Paige Affinito, intern

Nestled within a bustling fish and produce market is Ghana’s biggest bead bazaar, Odumase- from which Global Mamas sources many of the beads found in our jewelry and ornaments. Piles of brightly colored beads adorn rows of wooden tables; small seed beads, traditionally worn in strings around women’s waists, hang from each vendor’s walls. While some strings of beads cost as little as one cedi (about 30 cents), the older and more traditional clay beads are much more expensive.

Many Global Mamas work at this market selling their beads to a wide array of customers. Last summer, a group of interns traveled to the Odumase-Krobo area, where the bead market is located, to interview the bead sellers. Emelia, a member of Krobo’s quality control team, guided the interns around the market and introduced them to each Mama. While the interns held interviews with each Mama, jotting down hurried notes on small pieces of paper amongst the hustle and bustle of the crowded market, Emelia worked as a translator.

She quickly translated the Mamas’ native language of Krobo to English, and the intern’s English to Krobo. The Mamas were happy to meet and be interviewed by the interns, eagerly describing how they got started in the bead business, their hopes and future goals for their businesses, and recommendations as to how Global Mamas can help them be more successful.

For many, selling beads is a family tradition that has been passed down for generations. One bead seller, Barbara Tetteh, has been selling beads for 15 years! When asked what she wants her customers abroad to know about her, Barbara Tetteh said, “Selling beads is my family way, a tradition that has been passed down from my grandma to mother to auntie, and me!” She is very proud of her family’s traditional trade, as it is a meaningful part of Krobo’s culture.

To read more about the bead sellers in the Krobo market, visit our Krobo Meet the Mamas stories here.

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