The city of Accra, Ghana is believed by some anthropologists to be founded in the 15th century. It was incorporated in 1989. Accra took its independence from the crown in 1957 with Kwame Nkrumah of the convention Peoples party as the president. Accra is not only the capital city of Ghana it is also the largest city in the region. The city houses all administration, communications and economics for the country. The city of Accra has much relied on the trade of gold as a gross domestic product as well as cocoa as the main crop grown in Ghana. Accra is Ghana most populated city. It accounts for 2 million of the people living in the city of a country that is the home to 23 million people. Agriculture is a major part of the income of the people living in Ghana and 55% of the workforce is held by agriculture workers.
Accra has been having an increasing issue with trash due to the absence of recycling and waste management support. Drinking water as well as water for other uses comes in the form of small plastic sachets. These sachets are then tossed aside and are not refillable. The streets of Accra are being filled with discarded sachets and trash. Trashy bags Project is what brought me to this city. This is a project that takes all the plastic trash that is often found on the streets of the city and transforms the material into a useful product. There are 23 lines of bags that offer over 350 different varieties. These bags include the always needed shopping bag, purse, wallet, and tote bag. The bags also come in larger sizes to accommodate items such as laptop bags, backpacks, and sports bags. The newer lines of bags are being made from the abundance of advertising billboards that are incorrectly thrown on the streets. The project is currently employing over sixty local people to collect, clean and stitch the plastic up to create an upcycled list of products. Trashy Bags is housed in Osu, Accra but the factory that the bags are manufactured in is Abelenkpe, Accra. Osu is a very busy district in central Accra. It is best known to locals and foreigners alike for being a busy commercial area with varieties of restaurants and sprawling nightlife. Within a 5 minute maximum of Oxford Street are all of the major embassies. The location of the store is neighboring the well-known Oxford Street. This street is best known for is span of bars, shops and the best restaurants that attract many people daily. The street is constantly packed with people walking and cars that on top of one another honking. During my stay in Accra working on this project I have had the opportunity to not only work in Osu, I have also had the chance to make it my home. For the price I will be paying and the living conditions in Ghana this is the best place. I have been able to find a studio apartment for the price range of about $1,200 a month. I do not require much to live comfortably. All I really need is a working sewage system and I can handle the rest. In Osu, I have a lot of options if I choose not to cook that day. This is also in walking distance to my place of work. If I choose not to walk on a rainy day there is available public transportation as well as a taxi if needed. The neighborhood that I live in is considered the third best place to live in Accra. The neighborhood that I live in is not a planned residential area therefore there is no real consistency in the locations of the places to live. This is an area that does have many apartments that are equipped to accommodate a middle income family. The neighborhood is always active and full of life well into the evening hours. I do enjoy living in an area that has many open places that I can delve into any time of the day or night. One of the many issues that Accra faces is the corruption by the law enforcement. This is something that you would learn from the locals that you meet around town. Since the culture is completely different than what I am used to. Dealing with police in another
