I am currently in Ghana to experience Cadbury’s Bicycle Factory delivery. This is their second delivery in two years thanks to the help of Canadians who participated in the online project.
Yesterday I flew to Kumasi City, just North and West of Ghana’s capital of Accra. It was the last leg of my 24-hour journey but I will be based in Kumasi for the rest of the week. The city itself is bustling. Petrol stations, women carrying everything from baked goods and plastic bottles of water on their heads, men selling bandanas and chocolate bars in the streets, and entire buildings painted red for either Vodafone or Coca-Cola advertisements. Cars drive on whichever side of the road will get them to their destination the quickest as burnt orange sand kicks up dust clouds in their wake.
Upon my arrival we traveled to Bipoa, about 90-minutes outside of Kumasi City. Cadbury’s Bicycle Factory was delivering 100 bikes (although they have 600 more for this community). We enjoyed a ceremony with local elders, the (acting) Chief of the tribal community, and very proud members of the Kuapa Kokoo fairtrade cocoa union.
You say “Kuapa!”, they say “Papa Paa!” a slogan which the women to shout with hands raised.
I will share the full details of the bike ceremony in a few weeks, but I can’t help but post a few photos right away.
After a speech during the ceremony there would be a musical interlude where the women would get up and dance to worship songs.
We also presented the Chief with school supplies for the children who are too young to receive bicycles.
After the bicycle presentation we then met with school children, had snacks in a local church, walked out to a cocoa farm, learned how the cocoa is processed, and talked to the Chief’s adviser privately.
There were some children at the bike ceremony, in their maroon and gold or blue and white uniforms, however most appeared around the community after school hours. They played soccer among the dried leaves of the cocoa farm or on a grassy patch near the road in front of the church.
It was clearly stated by the President of the Kuapa Kokoo union (who is voted in by the cocoa farmers) that every woman sitting there today was to make sure their child received an education. Even so, there are reminders everywhere about the evils of child labour.
Kuapa Kokoo as a Fairtrade certified organisation takes this issue of child development and protection from exploitation by adults seriously and as such has invested heavily in programs that promote the wellbeing of children.
For example the cooperative has used a substantial part of its Fairtrade premiums to build schools in some communities it operates in to promote the development of children. Also the cooperative has together with other like-minded organisations sought funding to organize kids camps, webcasts, video conferences etc. to ensure that children in rural Ghana are abreast with the happenings in the world.
The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, Kuapa Kokoo, and other organizations ensure that the children of these Ghanaian communities will be doing nothing more than playing among the cocoa leaves.
Warming up to our presence, their inquisitive faces turned to big bright smiles as soon as you waved your hand or offered them a high-five. Darius and his iPhone 4 were an instant hit.
It’s funny to think that someone in Vancouver who bought a fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk bar at 7-Eleven and went home and typed in the UPC code online could actually influence one of these children’s lives – but they most certainly did.
We’re heading to a community today that received bikes in 2009 so we’ll get to follow up on their cycling lives. They are in a more rural location so it will interesting to see the different impact.
Please note: Photos were taken with the permission of the community.
Disclosure: I have not been paid by Cadbury to participate in this trip. However, they have covered my accommodation and airfare to come along and document what I experience.
Over the last ten years or so, Beaver Lake in Stanley Park has been slowly disappearing. While it is home to plenty of wildlife, from ducks to an actual beaver who has been chipping down trees over the years, it’s becoming boggy and overgrown. Skunk cabbage and lily pads cover mud patches which, during the summer months, dry up and soak up what little water still flows through from the creek.
I heard on Vancouver is Awesome‘s 100.5 The Peak segment this weekend that a campaign is underway to save Beaver Lake that would see an investment of $100,000 for dredging and restoration by the Vancouver Park Board. Without these efforts, the Stanley Park Ecology Society says the lake could dry up within the next decade or two.
Beaver Lake was a popular recreational spot 100 years ago and was dredged in 1929 to remove mud. The introduction of water lilies in 1937 and the construction of the Stanley Park Causeway, which cut off a water supply, began Beaver Lake’s slow decline. The onetime 6.7-hectare lake is now smaller than four hectares and no more than 1.2 metres deep at any point. The $100,000 is to pay a consultant to develop a strategy for Beaver Lake’s survival, which will likely involve more dredging. [Vancouver Sun]
The Vancouver Park Board will now look at proposals from consultants about how to go about doing the work on Beaver Lake.
Lost Lagoon (named by E. Pauline Johnson) will also soon be in trouble. It never used to be land-locked and is slowly filling up with sediment and overgrowing with invasive species. Find out more about the Stanley Park Ecology Society at the Nature House at Lost Lagoon including their “Ivy Busters” volunteer programs in the summer.
I am currently somewhere in the middle of my 18-hour journey to Ghana, West Africa (and have scheduled this post for publication). I have been alluding to this trip on Twitter and Facebook as three weeks ago I was invited by Cadbury to be a part of the final leg of its Bicycle Factory campaign. I am the only person from the West Coast who was invited along on this trip and I will be joined by Darius Bashar, a blogger and social technology evangelist from Toronto.
Since 2009 Cadbury has been running the Bicycle Factory program that has encouraged Canadians to enter UPC codes online from their Fair Trade Dairy Milk bars, Caramilk, or other Cadbury products in exchange for digital “bike parts”. For every “digital bike part” a real bike was assembled. These bicycles were delivered to villages in Ghana later that year and I’m coming along for the next delivery of over 4,000 bicycles this week.
