“Bobcat” Paul Ayaaba

Bobcat Driver. Maintenance. Construction. Compost.

Paul, who lives a stones throw from The Baba Tree, joined the team because his wife introduced me to him when she was collecting water from our community water tap. He started with packing baskets and fulfilling orders but was always in the middle of any construction project. He now maintains our various machines and is our Bobcat driver / maintainer which is instrumental for our composting project. He is rarely at our present compound and can be found constructing our future home.
He has worked at The Baba Tree for about 3 years and is married with 2 children.

Adams “Hardman” Atiah Akentara

A Chief. Leather Crew Original. A Man With a Tool Belt. Sometimes a Fancy Dancer. Concrete.

Adams is one of the original members of The Baba Tree Crew – his nightmare started about 20 years ago. He has been on the leather crew for many years but in the last few years you can find him more often with a tool belt strapped on as he diligently moves through tasks to with hewing wood and building The Baba Tree’s future. He does this with great intention. With a storming work ethic he leads the charge and finds himself as one of the leaders at The Baba Tree. He can also be found doing all night flood watch. A great man. He is recently married with one child.

Agnes “Aggie” Azikabga

Domestic Engineer. Packing. Shipping. Fancy Dancer. Ruff Talk.

Rarely does one find another in The Baba Tree’s crumbling edifice that dances as much as Aggie. She is inside of it. It brings joy, delight and beauty. A gift proffered to us. Aggie has been working at The Baba Tree for three years and has acquitted herself very well. She is well known for stirring the pot which brings much hilarity. The Baba Tree thrives on this. “The Baba Tree stops us from drinking sachets of water.” Aggie means that all The Baba Tree weavers and staff have water bottles for clean, filtered drinking water which saves well over a thousand plastic bags being thrown into the environment every day.

Atembire “Lucky Man” Agongo

Water. Pumps. Pipes and Glue.

Born in Bongo-Soe – about 30 kl from Bolga – Lucky has been The Baba Tree plumber for over a year. With 18 years experience with shovel and shifter in hand, Lucky has applied his knowledge well at The Baba Tree. He is always laughing because he says “life is short” He likes hanging out with friends and chopping street meat. He likes working at The Baba Tree because “Everything is correct. Payment is fast and no ‘cona cona’” Lucky is married and has 5 children. PAID FAST 'NO CONA CONA'

Ayine “The Poet” Akolgo

Wood. Compost. Vehicles. Concrete. 

When measuring a piece of wood for our first composting toilet – and the measurement had to be exact…Ayine’s exacting reply was “perfect…but with space…” Young Ayine started at The Baba Tree about 7 years ago and he has come a long way since. Like most joiners, he was engaged in basket fetching and packing orders. He has moved on to learn carpentry and is a vital cog in our composting wheel. He drives various Baba Tree small vehicles, rents our concrete mixers, with a keen eye buys our wood. He has contributed a lot to the building of Baba Tree’s new home.

Atiah Ayiah

Leather Crew. Jester. Sun Shoveller. Concrete. Compost. 

Attia is very naughty. He is one of the foremost court jesters at The Baba Tree and there are quite a few of those types loitering about in the compound. He is a member of The Baba Tree leather crew but can often be seen swinging a shovel when we are pouring concrete. Additionally, he is a member of the all important Baba Tree composting crew. He makes us laugh. Simple.

Ayamga “Ethiopia” “Ayinsoba” “Bingy Man” Anamoo

Stalwart of The Indomitable Leather Crew. Concrete.

 Bingy Man is one of the originals. A 20 year slog. A stalwart of the original Baba Tree leather crew, Bingy Man can also be found staring into space with a smile on his face. When he is not wielding a blade in the leather room, he can often be found dancing with a beer in his hand or working on The Baba Tree construction site as a mixing conductor. Bingy man is married with two children.

Azure Daniel “Dan The Dancer” Adongo

Packing. Shipping. Concrete. Very. Fancy. Dancer. 

 When he hits the dance floor the crowd will erupt. It goes wild. He is a very fancy dancer…certainly more Iggy Pop than Nureyev. Gurunsie Punk funk. Dan joined The Baba Tree a couple of years ago and he is a delight to be around. He has a fabulously animated laugh. He works in fulfilling orders, packing and shipping and can be seen on our construction site sweating it out with the rest of us. “I like my salary and I like that Baba Tree takes care of our medical bills but other companies don’t” Dan is married with one child.

Charity “Cherry” Akolgo

Shipping. Packing. Fulfillment.

Charity has been working at The Baba Tree for two years packing and fulfilling orders. She arrived with diffidence and now… a confident powerhouse from a complete overhaul of her energy, Charity strides with intention as she dispatches various tasks. At times she can be found on The Baba Tree constructions site. She was just recently married and is a mother to her toddler, Barbara.

Ayine Louis Atampugre

Hero. Solid As a Rock. Chief of Quality Control. Procurement. Concrete.

