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Business Leaders Award a motivation to do more — Mrs Bella Ahu

Mrs Bella Ahu is the Chief Executive Officer of Trafix Catering Services with decades of experience in the hospitality and catering industry.   

Her outfit aims to promote local and continental dishes and create employment for  the youth.

She was  honoured at the 3rd Business Leaders Awards held in Accra recently for the significant impact she continued to make towards the growth of the industry while delivering excellent services to her numerous clients.

Apart from serving the public with tasty meals, she had over the years instituted cooking competition among students and practitioners to help promote consumption of local dishes.

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Hundreds of traditional caterers and hospitality students have also benefited from the smart culinary training programmes she offered nationwide.

Speaking to The Spectator on her latest achievement, Mrs Ahu, dedicated the honours to her hardworking staff and loyal customers, adding that the recognition would spur her on to “do more.”

She said although the global pandemic had affected many businesses, the hospitality industry, just like other businesses, was regaining momentum, and that little did she knew that such an honour would be bestowed on her.

“I believe the Grace of God and other proactive measures have sustained us and we will continue to give off our best to the general public like we have always done,” she noted.  

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Challenges

Mrs Ahu  did not disclose how much she had lost due to the impact of COVID-19 but said, she was compelled to realign her staff and operations so she could remain in business.

“We lost some clients and staff but as the situations are beginning to normalise, we will get back on our feet. I had 69 workers but had  to lay off 60 and work with only nine staff.”

“The disruptions caused by the disease had also caused some restaurants to rely on delivery services,” she said.

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Mrs Ahu  was impressed by the steps taken by government to support small and medium scale businesses that have been worse hit by the COVID-19.

Education

Mrs Ahu attended Takoradi and Ho Polytechnics from 1976 to 1980 where she trained to become a caterer.

She subsequently embarked on other entrepreneurial training programmes before she obtained post graduate Diploma in Business Management from the Oxford University in the  United Kingdom (UK).

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She established Trafix Catering Limited at the National Theatre, Accra in 1983 having served in other capacities as the Assistant Matron.

In 2001, she set up Cook Ghana, a non-governmental organisation to champion the course of traditional caterers and to create awareness on standard hygienic food preparation and the national value of Ghanaian dishes.

Mrs Ahu holds executive advisory positions in some institutions including the Ghana Toursim Federation (GHATOT). She was the past President of the Institute of Hospitality, Ghana, and also been executive member of Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs (GAWE).

She continues to be an inspiration and a role model to the young girl children and encourages them to live decent lives and pursue their dreams.

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She had been adjudged the Ghana Business Chamber ‘Woman of the Year’ in 2017  and regularly publishes articles on indigenous food in Ghana. One of her prominent recent articles is titled “Is Ghana losing Her food culture?

She served on various tourism related committees such as world Tourism Day Planning Committee (2009) and had been a member of the National Tourism Policy Committee in 2006.

Mrs Ahu said she was open for partnerships at her Hospitality Centre of Excellence at Prampram where she trains  individuals and corporate bodies in cake decoration, pastry and cuisine making.

Trafix Catering Services which began 35 years ago with the aim of producing quality meal has trained a lot of people in the hospitality sector.

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Hobbies

Mrs Bella Ahu likes reading .

By Linda Abrefi Wadie

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From passion to plate: Chichi Yakubu’s culinary journey

Chichi and family
Chichi and family

Driven by her personal weight loss journey and passion for healthy eating, Chichi Yakubu has carved a niche for herself in the culinary industry.

Her dedication and commitment has turned her business, NyoNyo Essentials, to one of Ghana’s most sought-after catering companies in the country.

Born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother, Chichi grew up in a family of passionate women at Mamprobi Polytechnic.

Her mother, an avid cook, started a small catering business, which Chichi helped manage during vaca­tions.

“From upper primary through to Junior High School, I will close from school to go and help my mother at her small food stand at Sakaman to do the dishes after her customers had eaten.

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Her mother was known for her special dough Banku with Okro soup. Her small food joint ex­panded to become a chop bar where she worked at when on vacations.

She acknowledged that, “this early exposure to entrepreneurship sparked my interest in the culinary industry.”

After her university education, Chichi embarked on a weight loss journey, which led her to explore the culinary side of things.

