...is the name Ara gave to the roadside hawkers. They're on every major road where there's a build-up of traffic - in between cars on the dual carriageway. Sometimes over 30 people on one section of the road, weaving in and out of traffic, including children and disabled persons crawling on the road begging or selling. I saw a little girl selling water, step into the road inches away from a huge truck looking for a little coin she'd dropped. I shouted at her to step back, but my voice didn't come out( I was that stunned) until the 3rd try. Fortunately she went back on the pavement. There have always been hawkers in Ghana, carrying their ware on their heads. You don't go to them,they come to you. It provided income for people allowing them to run their little businesses with no overheads and little start up. It used to be mainly women and children. And they'd have a route in certain areas plying their trade in schools, markets, homes, offices roadsides etc. Now it's a hazard! The danger is to both pedestrians and drivers. You can hardly change lanes whilst driving without some seller in the way. What's worse, it could be a child. They sell everything from water/food to furnishings/electricals. The Govt has tried repeatedly to get them off the streets. But what will they do instead? Some of these kids have to fend for themselves. Some of the women are raising kids single handed. Others are trying to put themselves through school. Many are simply trying to put some food on the table, risking their lives for a few pence.
Ara and I at a popular restaurant in Ghana called PAPAYE 
The open air Bar behind our house that tormented us all night long with loud music. 
View overlooking the house opposite from the side verander on the 2nd floor of our house. 
Here, the local hairdressers are tightening my locs with a nappylocs tool and yarn needle. It took them a couple of hours and they charged me the equivalent of $9.00 or £6.00. These are the same ladies who I taught how-to to install and maintain my daughter's locs 4 years ago. They did her locs for free back then cos she was a student. She just dashed them something. Dash means a gift. My plan had been to get Ama to do my hair. But it was not to be due to circumstances beyond my control. One day Ara went off to get her locs retightened by her old friends. It was looking so sharp I decided to use them too as they're like 2 min from where we lived.
And the finished look. My sisterlocks above, Arashia's TLs below. Her locs had an incredible amount of repair work and growth as long as your arm! Ok I'm exaggerating, but the growth was mad. she hadn't tightened properly for 6 mths. 
