Don Richie looked older at 45 years and battling alcoholism (left) than at 50 and overcoming it

When Richard Nii Adjei Otch­wemah decided to celebrate his completion of secondary school with alcoholic drinks, little did he know it was going to be the begin­ning of a long battle with alcoholism for almost 30 years of his life.

‘The Don’ or ‘Don Richie,’ as he was called, because he was always the boss and leader of most activities among his friends, recalled that after their final exam, he and some of his friends decided to do something ad­venturous to celebrate completion of that level of education.

“Right at the gate of the school, someone was selling palm wine and so we had a good taste of it,” Mr Otchwemah, who is now an Addiction Coun­sellor disclosed this in an interview with The Spectator on the side­lines of an occasion to celebrate persons who had recovered from substance abuse at the House of St. Francis Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment and Reha­bilitation Centre in Ashaiman.

He said while wait­ing for his results, he was taken out regularly by a friend to have a bottle or two of beer.

“Drinking alcohol was not a hab­it until after Sixth Form when I was posted to a remote village to do my National Service. It was without electricity and water. The food was also bad so the only thing providing us with joy was hard liquor (akpeteshie), which was providing the ‘appetite’ to enjoy the meal” he narrated.

“But at home, I could eat without the alcohol as appetite because the food was good.”

He said after his graduation from University, he got married and was still drinking, recalling how he took his wife to drink.

That continued after marriage as his crave for alcohol became persistent while his wife be­came concerned and started expressing her displeasure about it.

Mr Otchwemah stated that in the process, he lost his influence on his family and community which previous­ly considered him as a role model and very responsible person.

As if that was not enough, alcoholism affected him greatly when pursuing a Master’s pro­gramme. He struggled to study and pro­crastinated on things to do.

Conse­quently, he felt his life was mov­ing back­wards and begin to lose his friends, family and even his job because he sometimes missed some days at work due to drinking.

The Addiction Counsellor said he spent almost all his time at drink­ing bars and preferred to be with like-minded people in order not to be discriminated upon.

In the process, he sometimes found himself on the wrong side of the law due to excessive drinking and also sus­tained various degrees of injuries from falls or fights caused by his drinking habit.

The turning point for him was when some old friends who had shown him so much love and respect over the years spoke to him passionately about the developments in his life and the need for him to get help.

He noted that there was an earlier attempt by some family members to get him to seek help from a rehabil­itation centre but he returned home after a month and started drinking again.

According to him, that attempt did not work because he had gone there out of frustration due to the pressure from his friends and a desire to make them happy.

The 50-year old narrated that the approach by his friends did not sound manipulative and so in August 2019, he decided to seek professional help from the House of St. Francis.

“And to the glory of God, I am back to my old self. The last month of August was exactly five since I tasted alcohol. I communicate well and I am polite with people. I say sorry when I offend them and also communicate well if I have concerns about issues without resorting to alcohol. I have not taken alcohol for five years and the good news is that I am helping others to do same,” he said.

He says it was important for society to treat persons battling addiction of any form with love and respect.

“Such people must be treated with respect. If possible, such people should be referred to persons who they respect and have a lot of regard for, because the process is all about conviction.”

He says after recovery, those who helped them should not use the roles they played as an opportunity to ma­nipulate, blackmail or disrespect them otherwise they might relapse out of frustration.

The Addiction Counsellor appealed to the Ministry for Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to vigorously start a campaign to get students in the Junior and Senior High Schools to be educated on the dangers of alcohol.

He noted that the focus had over the years been on drugs and weed to the neglect of alcohol which is also destructive to its users.

For the youth, the best advice he could offer them was to abstain from alcohol because it has the potential to destroy them.

 From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman

Gone were the days when people gave little attention to what they wore for public functions.

One’s fashion sense has become a big deal in recent time with the use of social media taking the fashion craze a notch higher.

At some high profile entertainment events with red carpet receptions, one often hear a harmless question like, ‘what are you wearing,’ which in effect means the identity of the creator of one’s dress.

Fashion lovers have been very alert to this, and in the process become very choosy and careful about what they wear out.

This, therefore, requires a vibrant industry, driven by hardworking designers to meet the increasing demands for such designs.

