Hohenheim Master students also learn from Ghanaian women farmers

Since we have arrived in Chereponi – Ghana in June I, being one of 4 Master students of the University of Hohenheim, have learned so much. One might be thinking we are here to find solutions to problems faced by the women farmers of the Anoshe Women’s Group – and this is true to a certain extent. Yet we are learning from the knowledge of the local people: women and men, who have many years of farming experience in this Northern region of Ghana.

Not only in farming are we benefiting from them. People here are so receiving and the welcomed us very warmly. We felt at home from the beginning.

Women dancing upon our arrival

Things I have learned from them so far are how to ride a motorcycle, how to sow soybean and maize in the local way, how to weed with a local hoe, how to get natural rope from shrubs, how to greet in the local language and so much more…
I’m sure it is not only one-sided and the locals are also learning from us through the work we are doing, even though they may sometimes think we are crazy when we are sorting soybeans for days, walking through the bush cutting grass with scissors or digging holes to observe the soil…

I hope in the end when we go back to Germany we will leave a whole bag of ideas and approaches to improve the women’s situation in Chereponi, but I’m sure we will take an even bigger bag of impressions and newly-gained knowledge with us.