YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP 2: OKARA BRANDS

Our goal this week is to look at a couple of young entrepreneurs that are doing extraordinary things and giving us a glimpse into what the future of this country is going to be like. Yesterday we talked about Ngum Fai Yengo Bryan and Chabeja Randalls Ndobegang, the 18 and 19 year old owners of a fast food joint, SNAPBURGER. Today, we introduce you to Ayuk Nicole (ANIE) whose story is beyond inspirational; a story that is not just for women and girls but a story that every young Cameroonian needs to know. Her story is befitting of a movie titled LIONHEART.

Nicole never grew up with her biological parents. Having to move a lot during her life, attending more than 4 secondary schools and living with many different caretakers and in different towns; sometimes for not up to 9 months before having to move again. Her living arrangements put her in a situation where she basically had to raise herself for the most part. She talks about never wanting to be idle which made her learn a lot of things. Nicole can handle a sewing machine, dress hair, and many other things which have led her to starting and running her own company called OKARA.

So how did she turn her random quest for skills into a business?

Her story is a classic example of opportunity meets preparation. Not only preparation in terms of skill but also in terms of mindset and priorities; two areas in which many young people in this country fall far behind. We are all too ready to externalize blame forgetting that we first have to look into ourselves and make sure we give everything we have in exchange for the future we want to have.

In 2017, Anie was in Nigeria for the long holidays after passing her GCE A/L. Not wanting to stay at home she went out looking for a place where she could keep herself occupied. She left her cousins house where she was staying and started strolling around her neighborhood looking for a place where she could ask for a summer job. Her initial intention was to learn make-up.

After seeing the sign board of a beauty company, she entered as asked about any opportunity to learn how to do make up. There she was referred to another place but while leaving, she saw a sign that the company was looking for new faces to serve as brand ambassadors for their beauty products so she went back and inquired about it. They told her the procedure for applying to become a brand ambassador. She did and was called for an interview. After the first interview she and the 80 other candidates were given some of the company products to use for two weeks and return for the second phase of interviews. During the second phase of the interviews, Anie and two other candidates were selected to become the face of various products for the Nigerian skincare company.

After being handed her prize money, she was asked what she would do with it and she said she would love to start producing similar products in her home country Cameroon. Impressed by her ambition, she was offered free lessons by the company and was assigned a teacher to teach her all she needed to know to start manufacturing her own skincare products. Anie would later add to her knowledge from other sources creating her own products with her touch. After a successfully starting her own line of skin care products, she ventured into crochet hair products to expand her product line.

Nicole was enrolled in the Pan African University in Buea and was having a hard time managing her business and education but due to the crises, she decided to focus more on building her brand. Her skin care products have been widely appreciated by her customers and her current goal is to rebrand by getting custom made packaging and expanding her reach by opening up to other interested females; giving them the opportunity that she was also given.

She tells us of how she had to travel by road to Nigeria in the midst of the Anglophone crises, passing both police and ADF checkpoints just to get the packaging made. Her experience seeing dead bodies along the road. How she spent two weeks in Lagos where she had never been before just to find the right people to print her packaging at a favorable price; making friends and living with strangers just because she was running low on funds.

She recently launched a website (okarabrandds.com) for her company which allows customers to order products online. We have tested the website and the functionality is superb. She is now offering an opportunity for other ambitious young ladies to become members of her brand. Her website provides details of what it means to be a member of her company and the associated benefits. It goes as follows:-

Who is a member?

A OkaraBrands Member is a business partner and ambassador of the Okara brand and its products. Members can benefit from the network to learn about the beauty industry and grow their income.

Benefits of becoming a member

• Our members are expected to join our network as resellers of our products. Members get the advantage of being able to buy at a discount and make a profit off the sale of one of our products. Members are also able to take products on credit and pay after they have sold the products.

• Outstanding members also stand a chance to become the face of one of our products which also comes with additional benefits.

• Our members benefit from our community support in their own entrepreneurial ventures.

Procedure

1. Purchase and use at least one Okara Product.
2. Write and E-mail personal Statement to okaracameroon@gmail.com
3. Request for membership by signing up to become a member on our website www.okarabrands.com
4. Selected applicants will be contacted for an interview
5. Approved members will be contacted for further steps.

Other Requirements

• Must be at least 18 Years of age
• Must have a valid National I.D card

She has plans to finish her education but she is adamant about doing it side by side with running her business. Mindful of the challenges, she seems to be ready with all that it takes to succeed. We believe her story is one that will be told for years to come. which reminds us that we can all sit and complain about how hard the system makes things for us or we can look for means to succeed regardless of the circumstances. How many have the guts and the will do to everything it takes to make their mark? Nicole is prove that any one of us can find a way to turn adversity into opportunity.