Early morning in the village of Bayerobon 3. The village is part of the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmers' co-operative, Bayerebon 3, Western Region. © Aubrey Wade (Panos)
In 1957, mineral-rich Ghana was the first African nation to achieve independence. However, soon after it fell victim to corruption and mismanagement. Following a series of coups, the constitution of April 1992 ushered in a new period of democracy, and Ghana has since had five consecutive free-and-fair elections. It is now seen as a model for political and economic reform in Africa.
Cocoa is an essential part of Ghana’s economy (it is also the world's second-largest producer of gold), and the discovery of major offshore oil reserves in June 2007 is encouraging expectations of a major economic boost in the coming years.
As a result, although about a quarter of Ghanaians still live below the national poverty line, Ghana has one of the fastest rates of poverty reduction in Africa.
The UK is Ghana’s largest bilateral donor, directly providing over £85 million a year, second only to the World Bank in terms of total aid.