Bechem

“‎The simple truth is that you can understand a town. You can know and love and hate it. You can blame it, resent it, and nothing changes. In the end, you're just another part of it.”  -- Brenna Yovanoff

I loved these little orange flowers that blossomed throughout town.  That yellow umbrella near the car is a phone credit stand.  These were everywhere for all of the different networks throughout Ghana.  

Bechem, Ghana is a tiny town northwest of Kumasi in the Brong Ahafo region.  Approximately five thousand people live throughout the town.  Some people have nice homes, but many people live in rundown scantily thrown-together structures of mud and stone.  Here you see the depths of true African poverty from the non-school attending, shoeless children, to the men and women sleeping on wooden benches.  However, on the other hand, there are businesses flourishing and I can get what I need and I can get to where I need to go.  It’s a small, tight-knit community.  Slowly over time, I built some relationships with different vendors and came to somewhat like (love would be a stretch) this little place called Bechem.

On campus, I would shop this little place for eggs, detergent, or an occasional coke.  A teacher on the campus ran this shop with his family.

If I needed fruit, this is where I went in town.  The woman was always insistent that I speak in Twi.  So I got my kwadu (banana) and abrobra (pinepple).  Our exchange always ended with a hearty Mi da say! (thank you)

For sugar, tuna, noodles, or a variety of other goods, this was my girl.

Here I shopped for vegetables.  There was never a time I saw this lady and she wasn't smiling.  A lovely, lovely woman.

Going to Sunyani, I jumped in a taxi for 2.50ghc.

For Kumasi, I got a trotro at this station.  2.80ghc.  

Last, but definitely not least, was the seamstress.  My roommate goes to this lady, so I followed her lead and had her make a few dresses and tops for me.