Cocoa Show Me What You're Made Of

I'm Stacey Dooley,

and Show Me What You're Made Of is back in Africa.

This has got one of the fastest-growing economies

in the world.

It's the perfect place for our five to get to grips with some real work.

Much of what we use at home starts life right here.

You make it look so easy.

From chocolate to gold, peanuts to pineapples,

not to mention most of the world's bling.

This is worth millions and millions.

Whoa!

Our five pampered kids are making their way across Africa,

to find out first-hand the hard work

that goes into making some of their favourite things.

-Nice and quick, girls.

-Ooh, urgh!

-Argh!

But what happens when they have to work in the farms...

Emily, quickly!

..mines and factories of this tough continent?

-I'm trying my best.

-Are you trying your best? I don't think you are.

I'm off.

Can they win over demanding bosses?

First task, this is how it is here.

I'm so sorry!

Will they handle the hardship?

Do people live here?

Yes, people live here.

Oh, my God, there's cows coming towards us.

Or could real-life Africa be too much for them?

-What do I do with it?

-You put it here, you put it here.

-SHE SNIFFLES

-What are you crying for?

Let's meet our five kids.

They are bossy boots Emily...

I don't actually always get my own way...

Actually, that's a lie. Yeah, I think I do.

..mirror man Rob...

My favourite thing about myself is my hair.

..country lass Kathryn...

There's really not much here apart from cows, sheep, animals.

..games boy Ed...

When I do go outside, it's because my dad dragged me outside.

..and selfie queen Jasmine.

I'm really vain.

We've flown 3,000 miles from the UK to Ghana in West Africa,

and today our kids start work on a remote cocoa farm in Suhum,

where they'll find out where chocolate really comes from.

I didn't think it growed on trees, though.

Even though we Brits spend almost £4 billion a year on chocolate,

not many people know that nearly all of it

begins life in West Africa.

Surprised, really.

How will they handle their first taste of the African bush?

Argh! What is that?

Can they cope in a place where not only the work is hard...

Need to get a move on!

..but just getting there is a real challenge, too?

-I'm not liking this. ALL:

-Whoa!

So, we're here!

Our first day in Ghana and it's so exciting.

Everyone's just packing up.

We're getting ready to go to our first location

and we're having to bring everything.

I don't think the kids quite realise just how basic

and how remote it's going to be.

So we've got pillows, we've got buckets,

we've got all our food.

If you look closely, there's some eggs sitting on the front seat.

We've even had to bring our own toilet.

I think the kids are going to be in for a huge surprise.

The kids are now leaving the comfort of their four-star hotel

to head deep into the African bush.

So, good news, the portaloo has just turned up.

I don't know whether or not you can see it.

It's that huge green rectangle with the yellow lid.

I don't think they realise it's coming with us.

Yes, I'm taking them to the

sort of place you have to bring your own toilet.

As we begin our epic journey north,

our kids get the distinct impression they're being followed.

Emily, what do you reckon?

Oh, my God. If there's a portaloo, then that obviously means that

we're going somewhere with no loos.

And that means that it must be like a mud hole or something.

But it's not just the portaloo that's unsettling everyone.

Our five are realising they're very far from home.

I'm feeling very overwhelmed by everything.

Jasmine, your first time abroad,

so you've really don't know what to expect, I'd imagine.

No, I know it's going to be different,

a lot different from home.

I don't really like having mud all over me.

Especially with that porta potty back there, I'm not liking that.

As tarmac gives way to dirt road,

our long journey isn't even over yet,

so were forced to stop for the night

before reaching our final destination in the morning.

So we're here, we've made it to the hotel.

Me, the kids and our loo are all in one piece.

You know, some of the kids spoke of feeling quite overwhelmed,

and that's understandable,

everything they're seeing is just so different

to what they're used to back home,

so it does feel like we've been on a bit of an adventure already

and they haven't even started the work yet.

This hotel is the best accommodation for miles,

but who knew, it's not quite up to our kids' four-star standards.

I'm not impressed, it's really disgusting.

To start with...that.

It's not even clean.

If you look up at the lights,

it looks as if they're about to fall off.

Cupboards here, the wardrobes...

What even is that?

13-year-old Emily from Sussex has no problem voicing her opinion.

Emily speaks her mind all the time.

If there's something wrong and I feel it strong, I will say it.

Sometimes it can come across as rude.

And words aren't the only way Emily likes to express herself.

