Comfort Kumeah

Comfort Kumeah lives in the small town of Mim in the Ashanti region of Ghana. She is a member of Kuapa Kokoo cocoa growers’ cooperative and was recently elected the national secretary for the farmers’ union and the head of the farmers trust.

Comfort is a mother of five and a grandmother. She teaches at her local primary school as well as farming cocoa. Her classroom of kindergartners often exceeds 120 students. She works on the farm whenever she isn’t teaching, on Saturdays and during the school
holidays.

“Before fair trade, we growers were cheated. People adjusted the scales. We got little money from the purchasing clerks and no bonuses. The growers’ welfare was neglected. I joined Kuapa Kokoo because I saw it was the only co-operative which could solve some of our problems – they trade without cheating, with the welfare of the growers at heart. There are many problems with poverty. During the lean season there is no money. Now there is a Credit Union we can borrow to keep our farms. The Annual General Meeting is also very good. Growers make their own decisions. . .

Comfort Kumeah visited the US for the Valentine’s Day 2006 launch of Divine Chocolate.

Juliana Fremah

Juliana Fremah lives in Amankwatia village. She is a cocoa farmer with 12 acres of cocoa trees, and a member of the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative, which co-owns Divine Chocolate Ltd in the UK. Born on 10th February 1950, Juliana now has six children, and seven grandchildren. Her husband has his own 42 acre farm.

As well as tending to her farm daily - whether it be weeding, planting, or the long period of harvesting - she is also treasurer of her village society's womens' group, and looks after all her grandchildren, getting them dressed, fed and off to school!

She joined Kuapa Kokoo in 2000, and is very clear about what joining has meant to her. "Getting together to form a Women's Group, which Kuapa encourages us to do, meant we could get a Kuapa Credit loan, and use the money to plant secondary crops like Okro and Cassava. Money from these crops helps in between cocoa harvests. Since joining Kuapa we have been able to build our own house."

"If not for Kuapa, I would not have enough money to feed my family, or enough to sell all year round. Kuapa Kokoo has really helped me!"