I took picture of these women in Ghana who were working to make cocca oil. I observed that all the labor was done by hand, and was very difficult to do. The women worked under quite difficult and dangerous conditions. The economy of Ghana is still very much agriculturally based, and is a very poor country. This hard labor was ony by women and children, there were around.

The culture was such that it was considered unacceptable to take pictures, but I spoke with the women, which was difficult as they are wary of outsiders. Yet we made friends and I was able to spend time with them and to take their picture. I wanted to show how they keep up their spirits even in spite of such hard work. They celebrated and laughed after I gave them a goat to say thank you. It was just a small gesture as I could not pay them, but this goat was a simple help to  thier lives. Their joy was clearly open to see and feel.