 “I consider my work at The Baba as important to my life” Honest as the day is long the Baba Tree regards Ayine as being very important to the mission. Ayine is a long timer at The Baba Tree – 15 years - who first joined the crew when he was diffidently watching a few of us build a garden and was asked to come in and share the sweat. His mother also weaves baskets for The Baba Tree. He just gets stuff done!!! A workhorse. He is head of quality control when it comes to our basketry and is our paymaster when it comes to paying our Artisan Weavers for their finished work. He fields a million phone calls a day and relives me of a ton of work. Ayine started his Baba Tree journey 16 years ago and is part of the heart and soul of the mission. He swings a marvelous sense of humour. He is part of the heart and soul of The Baba Tree. He does ju-ju on my pepper plants. They don’t grow.

Akombinaba “Zion” Issah

Creative Force. Problem Solver. Leather Team Grunt. Threads the Needle. Concrete. Garden.

Zion has been working at The Baba Tree for three years and during that time he has proven himself to be a creative force and a very reliable soul. A mainstay on the leather crew but can be found surmounting challenges when it comes to all things cloth and sewing. When not leaping hurdles in The Baba Tree compound, he can be found tending to Mother Earth in one of The Baba Tree’s gardens. Zion is married with 2 children.

Andrew Quainoo

Co-Founder. Fount of Inspiration. Fixer. Fancy Dancer.

Andy and Greggo met each other around 2002 in Accra when Andy assumed the role of Greggo's shipper. They have maintained their friendship since then and started the most recent chapter of The Baba Tree in Sept 2012. Though not heavily involved in The Baba Tree's day to day operations, he is invaluable as the go to guy when the impossible needs to be done in Accra. He is invaluable and a blessing. Andrew's company, Doxa World Wide Movers, engages in exporting various commodities, container shipping and is a favoured removalist for various embassies in Accra. He is a busy man and a much better businessman than Greggo. When Andrew visits The Baba Tree compound in Bolgatanga, he likes to talk on his phone, eat salads, give pep talks, and dance. Andrew grew up in Accra, is married and has three children.

Ayinbire Wilson

A Senior Leather Man, Man of the Trowel. Grass.

“Is a company for the people that has come to help the people” And so it goes… I have been working with Ayinbire since 2002. He teaches primary school and comes to work at The Baba Tree after school, on Saturdays and holidays. He is part of The Baba Tree leather crew and is among the few that started the journey with me. Ayinebire is married and has two children.

Courage "Wise" Dotsey

Wires. Sparks. Fortitude. Power. Light.

Wise is the beloved son of our recently departed brother, Bobobo Man.He had been serving his electrical apprenticeship with father for about 5 years and has taken over the reins of the business since his father's spate of being unwell, and now, since his passing in December 2023.Wise has shown incredible fortitude during the last year, working whilst his beloved father was so unwell. He continues to forge on and he serves us at The Baba Tree so very well when the power is gone. He brings power to The Baba Tree.I hold you, we hold you, Wise...

Ayitee Asanga Baba

Leather Crew. Kneels to the Gods of Concrete. Chief of Bewilderment. 

Asanga Baba…what a name. He has been suffering at The Baba Tree for around four years now and can often be found smiling for seemingly no reason. He is one of the later additions to The Baba Tree leather crew but when life throws down the gauntlet, he can be found wheeling very large wheelbarrows full of concrete. Hence, the bewilderment…”Did I sign up for this..?” Ayitee is married with two children.

Bernard Sarpong

Master of Numbers. Salad Man. Operations Manager.

Bernard Sarpong has worked with the Baba Tree Company Ltd for the past seven years as consultant. He has now signed on to undertake the Herculean task of becoming our operations manager. Pray for him, people. He is 41 years of age and a holds MBA Accounting with the University of Cape Coast; he attained a first degree in Bachelors of Commerce from the University of Cape Coast and Higher National Diploma from Koforidua Technical University. He makes appearances at The Baba Tree to quaff green drinks and to give numerical pep talks and to demystify government stuff to do with tax. Bernard had been a gift to The Baba Tree and comes armed with a great sense of humour and a winning smile. “There is no other company in Bolgatanga like The Baba Tree" He is married to an ever suffering wife named Lucy and they have four children.

Daniel ‘Azure’ Abotizore

Cameras. Colours. Trees. Uploader. Quality Control. Design. Garden. Wood. Compost. Fancy Dancer. Concrete. 

With the exception of the leather crew, Azure has been with The Baba Tree the longest. When I first rented a few rooms in this compound in 2006, a small boy was loitering outside my window and I said "good evening, my little friend"; We had a bit of a chinwag and he, my manager of the time and myself parted ways. The next morning there was a knock on the door and upon opening it, I found a little bloke standing there…”Good evening my little friend” was his greeting and the rest is history. He is now the size of a small university, a strapping, handsome young man who towers over me. After sitting at my side, Azure is now our colour designer which he excels at. He has taken over all photographic responsibilities for social media and our website, contributes to basket design, quality control and has the unenviable and stressful job of distributing weaving tasks. He is an accomplished gardener and is entrusted with overseeing our tree nursery. He is well acquainted with compost and power saws. He also is one of three crew members responsible for uploading weaver’s portraits which is a massive job owing to the nature of our website. At times he is a fancy dancer.

