Clear as glass in Koforidua, Ghana

After a fresh fruit filled breakfast we piled into the bus and headed east and north. The lush rolling hills became shop filled streets. and we made a short stop at almost the exact center of the globe. Zero longitude and a mere 17 miles to zero latitude (that would be just off the coast in the ocean).

On the outskirts of Koforidua, the picturesque landscape led us to number of krobo bead studios. Krobodan Beads is an NGO with a mission to assist the marginalized in the community. Agnes met us and explained the several services and training programs the organization provides for the community including making jewelry with local glass beads to sell at the market. Our group brought donations of clothing and art supplies which were happily received. The time to make jewelry had arrived.

It was not a simple task to choose beads from the amazing collection. We each made a bracelet and a necklace with some assistance from Auntie Christie, Agnes and a few others, they will all be worn with pride and sweet memories.

The weekly bead market in Koforidua is known nationwide for its beautiful and intricate glass beads. That is tomorrow’s first stop. Today, in order to get a better appreciation for the craft, we went to a small family run bead producer to learn the process. The beads are made from repurposed glass bottles. Our group made some nice empty bottle donations including the highly sought after Bombay sapphire gin bottles for their specific blue color.

As Okla was making the final preparations for the weekly bead market, his brother Oscar gave us a full lesson in the art of glass beads making. There are many steps, it is very hot and time consuming. The oven is made from termite clay which can maintain very high temperatures without cracking. The molds for the beads are made from clay and can be in many sizes and shapes. The glass must be broken and reduced to small shards and pebbles. Powdered glass is used to paint the beads like glaze. Needless to say, the process is lengthy and tedious. The results are beautiful. The final steps include washing the beads with sand and then a final hand polish before market. There is a whole new level of appreciation for glass beads.

Glassy eyed and wearing glass beads, the moon was one more pearly white bead to end the day.