My friend, Jacqueline and I decided to head out on an excursion to check out TK Beads a few months ago. We left Accra at about 10.45 am and arrived in Amrahia just after 11.15am.
The sign outside the main gates is faded and I would probably have driven right by it. Thank goodness our driver, Joseph was familiar with the place and took us right to the main gates.
 Entrance to TK Beads in Amrahia |
Station 1: clear glass is pounded here and various colors are added to the glass powder.
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Different colored glasses collected or donated to make the beads.
Clear glass is pounded and sifted.
Color is added to the pounded glass and the molds are filled. Dried Cassava stems are used in the molds to make sure holes are in place for stringing the beads.
Lady making sure the dried cassava stems are in place.
The team : )
Ovens used to fire up the glass. The molds are fired for 15 minutes and then removed to make sure the cassava stems have not been burnt off. If they are, another is inserted and the mold is returned to the oven.
Bead painting station.
Really enjoyed learning how innovative TK Beads is. They thread the bead through bicycle spokes to paint and fill fan pipes with paint and the pump needles to paint the beads.
Molds are filled with glass powder and inserted into the oven.
Once the glass is molten, the mold is removed from the oven and holes are poked manually.
Ovens used to melt the glass
The cooled beads are then washed in a bed of sand and water in shallow rock depressions.
Beads, beads everywhere!
Ladies are employed to string the beads that are sold in the store. Price per string is about 5 Cedis (about US$1.10) and each string hold about 50 beads depending on size.