Emmanuel “Olu” Abotizore

Paint. Love Flowers. Carpentry. Compost. Concrete. Garden. 

Olu is 22 but he has been hanging around the joint for 14 years. He lives a stones throw away and his family are very much involved with The Baba Tree. They have been here almost since day one. His older siblings, Gloria and Azure, work at The Baba Tree. With Olu in the area requires that we put locks on all the fridges. When he is not eating one can find him spreading seeds of love flowers and fulfilling other gardening tasks, painting our new facility properly, learning carpentry, doing concrete work and is an important part of our compost crew. Most importantly, he is entrusted with particular gardening tasks. He is also best mates with Precious MacCarthy and when she is not in school they can be found hurling good natured insults at one another. “The Baba Tree is one of the very joyful companies and helps in taking care of education and hospital bills”

David Azambila

Baba Tree Veteran. Leather. Hewer of Wood. Doesn’t Dance. Friends With Patience. Concrete. Lists. 

As it is with so many Baba Tree Crew members, it has been a delight to watch David grow, learn new things and assume new responsibilities. He started from day one, 20 years ago, working on the leather crew. He inspects and purchases leather for the crew and has been a leader in the room mentoring newer leather workers. In the last few years David can more often be found swinging a hammer and helping oversee the crew that is building The Baba Tree’s future. He is also good at making ‘lists’. David is married to Baba Tree weaver, ‘IT Girl’ and they have one child.

Godwin Asaah Apo-ita

Fixer. Big Man. Writer of Psalms. Admin Warrior. Fancy Dancer. Concrete. 

Godwin’s endurance test at The Baba Tree started about two years ago. Shell shocked… but through his graciousness, aplomb, and fortitude he has endured and emerged as a quiet leader in The Baba Tree Nerve Center. Mercifully, he deals with various government agencies on The Baba Tree’s behalf thereby sparing the founder of murderous inclinations. Phew! “I’m having a top class experience in organising people and processes. We don’t use ‘Ghana time’ at The Baba Tree in order to respond to customer’s urgent needs. I’m inspired by our style and the rhythm and uniqueness of our baskets and the creativity of our team and of our weavers to create them.” Godwin is married with 3 children.

Gifty “Night Farmer” Ayinbotimah Nsobila

Procurement. Fancy Dancer. Concrete. Wood. Kitchen Goddess. All ‘Rounder. Pot Stirrer. 

“Baba Tree is very disciplined” I’m not sure how to respond to that… Gifty started coming to The Baba Tree many years ago bringing the baskets that her mother and father wove to Baba Tree World Headquarters. When not keeping Ayinedollah’s belly full, she can be found – like other kitchen Goddesses – walking around the compound hurling good natured insults and beating the boss with found sticks. She is a fancy dancer and can also be found learning carpentry and pouring concrete. She is also a purchaser of supplies. She has worked at The Baba Tree for 8 years and is married to Baba Tree Weaver / Teacher, Yacubu. They have two children.

Gilbert Asukre

King of Maize. Fancy Dancer. Point Man. Concrete. 

“I like the support in terms of medical bills and school fees along with the good human relationships and the good salary” What a guy. The Baba Tree is lucky. He is such a great guy. He has done everything from pouring concrete to packing orders and everything in between. He now sits at his computer and is the point man for orders coming in and for distribution of orders to the packing department and to the leather crew. He is a fancy dancer a farmer of considerable talent.

Gloria “Glory” Azupoka Abotizore 

Queen of the Kitchen. Uploader. Domestic Engineer. Fancy Dancer. Entrepreneur. Concrete. Shit Disturber.

 Glory has been involved with The Baba Tree for 18 of her 26 years. She started by undertaking the chore of hurling insults at her big brothers while they worked and it has remained pretty much the same since. Her ‘ruff talk’ is essential for our operations. She can always be found stirring the pot somewhere - as it should be. She was also (and is) best friends with and ‘Auntie’ to Ayinedollah’s beloved daughter, Precious, since she was born. Not only is Glory the queen of the kitchen, stirring up green drinks and hunting down new recipes online (keeping Ayinedollah alive in the process) she is one of the primary operators of our website. She is sister to Azure and Olu Abotizore who also work at The Baba Tree and keeps a keen eye on Olu to make sure that he doesn’t enter the kitchen on one of his marauding expiditions. Glory is also an entrepreneur having a shop that sells drinks. She is married and has a gorgeous daughter named Lisa. She is a fancy dancer.

Godwin “Aweelo” Apusiyine Anaba

Leather. Wood. Concrete. Compost. 