She loves clothes.

I love my fashion. I'd say I'm a fashionista as well.

Like even if I'm walking the dogs, I'll have to have my hair all nice

and everything.

But she's not keen on paying for the clothes herself.

Emily asks for things all the time.

I don't actually always get my own way.

Whatever it is, wherever she's going,

she always needs something new.

Actually, that's a lie. Yeah, I think I do.

Emily's mum is hoping the trip will give her a bit of a jolt.

I would like Emily to come back and to really appreciate everything

that she's got and to not want more all the time.

Back in Africa, I go to find out what's got the kids

so het up about our hotel.

You all right, guys?

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Did you lot want to speak to me about something?

Yeah, we were hoping to change rooms.

We wanted to see if we could change rooms.

Just cos the room is just disgusting.

Actually, this is really comfortable for a lot of people here

and you're going to be staying in places far more remote

and basic than this.

This is as good as it gets here.

What, so this is the nicest place we're going to stay?

-Probably.

-Ah!

You've got to toughen up. This is going to be a hard couple of weeks.

Our kids are already struggling with Africa,

but if they think this is basic, they're in for a shock tomorrow.

The next morning, and everyone is feeling more at home.

Our kids are just having a bit of breakfast before we set off

and I'm just hoping it's not the calm before the storm.

Our convoy sets off from the hotel

and heads deeper into the African countryside...

But, as we approach our final destination,

it seems things might be going downhill again.

-Oh, my God.

-I'm not liking this.

-ALL:

-Whoa!

-Oh, my God!

Heavy rain overnight means

getting our bus up the hill is proving impossible.

Honestly.

Without a bus, car or even a bike in sight,

our only option is to walk...

Eurgh.

..which gives me the perfect opportunity

to finally reveal what the kids' first day of work will entail.

Us Brits love chocolate, and a lot of it starts here.

In fact, Ghana is fast becoming the largest exporter of cocoa

in the world,

and today you lot are going to be working on a cocoa farm.

-ALL:

-Whoa!

Cocoa is the pride and joy of Ghana, it's their most important export.

This small country produces a fifth of the world's supply.

Without their cocoa, there's no chocolate for us.

They even call it Ghana's brown gold.

Perfect.

The cocoa beans grown on this farm are top quality.

The beans go straight to Europe, and the money it brings in

supports this whole village.

So today the entire community wants to meet our kids

before letting them work with their precious crop.

These people are waiting for you.

But first, the kids must meet their boss.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Yayra.

-Hey, how are you doing?

How do you do?

Guys, this is Yayra, he's the cocoa exporter,

and Samuel owns this cocoa farm.

And these are just the first of many introductions.

-SPEAKS IN GHANAIAN LANGUAGE

-..cocoa farmer.

SPEAKS IN GHANAIAN LANGUAGE ..cocoa farmer.

-SPEAKS IN GHANAIAN LANGUAGE

-...cocoa farmer.

-SPEAKS IN GHANAIAN LANGUAGE

-..cocoa farmer.

THEY CHEER

Ghana is so proud of its cocoa, it even has its own chant.

-Ghana. ALL:

-Cocoa.

-Ghana. ALL:

-Cocoa.

-Cocoa. ALL:

-Ghana.

And it's the first thing our kids must learn.

-Cocoa.

-ALL:

-Ghana.

-Ghana.

-ALL:

-Cocoa.

-Cocoa. ALL:

-Ghana.

-Ghana. ALL:

-Cocoa.

Having shown the farmers they're serious,

our kids get the stamp of approval from the village

and can finally get down to business.

You know where chocolate comes from?

-Cadbury's?

-Have you ever seen a cocoa bean?

-That's a cocoa bean.

-So that's a cocoa bean?

You know what?

-This is where chocolate comes from.

-This is where chocolate comes from.

'Those cocoa beans grow in big, yellow pods.

'Yayra has decided to put the kids

'to work deep in the cocoa plantation,

'where the pods are ready for picking.'

Samuel is going to demonstrate to you

what he has been doing here every day.

It is no easy task.

It is really hard work.

'At harvest time, the average farmer picks 200 pods an hour.

'And today, our kids' job is to pick half of that.'

OK, so we are here to work.

You've got one hour, you've got to get 100 pods each.

Don't forget, you've got your two bosses here,

they are going to be watching you every single step of the way.

-They mean business.

-Right.

-So, you're focused, yeah?

