The 1960s were a golden era in Ghana’s cocoa history.
Under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, the post-independence government prioritized cocoa as the cornerstone of the country’s economic development, making Ghana a leading producer of cocoa in the world.
During this time, Topease, a village nestled in the hills of the Eastern Region, was a haven for cocoa farming. Many migrant farmers lived there, sharecropping on lands owned by families in the nearby town of Asamankese.
Among these farmers was a couple who, despite being migrants, became well-integrated into the Topease community. The husband, in addition to cocoa farming, was a pastor, and his wife was a trader. Together, they raised several children, emphasizing the importance of formal education while also teaching them the life skill of farming.
While all the children attended school, they also learned to farm by helping on the family’s cocoa farm. Farming was a skill their parents believed essential in their agrarian community.
However, one of their daughters, Paulina, didn’t make it far in school. “My head was not helping me,” meaning she struggled to keep up with studies. By the time she reached Form Two, Paulina decided to leave school.
But while she struggled with academics, Paulina had always been passionate about trading, a trait she likely inherited from her mother. After dropping out, she started selling condiments the village while continuing to help her parents on the farm. Later, she sold Kenkey with pepper and fish. The money from this business bought her first farmland.
Today, Paulina’s parents have passed away, and many of her siblings have moved to Accra, pursuing various careers. Some followed in their father’s footsteps as pastors, while others became traders like their mother. Paulina, however, remained in Topease, continuing both her farming and trading.
Now married to a cocoa farmer, Paulina has a total of about 10 acres of cocoa. She also sells sachet water in the village. In her own words, “I cannot live without selling something.”
Like her parents before her, she has ensured that her children are skilled in farming. “All of them know how to farm. They went to school, but I made sure they also learned how to farm. They can choose not to pursue farming, but they must learn the skill.”