  “I feel good working at The Baba Tree because I feel good being at the leather goods site and experiencing the cooperation and knowledge.” But young Aweelo has become adept at many things. He started in our packing and shipping department then was invited to be an understudy in our leather department. He also has learned rudimentary carpentry and is very much involved with Baba Tree construction and our composting operation. Aweelo is the father to one child.

Hamdia “Church Dancer“ Amadu

Food. Brooding Playwright. Emissary from Wale Wale. All ‘Rounder. Concrete. Garden. 

 Hamdia is another good soul who scored her job at The Baba Tree simply by collecting her water at our community water tap. She is one of the Kitchen Goddesses who keeps Ayinedollah alive and can often be seen scouring the internet in search of a recipe for a delectable dish. She has been working at The Baba Tree for over two years and is known for being able to scour the paint off the walls with a single glance. She beholds a quiet but devastating sense of humour. She will do great things in her life despite being challenged by the fact that Wale Wale is her place of birth. “We like entertaining ourselves occasionally with local music and dance…” But I’ve only seen her Church Dance.

Gregory “Ayinedollah” MacCarthy 

Founder. Director. King of Compost. 

“The older I get, the less I know” 

Jemima "St. Kazito" Nsoyure 

Laughs. Packing. Shipping. Fulfillment. Cheek.

 It’s been six long years working at The Baba Tree and Jemima reckons that she loves it because of the good vibes and that fact that The ‘Tree co-creates abundance with The Baba Tree Nation One of the queens of the internet, Jemima has a crashing sense of humour which she puts to good use as she is setting up baskets and weavers for their internet portraits. Jemima is married and has two children. She is currently on maternity leave.

Juanita “Miss Bossy Pants” Atangama Azikabga 

Force of Nature. Shipping Supervisor. Fancy Dancer. Concrete. 

“The Baba Tree is very caring in the way the company takes care of our health and educational needs. I also feel confident in computer and in responding to customer queries” It has been delight to watch Juanita grow. She has evolved from performing a myriad of tasks to become a supervisor in the shipping department. She can still be found wiping sweat off her brow, tape gun in hand, bellowing out essential orders but spends most of her time coordinating with our courier. She is a fancy dancer. She is a mother to her beautiful daughter, Aurelia.

Lakpelinkbeme "Watchie" Gozee

Night Watchman. Beer Connection.

Watchie has been working for The Baba Tree for about 4 years. Ayinedollah spied him being beaten by his former employers and said “Hey bud, come to The ‘Tree.” He did. We upped his pay by three and bought him a torch, mosquito coils, and made him a bed with a net. Onward. Watchie is married with 6 children.

Martha Atule Akelentisa 

Bookkeeping. Admin. Fancy Dancer. Future Outreach. Concrete.  

Martha is the newest addition to The Baba Tree Crew. She is enamoured by “The love, peace and seriousness towards work. The Baba Tree seeks to give back to society and is a company with focus. It’s spectacular” Martha has been working at The Baba Tree for one year. She is active in our community in woman’s rights and other social justice issues. As The Baba Tree formulates it’s outreach program that will deal primarily with environmental issues including plastic, soil degradation and regeneration, the threat of GMO seeds and seed saving, Martha will lead the charge.

Maxwell Nsoh 

Leather. Concrete. Grasses. Compost. 

Maxwell’s Baba Tree nightmare began 2 years ago. Maxwell joined our leather crew two years ago. It’s always a shock to young leather lad’s system as our standards of quality are so much higher than the rest of the industry. But he has excelled. When you applying leather to your baskets, Maxwell can be found on the all important compost crew. Also, he is no stranger to concrete. He looks forward to our Christmas parties. Deliverance.

Michael Kwabena "FIFA Corruption" Abentara

Compost. Shipping. Packing. Dye Master. Concrete. 

“I like the Baba Tree salary I receive, the payment of school fees and that we don’t allow plastic bags” Kwabena is actually a very accomplished weaver. He would be in the top percentile on quality weavers in Bolgatanga. The Baba Tree has been working with the Abentara family for 20 years. Kwabena is on our very important compost team (we make tons of it) and he is one of our principle crew members who coordinates shipments with DHL. On top of that, Kwabena is one of our dye masters. Kwabena is known for his fabulous sense of humour. He loves to cook. Kwabena is married with one child.

Michael Atubila Atarika 

Cloth. Thread. Packing. Shipping. Concrete. Grass.

 “The Baba Tree is a good company to work with. It takes care of the environment” Michael has been working at The Baba Tree for 3 years. He first came to work with Zion and Robert on the sewing crew – which has been temporarily disbanded but will rise from the ashes – but now works in packing and shipping. He engages in sewing when the need arises and can be found pouring concrete and slashing grass with a cutlass for composting and mulch. He is a great guy. Michael is married with one child.

Nyaabila Seth “Pastor” Nsobillah

Leather Crew. Pastor. Entrepreneur. Concrete. Grasses.

