Hobby turned business — Sandra Adwoa Amponsah highlights expertise in making handmade accessories

What started as a hobby during her Junior High School days has today become an income-generating venture.

Sandy Lartisan, known in private life as Sandra Adwoa Amponsah, has carved a niche for herself. She is a wedding planner and does handmade accessories such as customised bridal fans, bouquets, tiaras, fascinators, turbans, headbands and crochet bags amongst others.

And ever since she started her career, Ms Lartisan has helped many young people by providing free training on AdomTV, Atinka TV, Churches and individuals for free.

She was born in Akwatia in the Denkyembour District of the Eastern Region to Mr Hayfordson Odei and Mrs Diana Donkor. She has five siblings, three girls and two boys.

Telling The Spectator how this hobby, now business, started she said:  “I got the idea when I was in school did artwork, I love to create things with my hands when I was a child.”

“When I completed Manso Senior High School, I told myself I would learn more about handicrafts so I could do something better for myself, but I didn’t get enough support, so I worked at Promasidor Ghana for many years before going into this business.”

It was still difficult when she started on her own after Promasidor, but luckily for Sandy, one of her uncles came to her aid to support this solo journey.

“The money to buy materials to learn the craft was very difficult for me at that time, but my uncle Mr. Thomas Agbanyo came in and paid everything for me to learn it. I learned it from one Nigerian woman called, Nabella,” she said.

To be successful in her business, the dedicated entrepreneur furthered her education at Intercom Programming and Manufacturing Company (IPMC), obtaining Diploma in Digital Marketing and she continues to pursue her a degree course in the same institution.

She aims to help and teach young women find it difficult to fend for themselves as well as the youth on the street struggling to make ends meet.

Sandy hopes her brand would grow locally and internationally as she meets the needs of clients and gives other trainees the necessary push.

As a young entrepreneur, she believes startups will contribute their quota to the development of the country when they get more support from the Government.

She urged Ghanaians to trust and patronise handicraft and other made-in-Ghana products to help grow startups and encouraged the youth not to focus on one job, even if they were well paid.

“Young people should try and add some craft to their job. It helps, it has helped me and it will help them too,” she said.

Sandy Lartisan is a Presbyterian who loves to cooking, basketball and volley at her leisure.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme