Owusu Alexander holds a raffia palm leaf from which he is stripping fronds that he will use to weave a mat. A group of stripped fronds lie on the ground by his feet. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
A raffia palm tree. Raffia palm leaves are used in mat weaving and the woody base of raffia palm fronds can be used to make household objects like chairs. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a cutlass to trim the woody base of a raffia palm frond. He will use this stick as a base for weaving a raffia palm mat, rolling the mat on to the stick as the work progresses. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has wrapped three split fronds around his left index finger and uses his left thumb to secure a frond laid across these. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
An in-progress narrow raffia mat used as a teaching/learning aid. The mat is tied to a raffia palm stick that holds the mat in place as weaving proceeds. Loose raffia pieces extending from the middle and top of the mat represent places where raffia strands have been added or ended. These loose ends will be trimmed when the mat is completed. The active row of weaving is seen at the bottom of the picture. Sabiye, 28 July, 2022.
A young cassava plant (dwa in Nafaanra) growing in an intercropped field. Manihot esculenta was introduced to Africa from the western hemipshere. It can be grown on soils that have been depleted of nutrients by other crops. Its cultivation requires little labor and its tubers, which provide a starchy staple, can be left in the ground for long periods. Other than as a source of calories, the tubers have little nutritional value. Cassava leaves, however, are used as vitamin- and nutrient-rich additions to soups. Lying on the ground around the cassava plant are dried maize stalks (bleju in Nafaanra) left behind from a previous planting cycle. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