 Nyaabila has been overflowing with hellfire and brimstone for 20 years at The Baba Tree. He is one of the original 5 on the leather crew and he is a leader in The Baba Tree mission. When not working on leather crew, he can be found working on The Baba Tree’s heroic construction crew. He also has a second hand store selling various goods. He has a great sense of humour and an easy laugh. He is married to one of our Master Weavers, Perpetual ‘Pepe’ Adagaam. They have one child together and Nyaabila has a daughter from his previous marriage.

Phanuela “The Dream” Boayerik 

Numbers. Concrete. Payroll. Not a Fancy Dancer.

 Gifted with an angelic voice and biting wit, Phanuela has been going from strength to strength since she joined The Baba Tree two years ago. She has a lot to do owing to Ghana’s love of bureaucracy. She takes care of our payroll, and does the books sifting through a ton of paper making sure The Baba Tree remains compliant with a riot of government types. She panders to government time wasting by making numerable trips to government offices on Baba Tree biz. She has pushed the odd wheelbarrow full of concrete. She doesn’t like to get her feet dirty. She is not a fancy dancer. She is married and the mother to one child.

Precious Mikaela Ayinbotima MacCarthy

Flowers. Food. Humour. Packing. Shipping. BTS. Computer stuff. Dishes. 

Precious grew up in Bolgatanga in and around The Baba Tree. She has a lot of aunties, uncles, brothers and sisters here. When she is not in school one can find P traipsing through the compound performing a myriad of tasks. She is presently attending school in Takoradi, Ghana. She is missed. She thinks her dad works too hard. She has a love affair with Chicken Pad Thai, Chicken Satay and her little sister, Isabella. Precious is a pretty cool girl dude…

Ransford “Pentecost Fire” Adigvom Aniah 

Shipping. Packing. Concrete. Compost. 

Ransford is serving The Baba Tree very well for 2 years and it has been very satisfying to see his growth. He started as a packer and shipper and is now one of the principle crew members who liason with our courier. “The Baba Tree takes care of the weavers and staffs educational and health needs. It is helping to eradicate poverty and also helps to make the environment more stable.” When not working diligently around headquarters Ransford can be found shoveling concrete at Baba Tree’s new facility and is a member of our all important compost crew.

Robert Nyaaba

Cloth. Thread. Packing. Shipping. Concrete. Grass. Compost. 

Robert is a great addition to The Baba Tree. He made his Baba Tree debut on our short lived sewing team – soon to be resurrected – and morphed into a packer of orders. He is such a pleasant man to be around. When not packing and organising orders, Robert can still be found on the ‘Singer’ when sewing tasks arise. Additionally, he puts himself to good use helping construct the future Baba Tree World Headquarters and is a member of the vitally important composting crew. “I’m always happing sewing in Baba Tree Company but I also enjoy my new role and feel happy packing baskets” Robert has been working at The Baba Tree for 3 years and is married with two children.

Sampson “ACTION” Adombillah Akolbila 

Quality Control. Guidance. Compost. Concrete. Jasmine. Orders. Fancy Dancer. 

And Action he is… Action is a weaver and a tailor. He first came to work at The Baba Tree two years ago during a small building project. He was a man of action so he was hired. Action primarily helps with distribution of colour designs, helps weavers with technical advice and is instrumental in our composting operations. He created a further job for himself by staying late and making sure all of the jasmine is watered in the compound let alone that everything is turned off and locked. That the jasmine is flourishing is down to Action’s care. He is also a man of the wheelbarrow and has pushed tons of concrete in various building projects that we have undertaken. Quality control is another important role that Action undertakes. He is married with 3 children.

Stephen Aniah Aduko 

Leather. Concrete. 

“The Baba Tree takes care of me when I’m in difficulty and takes good care of it’s employees and weavers” Stephen has been working on The Baba Tree leather crew for about 2 years. He is very focused, consistent and has learned the job very well. When not kibitzing with the leather crew he can be found dancing with shovels and wheelbarrows whilst building our future home.

Sarah Atanga 

Sanitary engineer. Garden. Compost. Seedlings. 

A single mother of 5 who brought up her 4 girls and 1 boy pretty much single handedly owing to her husband’s absence. She would scour the land looking for anything that she could up-cycle in order to sell at the Bolgatanga market. I would meet Sarah and her girls collecting their household water at The Baba Tree and would give her girls work collecting cow dung for our garden. When we finished our composting toilet, Sarah was hired to be the sanitary engineer and to help take care of our gardens. She has been working at The Baba Tree for just a tad past two years and she says she likes The Baba Tree “because they help pay our children’s school fees and take care of our health needs”

Sunday Aloma 

Leather. Concrete. Grasses. Sunglasses. 

Sunday is always the cool dude with sunglasses. When he is not applying leather to our baskets one can find him hankering for the next Baba Tree party. But he doesn’t dance. He has worked at The Baba Tree for over two years and gets involved with construction and cutting grass for compost when needed. He says that we need to stop using plastics. Sunday is married with one child.

