Day 10: Sunglasses, anyone?

Young girl selling sachets of water to people
 on our trotro

The dictionary definition of hawking is:

hawk;

verb (used with object)

to peddle or offer for sale by calling aloud in public.

Sunglasses, anyone?

The definition above makes me think of old style vendors selling apples from well painted wooden carts along cobbled streets. In Ghana, hawking is nothing like this.

Hawkers (basically, street vendors) sell anything from water to sunglasses to biscuits to broomsticks to chickens (ok, I’ve yet to see anyone sell a live chicken…).

In order to maximise their carrying ability, hawkers carry their stock on their head as shown in the pictures. The more you can carry, the more money you’ll make.

Hawking is not illegal but is forbidden in certain areas of Accra e.g. near Independence Square. But most hawkers are pretty fearless.

Like this guy.