Comfort Kwaasibea and Comfort Asare-Kwabi visited us from Ghana and talked about their lives and how Fair Trade has made a difference.

Nearly 100 people got the chance to meet two fair trade producers first hand on Saturday, 11 March 2006, at the Stirling University Chaplaincy Centre. Sylvia Jackson, MSP greeted two cocoa farmers from Ghana, Comfort Kwaasibea and Comfort Asare-Kwabi, at a sell-out event organised by the Stirling Fair Trade Propeller Group.

Comfort Kwaasibea gave a moving account of her life and work in eastern Ghana. Since her husband's death, she has juggled bringing up two small children and support them with cocoa farming. She now represents the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative at national level. Comfort stressed the key role women play in the co-operative and the stability and hope to their families which fair trade in bringing.

Sylvia Jackson thanked them, praised the progress of fair trade in Ghana, and then discussed wider efforts to forge closer links between Scotland and Africa, one year after the publication of the findings of the Commission for Africa. "I recently led a Scottish Parliament delegation to Malawi where I was able to see at first hand some of the challenges the country is currently facing," she said.

The Ghanaians' visit was sponsored by Day Chocolate, makers of Divine and Dubble bars. After explaining how the company has come to be part-owned by the Ghanaian co-operative, Alistair Menzies, of Day Chocolate, stressed the size of the challenge still ahead. "After a decade of strong growth, Fair Trade only accounts for 2-4% of Ghana's cocoa output. There is a long way still to go."

Bridge of Allan wine merchant Woodwinters sponsored the event, showing its commitment with the launch of four high quality Fairtrade wines from South Africa. They also provided the evening's entertainment with games and quizzes on the wine theme.