Francis “SOJA!” Kokoroko

Cameras / Editing / Deep Advisor / Magic Wands / Groove / Mensch.

‘SOJA’ has been doing freelance work for The Baba Tree since 2019. Since then he has woven himself into the fabric of The ‘Tree by visiting us in Bolgatanga on many occasion ever since he first worked for us. He likes our food. He likes our music. He has bolstered our cause. It is a joy to embrace him whether he arrives unannounced (sneak attack!) while on assignment for various news agencies or whether he has a Baba Tree gig. Francis is a freelance photojournalist based in Accra, Ghana. After ‘SOJA’ graduated with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Ashesi University College, he switched to photography full-time a few years later. Francis is interested in aesthetic culture and the varied photographic imagery interpretations, exploring these themes through the historical, popular culture, and portraiture. He works on long-term personal projects and assignments for international media and news agencies such as Reuters, Le Monde, The New York Times and The Guardian to name a few. Additionally, he can be found sweating it out for the U.N. On his Instagram account, @accraphoto, Francis Kokoroko chronicles his encounters in Ghana and his journeys through the African continent. He served on the News jury for the 2021 World Press Photo Contests edition. This man is constantly on the move… Instagram: @accraphoto Website: www.franciskokoroko.com

Amata Anabire Abampoka

Flowers / Climate Outreach / TikTok / Radiance / Illegal Kitchen Activity / Sawdust / Manure.

Amata brought her radiance to The Baba Tree in June 2023. She was born in Ghana’s Eastern Region but is from the village of Yorogo in the Upper East Region Amata was initially hired to formulate our environmental outreach program that will deal with plastic pollution and soil degradation. However, she has rolled up her sleeves in various departments and one can find her planting flowers, screening sawdust and cow manure, and participating in our social media team by leading the way into the brave new world of TikTok “I studied to be a pharmacy assistant at Endswell MCA College in Bolgatanga. My self-development at The Baba Tree has been incredible. I have learnt how to work collectively as a team and my computer skills have improved a lot since I joined the company. Family is what hold dearly in my heart and at The Baba Tree everyone has treated me with kindness and respect. We are a family and that’s most thrilling for me. I really love working at The Baba Tree. I believe nobody can bring you peace but yourself.” When she is not wiping sweat off her brow, she can be found engaging in illegal kitchen activity when the smell of chicken cooking wafts through the air. Welcome to The ‘Tree, Amata!

Ashima Gandhi

Social Media & Communications Head / Style Maven / Thinks in Colours / Curious Cat

“I think in colours and draw inspiration from the pulsating energy of urban landscapes, memorabilia, foraged flowers, poetry, vernacular design and craftsmanship. With over 14 years of experience, I work across industries such as art, fashion, sustainability, cultural, and social entrepreneurship. As a Creative & Content Strategist and Stylist, I love crafting compelling and impactful narratives. Documenting the essence of each journey through words and visuals, transforming ideas into stories that resonate and inspire. At Baba Tree Baskets, I'm grateful and inspired by the smiles of our artisan weavers, their groove and artistry. I'm thrilled to actively contribute to the evolution of artisanal crafts and reimagine the boundless possibilities with The Baba Tree Family.” In the autumn of ’23, Ashima graced The Baba Tree with her presence and did a bang up job with photo shoots, design and a trunk load of other things. Welcome to The Baba Tree Team, Ashima!

Abito James Abogre

Compost / Concrete / Farming / Regeneration / Biomass

For the past 3 years, Abito has been another steady all-rounder working on The Baba Tree’s new land where our purpose built facility will be built. When he is not grimacing from listening to “Loverman’s” love songs, any tasks that needs to be fulfilled Abito will be in the middle of it. Abito has helped create a lot of biomass. “I have learnt a lot of new things from Ayinedollah. But, I didn’t know about how all of these weeds and other grasses were so valuable for enriching the soil and now I use them on my own farm and garden and I see the difference in soil fertility.” Abito is 43years old and is from the village of Gambibgo. He is married with 3 children. Keep on truckin’, Abito. You are valued.

Ayinbire “Boss Man” Adagaam

Compost / Concrete / Farming / Regeneration / Weaving / Biomass

“I have worked at The Baba Tree for 5 years…” Maybe so but actually, Boss Man is a very accomplished weaver and has woven baskets for The Baba Tree starting about 15 years ago. He was prolific. For the last 3 years Boss Man has been helping on our new land where he is engaged in our compost operation, farming, regeneration and construction. He is such a valuable member of the crew. He is from the Adagaam compound in the village of Gambibgo. “I like working at The Baba Tree because of all the new skills that I have learned. Additionally, they help me with medical bills.” It’s great having you around, Boss Man! He is married with one child.

