Going to Market Gallery

Market day begins at sunrise Market days in Bolgatanga are greeted with a sense of purpose and excitement. Villagers begin their trip to the market early, with the rising sun and delicate mist framing the morning scene.

Water crossings are inevitable The villages in Bolgatanga are surrounded by extensive farms and irrigation channels, so nearly everyone must cross water at some point on their way to the market.

Father and daughter crossing the water Here, a father and daughter, with their baskets creatively attached to their bicycles, cross the water together.

Crossing waterways adds challenge The water is clean, cool, and refreshing, but it presents a challenge to hauling baskets.

A continual stream of market-bound villagers One morning, we saw close to 100 people crossing the irrigation channel. Some were on foot, some were on bicycles, and some were on motorbikes, but they all shared the same sense of dignity and steadfastness in charting a path to the market

A father holding his child’s hand as they cross the water

Baskets in one hand and a bicycle in the other

Strapping baskets on the rear of a bike is very effective

Some water crossings, unfortunately, have no bridge

Shallow streams are crossed with aplomb

Leading a stubborn cow to cross takes persistence It’s bound to be a market day to remember when there are several cows in tow!

A cow makes it across the water safely In addition to the baskets and handicrafts that Bolga is known for, animals are bought and sold at the main market as well, as shown by this man leading his cow to the market.

Family and tradition run deep in Bolga Tradition is deeply-rooted in Bolgatanga, and one day this boy will likely bring his son to market along these very same pathways.

Susan crossing the log bridge After watching over a hundred people cross this particular log, Susan, our customer service director, just had to give it a shot!

And...Susan made it across!

It’s an adventure every time Whether balancing carefully on logs, wading across waterways, or navigating through the brush, it is always an adventure to get from village to market.

Sharing the trip to market together Many people travel the old-fashioned way, one foot in front of the other, the whole way.

A journey of many steps It’s a long journey, and one that the villagers embark upon with grace and determination.

An impressive balancing act Many of the women have baskets piled high on their heads, while moving quickly; it’s an impressive thing to see.

Several baskets perched up high and a hen in hand Making it look deceptively simple, women balance countless baskets on their heads, which frees up their arms to carry extra goods (a hen, in this case).

A bike adapted to carry goats Although baskets are often the priority, the market attracts goods of all types. This man is bringing a goat to sell, transported on a traditional goat carrier strapped to a bicycle.

Women often carry baskets for other women in the village Many women, in a gesture of goodwill, carry other women’s baskets to market for them, saving unnecessary trips by others.

Motorbikes are ever-popular in Bolga In addition to walking and biking, many villagers use motorbikes to haul their baskets to market. And they are no less clever in strapping the baskets on board!

Boys team up to bring baskets to us These boys have teamed up to bring a special order to us on market day. Between the two of them, they can transport over twenty baskets at once.

A motorbike gets into town and will soon arrive at the market After a long ride, this motorbike is finally reaching town and nearing the market.

Motorbikes carry more baskets than you can imagine Aside from speed and convenience, one of the many benefits of a motorbike is the sheer number of baskets that you can carry. Villagers have ingenious ways of strapping them to the rear of the seat and to the handlebars.

Cargo motorbikes are particularly handy And one step above a standard motorbike is a cargo motorbike, which can carry even larger basket hauls.

Local vans take the prize for basket transport Vans are a hit and can carry the most cargo. All the weavers know exactly which baskets are theirs, so surprisingly enough, there’s never any confusion when all of the baskets are offloaded upon arrival at the market. Notice the goat that is perched on the roof of the van in the rear.

Unloading baskets is always quite the scene Even though the weavers have a steady grasp on which baskets are whose, there is still quite a bit of commotion as everything gets unloaded.

This cargo is half baskets and half goats On this particular market day, it’s much more than just baskets--half of this cargo is goats!

A weaver framed by the controlled chaos of the market scene

The pulsing center of the market where everyone converges

A throng of weavers and villagers offer up their baskets to sell

The air is abuzz as baskets are bargained for

Colorful commotion at the market After arriving at the market, it’s a flurry of activity and can be competitive at times, requiring quite a bit of time and commitment to sell your basket. At the busiest markets, we buy up to 1,500 in just a few hours, always paying the highest prices and attracting the best-quality baskets. For video footage of all that goes into traveling and getting goods to the market as well as a typical bustling market scene, see Going to market and Selling at market in our video gallery.

The cycle of life and weaving continues At last, after having traveled hours from her village, and then waiting in line to sell her basket, this woman celebrates her sale. Next, she will walk to the main market to buy straw for her next basket as well as everything her family will need in the coming week. And as such, the cycle of daily life continues moving forward...