Ninth District Rep. Steve Cohen is in Africa this week on a trade mission that involves five members of Congress.

Cohen is part of a delegation that includes Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, William Lacy Clay of Missouri and G.K. Betterfield of North Carolina.

In a telephone call from Ghana, Cohen noted that it is his first trip to the African continent. The delegation earlier had visited Morocco and Liberia. South Africa also is on the agenda.

Cohen said Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made a strong pitch for American aid to the delegation.

“What we consider the most important areas that we will like for the U.S. support, is in our areas of infrastructures that affect the seaport; electricity and the airport,” President Sirleaf said at a news conference held with members of the delegation.

Sirleaf traveled to Memphis in 2007, where she received a Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum.

Cohen said he was struck by the very visible poverty in Liberia. “Liberia is very poor, war torn and lots of poverty… with a lack of electricity, jobs and so forth,” he said.

Ghana is well beyond Liberia in that it has not had to deal with the recent ravages of war, said Cohen, adding that the enthusiasm of President Obama’s recent visit there is quite palpable with pictures of Obama “all over the streets.”

While in Ghana, Cohen honored Joyce Adonteng with a Congressional Proclamation.  Adonteng, a tailor, has been a significant contributor to the all-African home in Memphis developed by Anthony Elmore. She also collaborated with Elmore in designing a Kente-cloth tuxedo that Elmore sought to have President Obama wear during the Inauguration festivities Cohen noted Obama’s acknowledgement of Elmore’s overture in recent communications. Adonteng, he said, now is teaming with Elmore to design clothes for First Lady Michelle Obama’s consideration.

“When I was in Ghana negotiating with carvers to build furniture for our home, Mrs. Adonteng fought like hell to make sure that we got quality products, a timely schedule, good prices and the best service,” said Elmore. “It is unusual for an African woman to stand toe-to-toe with men and literally kick … to get things done.”

In an e-mail from Ghana Wednesday evening, Adonteng said she went to the men one by one to get them to do the carvings for Elmore’s all-African house. Adonteng says she makes as many as five shipments a year of goods to Elmore, the largest ever having been the tables, chairs and doors that are part of the all-African home.

Elmore had hoped Adonteng would be able to present Cohen with some Kente cloth.

“I got your mail late, so could not get the Kente cloth for Mr. Cohen, but I promise to send him an art of himself very soon,” wrote Adonteng to Elmore. “Am very happy and will be forever.”