-KIDS:

-Yeah.

-Cool.

-Cocoa!

-KIDS:

-Ghana!

-Ghana!

-KIDS:

-Cocoa!

-Let's go.

'They've got an hour to pick 100 pods, so they must be quick,

'but also pace themselves.

'Temperatures can soar to a sweltering 40 degrees on this farm,

'so keeping cool is crucial.'

I think I am doing really well.

I think I am pretty awesome at this.

See that? That is the work of a pro.

'But just minutes later...

'We are already a man down.'

Unfortunately, I think the heat has just got to Kathryn.

She doesn't feel very well. She is having to sit this task out.

I think it just gives you an indication of how hot,

how hard and how humid it is out here.

'And Emily is back to princess mode.'

I've done only ten and I am exhausted.

Jasmine was telling me that she is incredibly competitive.

She doesn't like losing. So I think she has got a system where

she can get more than one at one time.

I'm going to, like, think about doing 200.

That's my aim.

'Jasmine is rushing from tree to tree, but in her haste, she risks

'picking unripe pods and damaging the root of this prized crop.'

-This is very precious for the farmer.

-Yeah.

Because it is like a bank for him. This is where he gets his money.

-Yeah, the trees are so precious, very vital.

-Very precious.

These are special trees.

-Very special.

-We take good care of them.

-We must be very careful.

Exactly.

'Unlike the girls, Ed and Rob are taking it really seriously

'and carefully picking the ripest pods.'

The toughest part of this is actually finding healthy ones.

'While the boys are hard at it, for Jasmine,

'it seems to be less about work and more about winning.'

More than 15 in, like, 20 minutes.

At least I'm going to beat the target.

'12-year-old Jasmine, from Bedford, has one thing on her mind.'

Here is my phone, and I love it, love it, love it!

She's literally - eyes glued down onto her phone.

I like texting people.

"Do want to come out today? What are you up to? What is the new gossip?"

I never stop talking. I actually never stop talking.

'But Jasmine doesn't just use

'her phone to keep in touch with friends.'

Jasmine is the queen of selfies.

I have taken about 150 photos of me.

A lot of my friends tell me that I'm lame.

'And when Jasmine is too tied up on her phone,

'she relies on her twin sister Shola to help out.'

I might come in in the mornings and tell Jasmine to clean her room.

I'll go back in five minutes later and Shola will be the one

cleaning and Jasmine will just be on her phone, with no care in the world.

'Jasmine's mum hopes her African trip will help her realise

'that the world doesn't revolve around her.'

I want her to come back to reality.

Jasmine. Are you ever going to run out of breath?

'Back on the farm, Jasmine is on a mission to beat that target.

'And in a crafty move,

'she has got one of the locals to give her a hand.'

Thank you so much.

'She is using their scarf as a makeshift basket.

Thank you!

'But her ever-increasing pile hasn't escaped

'the attention of the others, and they are not happy.'

She has got that massive bucket thing, whatever she is using...

-She's using a scarf, isn't she?

-..and we don't.

'Convinced that Jasmine is cheating, Emily decides to fight fire

'with fire and steel some pods for herself.'

She's got too many, she won't notice.

Just don't tell her. Sh.

'But little gets past the boss.'

-We have to tell them, it's kind of cheating on the other.

-Exactly.

'Finally, after an exhausting morning, the hour is up.

'Their first taste of farm work is over.'

HE SIGHS

'But have they done enough to impress their boss?'

Yayra and his team are going to count your pods.

They're going to see how well you've done.

You are going to take a well-deserved break.

And we're going to meet up with Yayra

and find out how you got on, yeah?

The hard work might be over,

but the kids' greatest challenge is yet to come.

I think that was the most gammiest thing I I've ever actually seen.

It's disgusting.

'It's just not something I'd want to do ever again.'

So next time, I'm going in the bush.

'The pods have been counted and all the kids can do is wait

'to find out who Yayra will promote and who he will demote.'

Edward, you really have done well.

You were a bit slow, but you got to 77.

That is really impressive.

And Robbie, how did Robert do?

Robert, you've actually brought it to 84.

I told you!

-I'm proud of that, actually.

-Yes.

Jasmine was actually the fastest.

She actually got 114 pods.

-Yes!

-114 pods.

-114.

But I have seen that she was having a scarf.

You did have this advantage that the others didn't.

-Exactly.

-Do you think that is fair?

