Meet Akugre A Cletus

Akugre A Cletus is a photo-monitor on the MyPharm project in Ghana. Along with 41 other farmers, he has been trained in photography to document and reflect on his crop growing progress.

Photography is arguably one of our greatest forms of communication. It can powerfully present a problem or solution efficiently where other forms can’t.

Akugre’s story is part of our photo exhibition, My Home, My Farm, which will be exhibited at Kahaila café in Brick Lane, London, from Thursday 2 April until Tuesday 5 May.

Seeds of tomorrow

Akugre’s photos and captions show how effective forward planning can be in a country feeling the effects of climate change.

*‘In my community we plant both tomatoes and bananas on the same farmland, so that if one crop fails the other is still there.’ © Akugre A Cletus*

By planning for the seeds of tomorrow, Akugre is building a sustainable future for himself and his family.

Using different farming techniques and sharing them with others can really strengthen a community.

Sharing information

Akugre’s images are informative and enlightening. He explains in the caption below how damaging some traditions and myths can be.

‘Mango plantation. People in northern Ghana used to believe that if you planted a mango tree, the year it first bore fruit would be the year you would die. This stopped people from planting trees even when there was bare land. Now civilisation has come and people are educated and know how to plant mango trees in their communities. There are still some rural communities that believe this superstition’ © Akugre A Cletus

A story that once warned farmers of death when the first mango fruits bore their trees has now been put to rest.

Through sharing information and supporting one another, trees now emerge where ominous, bare land once stood and farmers can begin to feel the full value and potential of their land.

The knowledge gained through the MyPharm project can help to improve the farmers’ income.

‘Rice farm: some of the community do not think it is possible to farm in the dry season — especially rice which needs a lot of water. They only know how to farm in the rainy season. If you live near a dam you can use that water, and plant whatever crop you want in the dry season.’ © Akugre A Cletus

The sight of lush green crops proves that farmers can put their learnings into practise to bring positive change.

Education, ideas and group discussions have all led to lucrative crops and land ownership.

We hope that by passing on this information to their children and families, future farming generations will be better prepared.

The MyPharm project by Christian Aid and Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana (YHFG) addresses one of the major problems small farmers face: a lack of market information when it comes to selling their crop.

Now, thanks to the project, the farmers get regular market facts sent to their mobile phones, which means they can get better prices.

My Home, My Farm will be exhibited in Brick Lane at Kahaila café from Thursday 2 April until Tuesday 5 May. Find out more about the exhibition here.