The tourism project has been running for three years, but I cannot say it has changed my own life very much. Tourists rarely enter my shop. When they do, they usually buy only a packet of biscuits.
That small amount of business has not allowed me to expand. I did manage to improve my storage, which means my stock no longer spoils before I can sell it. Because of that, I can keep a wider variety of goods than before.
Tourism has increased buying power for some small traders. Women in the market sell more fruit now. But prices have also risen, so the costs of running a business go up alongside the extra sales.
Part of the tourism income is being saved for the community contribution to a Danida water and sanitation programme. We are still in the saving stage, so the improvements have not arrived yet.
Tourism has also helped us put pressure on the district authorities to improve the road into Amedzofe. For the moment, residents still do much of the work themselves.
We used to clean our houses, toilets and streets only when visitors were expected. Now we do it every day because tourists may come at any time.
This new habit has visibly changed the village. Houses are better painted, streets are cleaner and people pay more attention to the roads. Tourism money has also helped the school buy musical instruments.
I see greater ambition among young people because they meet visitors from elsewhere. Until recently, we had radio but no television. In some ways, tourists became our television—the window through which we could look at the world beyond Amedzofe.
Most international tourists are young and come mainly for the waterfall. The mountain attracts larger crowds during holidays such as Easter. Ghanaian visitors often come for funerals and festivals, especially when they have relatives here.
I rarely visit these attractions myself. When you are working every day to make ends meet, you do not have much time to be a tourist in your own town.
Many young people remain in Amedzofe, although some leave for study or work in the city. Those who stay would like a meaningful say in tourism development.
At present, decisions are mainly made by the seven clans, the chief and the elders. Local entrepreneurs are not included as a separate group. We sometimes hear information through friends or at public meetings held by the tourism committee, but those meetings usually tell us what has been decided instead of asking what we think.
I can speak about what I see with my own eyes. What is kept outside my view remains outside my knowledge.
Tourism has made Amedzofe cleaner and given our young people a wider view of the world. I would like its next step to be greater openness, so shopkeepers, workers and other residents can help shape the development we are expected to support.