Felix “Loverman” Akurugo

Compost / Concrete / Farming / Regeneration / Biomass

Felix likes really schmaltzy love songs…Unbearable to some of us…Hence the name “Loverman”. Felix is a stalwart on our new land. Anything that needs doing is in in the middle of it. He can be found screening plastic out of cow manure, pouring concrete, planting trees, harvesting groundnuts to preparing compost. Schmaltzy love songs bearing romantic ideals and unkeepable promises aside, Felix is a valuable all-rounder. It has been a joy to watch him grow. He has worked for The Baba Tree for about 3 years and, in his own words “I like The Baba Tree because it keeps me busy and I learn so many new things.” Felix is 25 years old and is married with one child. He is from the village of Gambibgo.

Joseph “Lagos Corruption” Ayimbila

Security / Irrigation

Mr. Joseph has been working at The Baba Tree for about a year now as our ‘’watchie” at our new facility. He is originally from the village of Gambibgo but went to the Nigerian city of Lagos as a young man in 1982 and didn’t return to Ghana until August 2012. He has seen a lot in life…
”Working at The Baba Tree is like feeling at ease with myself. Previously, where I used to work, my employer and the working conditions weren’t favourable in terms of helping with my needs and catering for my family.
I love the way my co-workers treat me at The Baba Tree. They are so considerate and with the salary I receive I’m able to fend for myself and my family”
Lagos Corruption thinks that he is around 60 (he is not sure of his birthdate) and is married with 6 children and 2 grandchildren. A wonderful soul…

Mohamed “Gongho” Mumuni Ayinbom

Painting / Flowers / Tree Planting / Compost / Poo / Regeneration / Biomass

Mo has been working at The Baba Tree for just over a year. He was originally hired to help with a painting project but owing to his intelligence, radiance and work ethic, we requested that he stay on. Mo is very much involved in greening our new property through a multitude of tasks including composting, tree planting and farming. If there is a construction project happening you will find him in the middle of the fray with sleeves rolled up and sweat dripping off his nose. Gongho and Zombie Genius are peas in a pod and continually have me laughing as they carry out their assigned tasks. “I get to learn so many new skills at The Baba Tree on top of being trained as a painter” Our brutally handsome Mo says that he is ‘single but attached’ which is a bit of a head scratcher, frankly. It’s wonderful to have you around the place, Mo!

Cindy Anafo

Pot Washer. Packer. Precious's Buddy. Part of the BTS Army.

 Cindy goes to boarding school - which is the norm in Ghana. She is the granddaughter of Madame Stella, a woman who has quietly helped The Baba Tree and me personally.

When Cindy is not in school she can be found at The Baba Tree washing dishes, packing orders and searching online for the latest Korean soap operas. When my daughter, Precious, is not in school, she and Cindy can be found roaming the compound, arms linked while fulfilling various tasks.

Cindy is a local gal who resides in Tindonsobligo. She likes BTS - *sigh*...(don't they all?)

In Memoriam

Edem "Bobobo Man" Dotsey

Born September 4th, 1962 Passed to another area December 14th, 2023

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Edem "Bobobo Man" Dotsey

Wires. Sparks. Humour. Power. Light.

Hailing from the Volta Region is Ghana’s south east, Bobobo man has lived a good part of his life in Bolgatanga after he completed his senior secondary education here. He has been an electrician for 35 years and he has done some great work at The Baba Tree. He is a joy to be around. “You don’t joke at The Baba Tree. Things must be correct but they correct with fast payment” Bobobo Man is Married with 3 children.



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So full of light and humour…and we lost ‘em. A diagnosis was never found for our brother despite the amount of trips that he made to various specialists. This happens often in Ghana. Mysterious.

His suffering was painful to see. Eventually, Bobobo Man travelled to his traditional homeland in the Volta Region where he seemed to rally and get marginally better. Then, shockingly, we heard just before Christmas that he has passed away. Grief.

Bobobo Man served The Baba Tree beautifully and it was always a joy to see his shining presence arrive at our compound and, the worksite for our future home. He always brought humour and knowledge to the scene. We miss him.

Bobobo Man is survived by his wife and three children including his son, Wise, who has taken up the reins of their electrical business. Brother, where ever you are, I hold you. We hold you.

Kwabena “IT” Adjei-Manu

Developer / Technology Advisor

Finally! We caught a big fish in the form of a super el fabbo web designer / techie bloke!!! This was a huge relief for all of us at The Baba Tree as we were very much struggling to be served well in this area. Along came Kwabena to conquer! He is a find.

 Since recently hopping on to The Baba Tree Apple Cart of Love, he has already visited us twice spreading the good vibes, troubleshooting, and firmly empowering The Baba Tree Crew through his knowledge. He seems to enjoy visiting us…

“I couldn’t resist popping in to shower you all with a massive dose of appreciation for the incredible reception and hospitality you bestowed upon me and my lovely wife during our recent visit to The Baba Tree. Seriously, you guys know how to make us feel like royalty, and we’re beyond grateful for every moment of it!You guys have this magical knack for turning every encounter into something truly special, and we’re grateful for it!

