weld on the foot broke so it was re-welded in an incorrect way. We decided to take away her machine with us to fix it.

One of Auntie Ak's son using a good grater to grate cassava

From left to right: QueenTech's program manager in Ghana, a friend who owns a bakery in Konongo who translate for us on the trip, Kinsford, Auntie Ak's husband who is an agricultural extension officer and Ben

Auntie Ak with two helpers tying up a bag of cassava to press

Then we headed to where we are staying overnight. The women there cooked a delicious groundnut stew with rice balls and yam chips for us, which we enjoyed in the twilight. We also had fun hanging up bed nets in creative ways. All the Oliners slept on the patio outside the main house, while the others slept in the rooms inside.

The yard we stayed at for the night

Groundnut stew with garden eggs and chicken

Bednets we hang outside on the patio

On Sunday we visited another community Adomkrum, where QueenTech has three owners Auntie H, A and R. Auntie H is our first customer. She has a great fashion taste and takes care of her machines very well. In Adomkrum the tech team fixed issues on Auntie H's machine and checked on R's machine. The business team interviewed Auntie H and R for a potential funding partnership. When asked what is her dream, Auntie H said she wanted to produce more and more gari. She mentioned that high schools now include gari as their lunch and she wants to supply for that. The more gari she produces, the more she can provide for her own children (which she has many). Queentech's program manager also had a successful conversation with A's husband about payment options, and received some money from him for grater loan repayment!


Auntie H and her husband

Regina with her grater

One of the many cute goats munching around freely in the villages. There are also many chicken (free running) and other animals, along with the children.

We have accomplished and learnt a lot on this trip, as well as met many hardworking and warm people (including the queen users). After two long days in the heat without showering, we headed back to the guest house for a cool shower and rest.