Black Magic

The cocoa harvest has begun. As I’ve mentioned before, cocoa is the main cash crop for the villagers and so previously empty pockets have started to (comparatively) bulge. This has a variety of knock-on effects. For instance, the Libya bar is open a little longer and the music played a little louder; the churches start appealing for funds “to guarantee their congregation a place in heaven”; prices seem to creep up etc etc. The effect even dribbles down to the kids. In recent evenings, the peace of the village has been broken by gangs of youths wandering round with firecrackers, teeny red torches, whistles and, weirdly enough, cheap harmonicas. Good job its too hot for hoodies, I say.

Yours,
Disgruntled of Humjibre

PS. Only joking, its obviously good for the village to have more cash sloshing around. Things that have been on hold for months, if not years, finally get done and people are understandably happier with life. Families can finally afford to send their kids to school and the market stalls sell more than the usual tomatoes/stale fish/plaintain/bread offerings. Earlier this year, GHEI set up a Cocoa cooperative that gives the local farmers access to improved methods and agric inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. Advice was the only thing provided free of charge, so the farmers had to take micro-loans with the Agricultural Bank to implement changes. The hope is however that, weather permitting, the cocoa yield will be improved to an extent that payment of the loans should take place next year, if not this. The Humjibran Green Revolution starts here.