-I don't know, really.

-Do you guys think it is fair or not?

-No.

-No?

-No.

-It's not fair, then.

-Emily, Emily, Emily.

-Emily.

So you got 41 pods. That's all you made.

So, you know, we have to promote some and demote some.

I can only say that the two ladies have, in a way, cheated.

You were actually picking some pods from Jasmine.

-And that is really not good.

-And Rob.

And you were using a scarf,

so we have to say that the two ladies are demoted

and the two young men are to be promoted.

-Wow!

-Yes, yes!

I'm disappointed, but to be honest, I knew it was coming

because I got the least amount of cocoa...things.

I got 114 and our target was 100, and everyone else got below that.

And I got demoted!

But I'm not the expert here, so...

While some of our kids have started to settle in,

guess who doesn't think the place is Emily enough.

The village is so different to anything I have ever seen.

The houses are awful. They live in mud huts.

And I'm not kidding, I thought that was just, like, a phrase.

They live in literal mud.

Emily may be surprised that the conditions of this village,

but Kathryn, Rob and Ed have asked to meet Samuel's family.

Samuel, you well?

-Is this your wife?

-Yes.

-Akweley? Lovely to meet you.

'Farm owner Samuel lives in a two-room house with his wife,

'their parents and children.'

Wow.

How many people sleep in here?

Two.

My bedroom at home is a lot bigger.

You are a lucky boy, you are very lucky.

We don't work from a young age. We start at 16, 17.

And we get things that we take for granted, just from our parents.

Akweley, is there anything that our kids can do to help you?

HE TRANSLATES

Yes, I can do it.

I can help them.

-Are you up for that?

-KIDS: Yeah.

Akweley, they are all yours.

-You have three more children.

-Thank you.

'On the other side of the village, I have sent Jasmine

'and Emily to meet 14-year-old twins - Junior and Senior.'

Oh!

This is my grandfather's room.

And this is our living room.

And this is our bedroom.

It's like a hammock or something with a net in, I'm guessing.

Now, this is our mat.

Oh, so you sleep on the floor?

The boys have nets above their heads that protect them from mosquitoes,

which in this village, is a luxury.

It's so different, I really can't get over this.

If I had to stay here for a night, I think

I'd probably hyperventilate.

I like sleeping here because if you sleep here, it's good.

That was really shocking.

Like, I never thought that anything was as bad as that.

While the girls still haven't found their feet here,

the rest of the group are getting stuck right in,

although I think domestic duties might be a new

thing for all of them.

It's actually quite difficult,

like getting the stuff off that I don't see.

-It's kind of...

-Do you do the washing up at home?

-No.

-No?

It makes me feel like I want to do a little bit more at home,

but not too much.

As the kids prepare to bed down for the night in the best rooms the

village has to offer, it seems some of our kids are still not happy.

Whoa, look at all the... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...

WHOA!

That is massive!

One night would be an adventure, I think,

but any more than one night, like two weeks or whatever, is

just too much, pushing the boat out, cos there's no showers here.

No showers.

And it is not just our kids that are discovering new things today.

THEY TALK AT ONCE

ROOSTER CROWS

So it is the morning of day two and our kids have spent

their first-ever night in a Ghanaian village.

This is the first time I ever had to make up my own bed.

As soon as the sun is up, work starts here.

And having impressed the boss yesterday,

Yayra has got the perfect job for Rob, Kathryn and Ed.

OK, guys,

back where we all started.

-Yayra, how are you today?

-Good.

-Are you well?

-Yeah.

Hello, Samuel.

OK, guys, I really want to give you a chance at the most important

task in chocolate production.

Inside every pod, are the precious cocoa beans that make our chocolate.

The kids must remove the beans carefully.

Every part contains enough beans to make two chocolate bars,

so every one counts.

It feels really gooey and slimy,

kind of like tadpole slime.

This is actually... It's actually surprisingly fun.

Cruising for a bruising.

But Yayra has got other ideas for demoted duo Jasmine and Emily.

He has given them one of the most unpleasant jobs in cocoa production.

You have to redeem yourself today by really portraying

how best you can do that job.

After sitting in the baking heat for six days, the white flesh

round the cocoa beans is rotten, and the girls' task is to remove it.

I don't know if I can do this.

It smells, I'm not kidding, like, fish with loads of vinegar on.

I think that has put me off of chocolate for life.

Jasmine isn't distracted by the smell and after cheating

yesterday, she is determined to impress.