One of such per­sons making giant strides and amazing designs for the past 14 years is Mavis Adjoa Yeboah Adjei , a visionary CEO and Creative Director of Adjoa Yeboah Clothing.

Mrs Adjei ventured into fashion designing after giving her cloth to a seamstress to work on for a programme, only to be disappointed on the D-day.

“I was frustrated be­cause I didn’t have any­thing to wear. Through my frustration, I decided to enroll at the Joyce Ababio College of Fashion. After that I launched my busi­ness,” she narrated to The Spectator.

“I’ve always believed in nurturing one’s passion. My love for fashion and design led me to pursue formal ed­ucation at the Joyce Ababio College where I honed the skills necessary to turn my passion into a thriving busi­ness,’ she indicated.

The old student of Ghana Secondary School, Koforid­ua, says she has this desire to provide a unique blend of fashion outfits in order to satisfy the variegated tastes of a myriad of clientele.

Adjoa, as she is affection­ately known, was inspired by colours and considered the body type of clients before making an outfit for her clients.

And her biggest aspiration was to be the number one in the industry, providing bespoke clothing solutions to the generality of mankind as they step into the world of work and social network interactions/ programmes with unparalleled confidence and elegance.

Adjoa’s designs have been worn by both national and international celebrities, including Anita Akuffo, Korkui Salormey, Dentaa Amoateng and Rosalyn Felli, just to mention a few.

Despite the busy schedule with work, Adjoa, a mother of four, careful­ly plans her activities in order to meet the demands of family life as well.

“I prioritise my time, ensuring that I’m fully present in both my profes­sional and personal life. My family’s support has been crucial in helping me manage these responsibilities, allow­ing me to excel in both areas.”

As a result, she has become a men­tor to hundreds of successful fashion designers and is a crucial resource for industrial attachment and internship for students studying fashion, textiles, and garment studies at both public and private universities.

Awards

Adjoa Yeboah Clothing was honoured as the Fashion Brand of the Year at the 2019 Women’s Choice Awards due to her outstanding leadership and stellar delivery of fashion outfits in the year under review.

Furthermore, her clothing line has collaborated with Media General/ TV3’s flagship culture and entertain­ment show ‘Ghana’s Most Beautiful’ as the fashion hub of choice.

She also collab­orated with esteemed national and international personalities and fashion brands such as Vlisco (including the Vlisco Ambassador project) to outdoor many spectacular product collections.

Adjoa worked with Vlisco as a fashion designer in 2014 where she designed and clothed Vlisco’s Ambas­sadors.

She also curated looks for other Vlisco influencers as well as those for Vlisco Radiance Bridal fair. In 2017, she partnered and unveiled Vlisco Capsule Collection in the flagship store at Accra Mall.

Challenges

Like any entrepreneur, she faces challenges, particularly in balancing creative innovation with the daily management of the business. Earlier on, she saw the need for more training to manage the operational side of the brand, which led her to pursue further studies in management.

Again, she was affected gravely by the high cost of production (ie mate­rials, power, and accessories) which affects the cost of the final product.

Aspirations

Adjoa aims to position her clothing line as a globally recognised brand that continues to empower women and inspire the next generation of designers.

She also want to continue advocat­ing for the empowerment of women and children, using her platform to make a positive impact.

Education

She pursued a management degree at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) to enhance her business skills, and also completed the Women Entrepreneur­ship and Leadership Africa (WELA) Pro­gramme at the China Europe Interna­tional Business School to learn how to position the brand for global success.

Hobbies

Adjoa Yeboah loves listening to a blend of soul, jazz and traditional music, and likes to travel to the coun­tryside to enjoy nature as a source of inspiration. She also loves to read and watch latest trends in the world of fashion.

Born to Mr George Adjei Anobi and Madam Faustina Kyeremaa, she is the first among four siblings – (three girls and a boy) and hails from Berekum in the Bono region.

Advice

Adjoa wants the youth to focus on what they’re passionate about and dedicate time and resources to mas­tering their skills. Excellence doesn’t happen overnight—it’s a result of consistent effort and learning.

By Linda Abrefi Wadie