Fair trade is something I have been aware of a long time through exposure of limited amounts of products available in varied shops although has not really been an issue or concern I have had an actual understanding of. Myself and many other westerns use and enjoy cocoa and coffee yet not many of us concern ourselves with its true origin or the effect that it has had on the country it has derived from. I think that if this was a better known issue it may impact on the way farming is done and the way we as consumers purchase. The ethical benefits and ethos of fair trading has caught onto many countries such as Ethiopia, South America and parts of Asia but even this applies to a small number of farmers making only a small change.

I agree that fair trading is a great step forward and if other countries could get on the bandwagon the world would be a better place, but I do question whether this is our responsibility as the consumer to make these decisions. I personally chose an everyday brand of chocolate over a fair trade one as nearly always the fair trade product will be a lot more expensive. The companies that are branding these products as fair trade are putting their name to it and yes they are contributing to the farmers at the source of origin but in turn they are doing this as a win win situation for themselves getting the retail price and an added profit on top to give the farmer. Should we be paying for this fair way of purchasing or should the makers of the products pay the actual worth in the first place.

Côte d'Ivoire has many natural resources as well as the cocoa and I can see that nothing goes to waste, everything that can be found in or above ground will be used for something. Whether it's rubbish thrown on the ground there will be someone to collect it and sell it on for its plastic worth. Literally any plant or vegetation will be used for food or medicines and every animal has it's purpose to sustain them, there are few domestic animals as there is no use for them and only another mouth to feed. As I travel on the road in the bush taxis I see lots of things being sold on the side of the road or a seller amongst the traffic at the lights, pretty much all that I see is natural. Shacks for shops selling wooden furniture and home decorations, people selling anything and everything that has come from the soil that has been found to be edible, paintings and art made from sand and baobab plant extract for glue. Their is such invention in all the things you see that you realise there isn't much need for expensive materials to make everyday necessities.

I pass a large reservoir stretching a mile down the motorway, as we sit in the traffic I wonder why there are so many people laying their clothes on the grass verges. When I get back I google images of the reservoir which is called Bancou and soon realise it is also known as the largest launderette in the world. Locals use the reservoir to wash their clothes in, resulting in the water now being so polluted from detergent and soaps. People wade their way through the water with large tyres balancing their clothes on while they scrub away and leave to dry on the road side, which to me seems a bit stupid with all the pollution coming out of their cars.

Côte d'Ivoire is split in the middle by the Ebrie lagoon that runs through the country, it is around 4km wide and 16ft in depth. Ebrie lagoon provides an undeclared divide between the country, on one side it would seem apparent that the wealthy Ivorians, expats and global businesses reside while on the other stretch of the lagoon this is where you will experience poverty at its rawest as this is where you will capture a true picture of what it is like to live in war destroyed country.

Despite enjoying my stay in one of Abidjan's finest hotels I decide my stay amongst the business district is not going to give me the best insight into this place and I cannot get a feel for what it is really like to live here mixing with the fortunate few Ivorians. I check myself out after several days and book into a small hotel located on the other side of the lagoon in a little village called Youpang. The hotel is small and family run and is the only hotel in or near the town for miles. Not long after checking in I notice a significant difference staying away from the business district, the staff are pleased to have a guest keen to explore and embrace their culture. I am welcomed in abundance and the staff are happy to organise outings and things for me to see while I am here. Not long after arriving the hotel manager, Julie invites me to join her and some friends to play a game of Mancula in the village. Not sure what it is and with the limited communication we can have between ourselves I am still keen to go along. On getting there I feel as if I have arrived at a WI meeting, it is all women and I am told this is a women's only game. I struggle to understand the rules or point to it but I can see that the women may also share my view on this however looking in it would seem this is a sociable outing without men and a chance to talk and have fun, it is their equivalent to watching the football with a pint (which Ivorian men love a lot!!)

In the evening I am once again invited out by the hotel staff as they plan to go into the village to watch the football as it is a big game kicking off between Côte d'Ivoire and Congo. Normally the prospect of watching a game fills me with dread but I decide it could be a good chance to soak up the atmosphere, and that I did so much so I was drowning in it. We sat around drinking and trying to have conversation, mostly with their effort of speaking English as my French contribution soon dried the conversation up. They had many questions for me about life in England and share their views on western ways. It now seemed appropriate to ask a few questions about their views on the government and what they think about the farming, I also wanted to know what they feel will change the country if anything.

I hear very similar views to the ones I had heard before that there is much government corruption and religious divides between the country. They tell me that their Christian faith is the pillar of humanity and what keeps them going, they believe Africa to be one of most religious places. I ask them why they decide this to be the case to which they said they are the most in need and that god provides them with hope and that Europeans and other wealthy countries have no need for religion as they lead lives of no need or want for anything. I wonder why they have this view as we don't have faith purely through the need or want of things and that this is certainly not to be the case because we live in better off countries.

One thing I have become to understand visiting many west African countries is that many people have the opinion that we westerns have very easy lives, with little problems and have the view that money comes very easily to us. We still have everyday issues and real problems to face that life throws however I personally would now catorgarise these issues into two parts, 1st world problems that we face like not affording a mortgage or buying the things we think we need and third world issues like not having a home or enough food to eat. I still believe neither 1st or 3rd world troubles are less or more significant but what is important is that we keep perspective on the scale of these things.

I can understand why these people could have this distorted opinion on how Europeans live as why would they be better informed when they are unable to travel or necessarily be educated accurately on other cultures. I realise it is my responsibility as the traveller to educate these people on how we really live as the impression we give of ourselves goes a very long way. I am in turn, asked my views on their situation and what I think as an outsider on their country, they are surprised to learn that I care so much and have such empathy and interest which they tell me is far from what they had previously thought from someone so far removed from such issues.

Relieved at the game starting to get very excitable to bring distraction to the heavy conversations we have at the table, I have never experienced such mania over football. I even found myself enjoying the goal scoring, when the first goal was scored I nearly fell off my seat at fright of all the abrupt sounds not knowing what had just happened. All the cars on the busy road beside the bar came to a complete holt in the road and people jumped out of the buses screaming and cheering, children were running around blowing horns and the women were hugging each other with excitement singing. Watching the football here is like being at a big street party and I can see that supporting their countries team is not just about a game but it is something they are proud of and brings happiness to them as a community.