According to Chichi, her weight loss journey began after she real­ised in her late teens her family struggle with weight.

“I wasn’t going to just allow it but someway, somehow, I started gaining so much weight in my early twenties and I decided to take ac­tion by changing my lifestyle by eat­ing healthy and exercising. That’s what got me interested in meal prepping which eventually became my side hustle,” she narrated.

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Chichi later discovered the business potential of healthy food and decided to pursue it. Also her friends were curious about her weight loss strategies, which inspired her to offer meal-prep services at a fee.

With a bold vision and determina­tion, Chichi started small, offering sandwiches, salads, and smoothies.

Leveraging social media market­ing, she reached a wider audience and grew her business rapidly.

Today, Chichi is the Chief Execu­tive Officer of Nyonyo Essential, a business that has expanded to cater for weddings, parties, and corpo­rate events with her team providing excellent service, and word-of-mouth referrals have helped her expand her client base.

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Again, Chichi has also opened kitchen centres in selected areas, providing healthy food options to Ghanaians.

She mentioned that, her mother has been her number one supporter saying “she had the blue print handed down to me. I started my business in her kitchen, and she also spared me some of her workers when the new people I had hired didn’t show up.

“My then boyfriend and now husband believed in me even when I was not sure to do it full time as I was in cor­porate Ghana and not doing bad.”

Chichi said one of her biggest challenges was staff retention, adding that she was of the opinion that the work itself was not much of a challenge but the people.

The other thing was stereotyping, saying that, “some years back people look down on food business op­erators, we were not regarded as profes­sionals with others assuming we are school dropouts or just people who don’t know what we are about.”

But I was determined to change that narrative by handling work with the outmost professionalism, which I have since the beginning of my weight loss journey in 2014.

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Chichi is motivated by her faith in Christ, her passion for entrepre­neurship, and her commitment to empowering women.

As a wife, mother, and business owner, she strives to create a bal­ance that reflects her vision of an all-rounded woman.

In business, she emphasised, her drive comes from a deep love for the hospitality industry and a desire to help others succeed through the business of catering by NyoNyo, saying that, “My belief that Jesus is Lord guides my decisions, ensur­ing that integrity, excellence, and purpose shape both my life and business.”

She urged young people, espe­cially young women, who are just starting out in their careers or en­trepreneurial journeys to believe in themselves, trust God’s timing, and be willing to put in the work.

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Chichi and family having fun at the beach

Moreover, she said “success does not happen overnight, so stay consistent, be patient, and keep learning. Surround yourself with the right people, mentors, peers, and a support system that challenges and encourages you.”

“Opportunities don’t pause for perfection. While we overthink, others take action. Start where you are, with what you have. The world moves fast—so should we,” – Chichi Yakubu advised

She again added that women should embrace their multifacet­ed roles without guilt saying “you can be an entrepreneur, a wife, a mother, and a sister’s keeper all at once. Most importantly, stay true to your values and never compromise on integrity. Let your journey reflect both purpose and excellence.”

Chichi Yakubu

Chicihi loves to spend quality time away from the noise of life in new places or go on an adventure with her family and friends.

She is a product of Christian home school, Okuapeman secondary, Cen­tral University College and Harvard University.

By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu

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Patriotism, sacrifice and service — the veterans’ perspective

For men and women with battlefield experience, patriotism, sacrifice, and service are not just abstract ideas, they are lived experi­ences deep-rooted in hardship and sustained endurance in the line of duty.

Such lifelong duty goes be­yond the uniform to include the values of duty, honour, and commitment, long after active military service.

Ex Lance-Corporal Wisdom Edmund Kudowor

Such has been the life of Ex Lance-Corporal Wisdom Edmund Kudowor, a 97-year-old World War Two (WWII) Veteran, who volunteered for recruitment in 1943 at the age of 15.

He was to be trained and enrolled as a soldier and tradesman for the Artisan Work Company of the then Gold Coast Regiment.

Though looking frail currently after a few days of head surgery, the ex-ser­viceman’s ability to recall his past experiences was excep­tional.

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Ex-Lance-Cpl Kudowor lived in an era that saw many young Africans recruited and conscripted to fight for their colonial masters in a war that ravaged half of Europe and claimed al­most 85 million lives.