-Just get in there, it's not that hard.

-It's not hard.

-No, I don't like it.

-It's just cocoa.

Oh, dear, it seems Emily is really not liking this.

Emily, come on!

It stinks. And I don't like it on me.

And it looks like I've put my hand in sick.

Let's get to work.

-Or would you like to fetch water instead?

-I'll do it.

So, you know what you are going to do. Jasmine will pick this placenta.

-What do I do with it? What do I do with that?

-You put it here.

-What do I...?

-You put it here.

-Eww!

-You see, you are going to waste it.

This is very expensive.

This is a lot of money.

How are you getting on, Rob?

-I think I am doing quite well, actually.

-Yeah, not too bad?

-Not too bad.

-Ed? Tell me how you are finding it.

I'm finding it quite icky, I don't like the taking out bit.

I wouldn't imagine how much work went into making chocolate.

I'm surprised, really.

I tried to open this. You have a go.

Ed, it wasn't that hard.

-What? That's because I loosened it for you.

-Yeah.

Finally, it seems Emily has settled in.

We do seem to have a bit of a turnaround.

Jasmine seems to be getting stuck in and Emily is following suit.

My pile is actually catching up.

Never thought you'd hear that, would you? I'm beating Jasmine, guys.

THEY LAUGH

As both tasks near the end, there is

-one last challenge for our promoted group.

-Don't spill it.

-OK.

They must carry their beans to the drying area,

just like the locals do.

I've got an itchy nose.

THEY SPEAK IN LOCAL TONGUE

And it is not just the promoted lot who are pleased with themselves.

I did try my hardest.

It was fun. To me it was.

Our girls have actually finished the task.

And I've got to say, I am quite proud of them.

They got their heads down and they've done it.

So Yayra decides to allow Emily

and Jasmine to rejoin the rest of the group for their final job.

OK, gang, follow Yayra.

This is the girls' last chance to prove his themselves to the boss.

We will be having Emily and Ed here

and the rest will go over here.

Cocoa beans are sold according to size,

and the final task is to sort the big ones from the little

ones before they are weighed, bagged and shipped to Europe.

And, guys, once you have sieved them through, you then put them in a bag.

So, it moves so fast, you just have to pick them out.

Jasmine.

That's it. You have it.

But before long, it seems even here,

Emily can't quite help being Emily.

My arms absolutely kill.

I'm really on edge.

Jasmine, however, is full steam ahead.

For Jasmine, today has been all about proving herself to the boss.

The question is, has it worked?

'After a tough two days on the farm, Yayra will now decide who has

'done enough to earn themselves some wages.'

The first couple of days in Africa, it's a big deal,

and you have done very well, all of you.

You know, you have struggled at certain things, but on the whole,

I am very proud that you are here, you have given it a go.

So, guys, some of you will be paid a wage,

and Yayra's going to tell us who he would hire if you were adults.

And some of you aren't going to be so lucky this time.

Edward. You know what, we had good time these two days.

I have to be very honest with you - you were a bit slower

and you were not really showing that great interest.

Rob was really good.

He was really hard-working.

It was really fun learning how to do those kind of jobs and how

often people do these jobs

and have to go through this kind of stuff.

-So...

-Emily!

-Emily of olde.

Emily was actually just always complaining.

She was really not working hard. Emily was really, really too lazy.

Because I have never worked as well.

-I now know what standards I am expected to work at.

-Yes.

-So next time I will try and push myself...

-Really?

-..to get to those standards.

-Like we pushed the bins.

-Yeah.

Jasmine.

-How did our Jasmine do?

-Jasmine... She has really done very well.

Jasmine, you have to keep it up. That was so great.

I'm really competitive in lots of ways,

so I just wanted to get in and do it.

So, I really would be straightforward.

I would really engage Robert and Jasmine.

-For you.

-Thank you.

-That is about six quid, about £6.

-And this is for you, Jaz.

-Thank you, Stacey.

And thank you, Mr Boss Man.

Emily, Kathryn, Ed, not quite this time round.

What a surprise(!)

THEY LAUGH

No, I thought I had it in the bag.

Next time on Show Me What You Are Made Of,

they get the shock of their lives on a toxic waste dump.

People live here?!

Can they stomach work in a second-hand shoe warehouse?

Ugh! They are mouldy.

Or is Africa just too much?

-CRYING:

-I just don't understand.