This is the captain of our boat on Lake Bosumtwi, the only natural lake in Ghana. The water sits in an impact crater made from earthbound meteor hundreds of years ago. It’s located just southeast of Kumasi, with a population of around 70,000 Ashanti people, comprised of roughly 30 villages. The Ashanti people consider Bosumtwi a sacred lake, believing that the souls of the dead return to the lake to say their final goodbyes to Asase Ya, the Ashanti goddess of fertility. Fishing is only permitted off wooden planks found along the river’s edge.
A sea of cars and people flood towards me outside of the Kejetia market in Kumasi, Ghana. The Kejetia market is the 3rd biggest in the world and the biggest in West Africa. With Over 10,000 unique shops, it’s vastness and chaotic nature are hard to capture on camera. The outside of the market is lined with unmoving cars and thousands of pedestrians lining the sidewalks. Everything is for sale.
Melvin Tarlau, the reporter I was assigned to at the Daily Guide, attempting to a take a picture of an unpaved road for a story we did about The new Summerhill Estates apartment complex. The government had promised to fix and pave the road over two years ago. I think Melvin may have forgotten to take pictures until the last moment, hence the awkward, drive-by style photography you see here. Regardless, it’s one of my favorite pictures of the trip. Capturing the absurd, yet intoxicating chaos of Ghana in one picture.
I took this photo of Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, after his keynote speech at the 2nd African Evidence To Action Conference organized by the International Centre for Evaluation and Development. With only my iPhone X, I felt awkward rushing with the hoard of photojournalists holding big cameras. Getting this shot felt like an accomplishment.
I felt very lucky to have visited Elmina during their annual Bakatue Festival. It happens on the first Tuesday of July every year, celebrating the beginning of the fishing season. Natives gather in the streets to give thanks to the sea gods for providing them with the fish they live on. I saw one man donning a Donald Trump mask. Another was dressed like a werewolf. However, my favorite was the children, dressed in traditional costumes made locally. I could hear the laughter through their masks.