Ghanaians are incredibly skilled at carrying things on their heads. We learned that they start doing this at a young age because it allows them to carry much heavier objects for longer distances than children can support with their arms. We saw children of all ages and sizes carrying everything–wood-framed glass boxes full of bread, huge metal buckets full of lobsters, woven baskets full of fried plantains, enormous jugs of water, cords of lumber, and more. The young men below are carrying pounding sticks used to make fufu, one of the Ghanaian food staples.
Quick side comment: A couple of my work study students found a t-shirt painting shop in Takoradi and had t-shirts created that said “Make Fufu Not War” with silhouetted images of Ghanaians pounding out fufu. Traveling with students is such a blast.
UPDATE: I got a comment from someone named Kwabena Boateng who runs a clothing company in Ghana called Kayobi Clothing. One of the things they offer are official “Make Fufu Not War” t-shirts. Check out their site and consider purchasing one: http://www.kayobiclothing.com
We also saw adult men and women carrying these types of items gracefully on their heads. They explained to us that they learn this skill from the time they are very young so that it feels completely natural to them. It promotes good posture and also conveniently frees up their arms for shopping, caring for children, etc.
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