Here in Vancouver we may take bicycles for granted — either renting tandems for a cruise around the sea wall, or cursing a road closure to allow for the construction of a bike lane. However in the Ghanaian villages I will visit, it means so much more. Children, youth, and families can now travel further, faster, without walking or missing out on school or services that are not available within the vicinity of their homes.
Cadbury has a large presence in Ghana as cocoa is a one of the country’s largest industries. In 2008 they established the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, local governments, farmers, and communities and in 2009 they committed to establishing Fairtrade status. Cadbury, who since achieved status in 2010, currently partners with Kuapa Kokoo, the Fairtrade Certified Cocoa Farmers Co-operative that ensures those working in the cocoa industry to are able to achieve a sustainable livelihood. Please note: I researched this background information myself when I was considering the trip and was not supplied this information by Cadbury. I have also not been paid to participate in this campaign.
I have no idea what to expect in terms of the bicycle delivery this week, the visits to the villages, and meeting these families, but I am very much looking forward to everything that I will learn.
With my grandmother (my beloved “Oma”) still in the hospital, I left with much anxiety, a heavy heart, and tears bubbling up from so many emotions. This is most definitely an adventure of a lifetime and I know she wants me to go. I look forward to sending her video messages from Ghana and kissing her cheek upon my return.
All posts from this trip will use the tag: Africa. Disclosure: My airfare and accommodations have been covered.
Today being Valentine’s Day I have had several inquiries about activities, events, and suggestions for intimate dining around Vancouver. I thought that this would be the most opportune time to re-activate my “Top Five” series and present my list of the Top Five Places for Romance in Vancouver.
Stanley Park
Whether you’re a casual jogger on the sea wall or trail enthusiast like we are, Vancouver’s crown jewel is filled with lush evergreens, scurrying wildlife, and breathtaking views of the inlet, mountains, and our city of glass. On a rainy day, path-side creeks swell and bubble and when the sun shines, it illuminates the thriving scenery like a theatrical spotlight. During the summer months, grab a frosty treat and head to the sands of Third Beach. In the winter, toast your mitts with a cup of tea, walk hand-in-hand, and rub rose-tipped noses together at Beaver Lake, on the Merilees Trail, or Lovers’ Lane. You can also stop in for lunch or dinner at the cozy Teahouse.
Seasons in QE Park
Vancouver’s restaurant scene is so spectacular that it’s often tough to make a dining choice. So many have have fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and BC wine selections that sometimes it purely comes down to the atmosphere. Seasons in QE Park offeres a panoramic view of the entire city from atop Queen Elizabeth Park and the dining room is all class with courteous staff and candles to set the mood any day.
Cloud 9 at the Empire Landmark As previously mentioned, there are many great options for dining in Vancouver and again my choice for this Top Five is one place with a view like no other. We go to Cloud 9 at the Empire Landmark on Robson purely for the view and the comfort food (usually offered in a 3-course prix-fixe menu) isn’t terrible either. It takes a full hour to make your way around the revolving restaurant that towers 39 floors above the rest of the entire West End.
Look out and see the glimmering lights of the city, the skyscrapers in Burnaby, snow-capped North Shore mountains, and the ships that sway back and forth in English Bay. With plenty of points of interest to mention to each other throughout your lap above the city, you can slow things down over a candlelit meal. The ceiling even sparkles with thousands of tiny lights, replicating the twinkling stars outside the 360 degrees of windows. The best time to go would be just before sunset.
Granville Island
Some of my favourite days are those that find us hopping a False Creek Ferry from the West End over to Granville Island. Stop in and grab ingredients for a home-cooked meal, enjoy a donut or treat from the bakery, stroll around and visit artist studios (maybe try your hand at glass blowing), tour the Granville Island Brewery, and catch a show at one of the many theatre companies like the Arts Club or Waterfront Theatre.
Rogers Arena
A sporting event might not be your idea of a lovey or lusty spark-inducing venue but if you’re both hockey fans, it’ll definitely do the trick. Walk to the arena, share a bucket of popcorn, and bond emotionally while riding the roller coaster that is a Canucks game. Be sure to pay attention to the big screen in case you’re up next on the Kiss Cam.
If the Canucks aren’t in town, I recommend heading to Score on Davie to watch our boys in action. Sink into a white leather booth with soft cushions and enjoy the game from one of the many large LCD screens. At The Charles Bar in Gastown you can also grab a private booth complete with your own television.
Lighthouse Park
This is an honorable mention as it’s not in Vancouver but it once again offers a naturally beautiful setting and impressive views. Walk in from the parking lot, passing ferns and thick-trunked cedars, then take a seat and watch the waves crash against the rocky shores.
Other than that, if you’re downtown in the summer why not try some dancing at Robson Square? Learn to salsa, swing and waltz with your partner during these fun, free evenings.
I’d love to know some of your favourite romantic spots, please feel free to list them in the comments.
By the time you read this, Hockey Day in Canada will be over so I thought I’d give you a run down of my day full of activities surrounding the event. After a good night’s sleep after the Gala Banquet, it was off to the main hub of Hockey Day, Canada Games Centre. This was where CBC Sports had setup outside on an ice rink made just for the event:
The first event in the morning was the Scotiabank Women’s Hockeyfest clinic, which had numerous NHL and Olympic athletes holding hockey clinics for community women. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