In a brief yet straight to the point interaction with the Ghana News Agency, he expressed no regret in volunteering, despite the immi­nent danger and harrowing stories about WWII back then.

More sur­pris­ing was his nonchalant atti­tude towards the fact that he was not put on pension immediately after service. He expressed no bitterness nor pain.

He returned to the Gold Coast in 1946 after four years of service without any bene­fits, not until two years ago when he began receiving an annually paid British grant, which was recently increased to 1,350 pounds sterling.

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Though the grant did not match the sacrifice, “it is still better than nothing,” he said. Despite his past experiences, the old veter­ans’ patriotism, sacrifice and service did not wane after his return in 1946, at age 18, to the then Gold Coast.

Captain Ben Edmund Duah (Rtd)

He gained scholarship to further his education (both home and abroad) and with the knowledge acquired, he served his country for almost half a century, first as a pupil teacher, and rising to be­come the Headmaster of the Kpando Technical Institute. He headed other educational institutions and retired as a civil servant.

The veteran was not hap­py about the decline in patriotism and sacrifice, especially among young people in contem­porary Ghana.

Listening attentively due to a hearing challenge, the frail-looking veteran pointed to the attitude of the current generation, most of whom were unwilling to go the extra mile to support their country.

He expressed worry over their focus on immediate gains and monetary rewards for little services rendered.

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His observation was cor­roborated by Captain Ben Ed­mund Duah (Rtd), a veteran, who began his service with the Field Engineer Regiment soon after being commis­sioned at age 24 as a young officer in the early 1970s.

The retired Army Captain, who once served with the Delta Company of the Five Battalion of Infantry (5BN) among other positions, said: “Patriotism is non-existent in today’s Ghana, unlike our time when we took pride in openly exercising these values.” He, however, did not entirely blame the youth for not exhibiting such traits.

Capt. Duah (Rtd) attribut­ed the seeming non-patriot­ism by the youth to the strug­gles they see the veterans go through just to survive, after sacrificing for humanity.

The needs and concerns of patriots and forerunners, particularly veterans in Ghana, were largely unmet, compared to other countries, he said.

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“The veterans brought honour to our colonial masters and by extension to Ghana. They were not given what they were promised. Right now, the British Gov­ernment gives them some support and that is what sus­tains a lot of them.” Captain Ben Duah stressed the ur­gency for the country to pay more attention to the con­cerns and needs of veterans.

“We should see them as people who voluntarily decided to sacrifice their lives for us. If anybody does this for you, you should be fair enough to look at his interest…these are people who have devoted their lives to save us, therefore we should be nice to them in the form of caring for them,” he noted.

When asked for their opin­ion on many of the youth try­ing to seek greener pastures abroad due to their lack of confidence in the economy, Capt Duah and L/Cpl Kudow­or both agreed that Ghana was still worth sacrificing for, despite the challenges.

Captain Duah, who served during an era awash with military coups d’etats, urged Ghanaians to respect, recog­nise and be willing to support veterans because govern­ment could not shoulder the responsibility alone.

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“Citizens should realise that these are people who, some time ago, in their youthful years, sacrificed their precious lives to save others…We expect that as veterans, people will respect and admire them for their values and bravery,” he said.

“I will advise the youth to utilise existing opportunities as a means to serve Ghana. Service to the country, I be­lieve, should be the youths’ primary goal”, Ex L/Cpl Kudowor said.

The two justified the con­tinuous celebration of Veter­ans Day on the 28 of February as a step in the right direc­tion.

This serves as a platform for the youth to learn about the three values of patriot­ism, service and sacrifice, the history behind the celebra­tion and the need to respect veterans.

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On February 28, 1948, Veterans of World War II, who had fought with the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force, organised a peaceful demon­stration, marching to the Christainborg Castle at Osu in Accra, the capital of the Gold Coast, to hand a peti­tion to the colonial governor, demanding their end of war benefits, which they had been promised.

Before reaching the castle, the veterans were ordered to disperse by the colonial police chief. When they refused, he opened fire on them, instantly killing three of the ex-servicemen – Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe, and Private Odartey Lamptey.

The 28 February Cross­roads Shooting is commem­orated every year to honour the veterans for their sacri­fice to the country.

—GNA

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