As part of my daily early morning Entrepreneurship story reading. Today I had an opportunity to read two stories-it rarely happen because sometimes I go against my policy and fail to achieve even the single story requirement,but today I was up early than usual few minutes passed 3am therefore it was possible to go through two stories. The Alexander The Great story a King of the ancient Macedonia; In his leadership he managed to unite Greece,reestablished the Corinthian League and Conquered the Persian Empire. Alexander II or Alexander The Great lost not even a single battle in his rein as a King and a Leader. The second reading was about the story of COCOA in Ghana then Gold Coast-And this is the story I thought I should briefly share with you.
COCOA in Ghana is credited to one Tetteh Quarshie a pre-independence Ghanaian agriculturalist and person directly responsible for the introduction of Cocoa crops to Ghana. Tetteh Quarshie was born in 1842. In his teens he became an apprentice in Basel Mission workshop at Akropong. Due to his hard work he soon became a master blacksmith and was in fact the first blacksmith to be established at Akauapim-Mampong.His HOBBY was FARMING.
In 1870,Tetteh Quarshie undertook a voyage to Spanish colony Fernando Po now Equatorial Guinea. It is also believed he went there as a mere slave. About nine years later he returned to Ghana with several Cocoa beans.
In 1879 Tetteh Quarshie planted the seeds at Mampong. Friends and relatives also undertook the planting of Cocoa when pods were distributed to them. Soon other farmers followed suit. From Ghana Cocoa beans or cuttings were sent to other countries such as Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The export of Cocoa from Ghana began in 1891 twelve years after Tetteh Quarshie had plant the first coco plant in Ghana. Ghana exported only two bags of Cocoa that year. Between 1910-1980 over thirty years since Tetteh Quarshie returned to Ghana with cocoa seeds from Fernando Po Ghana was the World's largest Cocoa exporter.
Today as I write Cocoa-the Tetteh Quarshie's idea to Ghanaians is still the largest export in Ghana. The country earns hundreds of million dollars annually from export of beans and processed materials. COCOA accounts for almost 40% of the Country's GDP.
Look; A younger farmer out of his hard work went an extra mile to build the development foundation of a whole nation.
Even after exporting only two bags of cocoa 12years after planting of the first coco tree in Ghana. The Ghanaians did not give up on their journey instead they continued investing in cocoa farming and eventually they ended up being the World's largest Cocoa Exporters.
Yes; Telleh Quarshie did not know more than 100 years since his death on the Christmas day in 1892 millions of people will still depend on his single idea to survive and build their lives.
What are you doing now that is building the foundation of others and those yet to be born. Will people remember you because they will be benefiting directly or indirectly from your actions,idea or ideology?
I love kids and I like cracking jokes and playing with these innocent creatures. Yesterday while walking to my nearest five star kibanda to have lunch I came across three Kids building an imaginary house using some palm tree sticks. I told them to build once they finish I will go and sleep. The little among them said if I go and sleep in that house I pay. I wondered a small kid and money? Then I remembered his father is a property developer and real estate agent; the foundation!
Nice piece.
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