Seeing the energy and unity you’re all pouring into propelling The Baba Tree to success is nothing short of mind-blowing. It’s like witnessing a real-life superhero team in action!And can we talk about how beautiful you all are together? Seriously, my wife and I are still buzzing from the vibes you radiate.

Each one of you brings such unique energy to the table, and it’s what makes this family so darn amazing.From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank each and every one of you for the time, energy, and resources you’ve poured into making our visit unforgettable. We’re already counting down the days until we can come back and hang out with our favorite people again! ”

We look forward to it, Kwabena, and welcome aboard!!! Kwabena is 43, has been an IT hotshot for 20 years and sits atop one of Ghana’s most influential IT companies.

He lives with his wonderful wife, Konadu (Ghana Standards Authority), in Accra.
His company is 3M Novelty LLC.
business@3mnovelty.com | adjei@3mnovelty.com

Bettina McILwraith

Creative Strategist, Style Activist. Teller of Stories. Former Head of Baba Tree Social Media and Communications. Baba Tree Alumna.  

"It is an absolute privilege to interweave my skills with the immense creativity and wisdom of the Baba Tree artisans and crew that I work alongside in Bolgatanga. To preserve culture, honour sacred materials and create new pathways and career opportunities for the artisans I work with is at the heart of this work I do." Our beloved, B, has moved onto to new things. I first met B online through Instagram when she was doing design work in Kenya. I loved her sense of style and aesthetic and invited her to come to Ghana to help The Baba Tree with design. It didn’t quite go as planned because she was snowed under by a multitude of tasks that she undertook. She rose way above and beyond her original job description. She fell into the role of social media / communications and through her sense of style built our IG account handsomely. She continued being social media queen when she repatriated to Australia during Covid. She finessed the new algorithms the best that she could despite receiving spotty support from The Baba Tree. Bettina came back to Bolgatanga a second time in September 2022 where she styled one of our shoots whilst rolling up her sleeves and tackling many things on the never ending ‘to do’ list. She did invaluable work on our series of mini-documentaries and on our website. During her tenure, B created our “Stay Flow” handbags, Material Futures Baskets (utilising discarded – fast fashion - cloth and straw), and, with Baba Tree Master Weaver, Pepe Adagaam, took an original design of mine and created the much more elegant “Katyeli-tia” (conch) Basket. I’m sure that she created other things (which presently escape me) and, if not, she certainly would have if she was given more space to breathe.
Bettina now has her own website and business,the fabulous A4D Mothership in Noosa, QLD, Australia. Her curation is impeccable.
The A4D Mothership:
5/6 Project Ave, Noosaville QLD 4566 Australia.
@appetitefordecoration
www.appetitefordecoration.com
We hold you, B. You are family. Thank you for your incredible service to The Baba Tree, to humanity and to Mother Earth that sustains us so beautifully.

Joseph "The Legend" Tibil

Wires / Fixer / Social Media / Pics / Techie  / Irrigation

Joe joined The Baba Tree in November 2022. Though his main focus is taking videos and photographs for our social media person, Joe is an all rounder when it comes to his skill set. We first met Joe when he was the local grunt for DHL. He was laid off by DHL and, owing to his keen intelligence, was scooped up by The Baba Tree. A wise move. Joe loves to tinker with anything that has wires and has moved forward in leaps and bounds learning a wide array of skills while working at The Baba Tree. He is a stalwart when it comes to our ever growing Irrigation system on our new property “I am 28 years of age and from Damolgo in the Nabdam district of the Upper East Region. The Baba Tree is not just a workplace to me but a place to gain more experience and skills which is the source of my motivation. Aside from being paid for the services I render to The Baba Tree, I get Health and Educational support from the company and this makes the Baba Tree different from the other companies I have worked with.” Welcome to The Baba Tree, Joe!

Xavier Yeyeh

Numbers / Spreadsheets / Docs / Cheek / Smiles

Xavier’s motto is “learning through play”. And, why not? Hailing from Navrongo in Ghana’s Upper East Region, Xavier joined The Baba Tree in May of this year. With his brimming confidence and jovial, wonderfully cheeky nature, he has cut a swathe through the truckloads of paperwork – owing to Ghana’s love of unnecessary bureaucracy. He has been a great to The Baba Tree as an accounts assistant. “The Baba tree is a very exciting, lovely, fabulous, eco-friendly and adventurous place to work as per my experience working with the lovely Baba Tree family. I am a friendly and jovial person who loves to relate with everyone I meet. I am a young determined person who strives for development and seek to inspire others while making an impact wherever I find myself. I love to work in team and diligent in anything am tasked to do independently with little or no supervision. I believe working hard and focusing on my goals helps me to excel and contribute in the development of my working experience.” Xavier wants it to be known that he is 28 and single. Thanks for joining us Xavier!!!