Some residents of Tema say that charcoal, a vital traditional source of fuel, serves many purposes in their daily livelihood in addition to its cooking purpose.
Charcoal is a residue produced from heating wood in minimal oxygen to remove all water constituents, which is mostly used for cooking by Ghanaians, especially in the rural areas.
According to them, charcoal is a versatile material with applications in art, industry, preservation, environmental solutions, water purification, and even medicinal purposes.
Mrs Araba Tetteh, a 70-year-old woman, explaining charcoal making, said it is traditionally made through the gathering of woods often from trees like acacia, locally known as “oguanben or shea, which is stacked in a mound.
According to her, the mound would then be covered with mud or earth, leaving a small opening for airflow.
She said that the wood is then slowly burnt, with limited oxygen, for several days, adding that this process creates the charcoal, which is then removed from the mound and used for various purposes.
She mentioned that charcoal is more than just fuel, noting that, “We used charcoal to preserve fish, in art, blacksmithing, and water purification.”
Mrs Naomi Appiah, a 64-year-old woman, said charcoal could be used as medicine to cure stomach aches and some skin diseases.
She added that charcoal in times past was used as a tooth cleansing agent together with plantain stem locally known as “B)de3 Tsir3.
This usage of charcoal has revolutionised commercial producers of toothpaste using it to produce charcoal toothpaste.
She noted that charcoal was safe as a fuel for everyone to light, including children, compared to other fossil fuels such as gas, adding that “children could set fire in a coal pot for cooking without any fear of fire outbreak back in the days.”
Ms. Adwoa Amissah, a food vendor, said she would always choose charcoal over other fossil fuels due to its affordability and durability.
“Charcoal fire is mostly put out with water and can be reused after it’s properly dried,” she said.
She acknowledged, however, that even though charcoal is a good source of energy, it has some disadvantages like deforestation, air pollution, and some health risks.