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Ms Prinsca Godoh, adding professional touch to auto spraying
The limited job opportunities in the world is fast eroding the notion that some professions are the preserve of men.
It is interesting to note that, women have ventured into more daring professions to prove a point that what men can do, women are capable of doing.
By dint of hard work and perseverance, women have turned engineers, medical doctors, painters, exquisite artists, renowned academicians, bus drivers, pilots and top-notch professionals among others.
Following the example of such women, 28-year-old Ms Prinsca Akorfa Godoh, a native of Ve Gbordome in the Volta Region who had developed a passion for auto spraying, enrolled at the Xorlali Spraying Shop at Adentan, Accra to learn the trade.
Ms Godoh said her mother readily gave her blessings when she sought her consent to learn the trade. “If that is what you intend to do, then l have no objection,” she said.
According to Ms Godoh, the man from whom she learnt the trade encouraged her to remain focused on the job because there was a lady apprentice who had enrolled and was doing pretty well before she joined.
She admitted that, though the trade looked very simple and attractive, learning it was not as easy as one would have thought. The task to sandpaper a car was one of the most difficult aspects of the trade which nearly put her off.
Ms Godoh described how an automobile sprayer has to apply filler paste on the rugged surfaces of a car, sandpaper it after which putty was applied.
She said the application of putty at this stage of the work was basically to help fill the minor holes which were left on the car.
She explained that different sizes of sandpaper were used at different stages of the preparation process to make the final spraying look smooth and nice.
Having finished this stage, the car would be washed to clean dust that might have percolated on it. The sprayer would then go ahead to cover parts of the car, which were made of glass and rubber with paper to make way for the first spraying.
Ms Godoh said the car would be checked again to find out if there were any potholes left and fill them before the final spraying would be carried out.
She said she was surprised about the high commendation she received after the successful completion of her first spraying job. The car owner was exceedingly glad about the professional touch she had applied to her work.
Apprenticeship
The young sprayer intimated that she commenced her apprenticeship in 2008 when she was only 16 years old.
Ms Godoh said she completed her apprenticeship after three- and-a – half years, opened a shop at Frafraha on the Adentan -Dodowa road, and has since trained three people, while two apprentices are under training.
Diversification
“Unlike the sale of food which demands that people should purchase every day, my work does not follow in that line. There are times that the job comes in series and there are times that one becomes idle with no work to be done,” she said.
Being innovative in her approach to work and ever ready to seize any opportunity whenever possible, Ms Prinsca Godoh has opened a shop where she sells paints for spraying cars, but ends up using the paints more for her work.
She said she had added the sale of cooked rice, beans, banku and akple to occupy herself whenever there was no job.
Plans
Ms Godoh said her desire was to own a spraying booth where quality spraying or good work would be done. She said quality product was that which kept many renowned entrepreneurs in business over the years.
Additionally, she would like to train more capable hands to be in charge of the job while she stepped back to assume a supervisory role in the future.
Her advice to the youth especially the girls, is that, they should try their hands on other jobs and work hard to achieve heights their intellect would permit them.
Education
Although Prinsca completed the Vedeme Local Authority Elementary School, she could not continue her education because she lost her father when she was a baby. Unfortunately, her mother, a single parent, could not support her.
Social Life
Prinsca who is the third and last child of her parents, attends the Pentecost Church, Adentan, Ewe Assembly and she is devoted to serving God.
Her hobbies include cooking, doing household chores, dancing and listening to good music. She likes boiled rice with cabbage stew.
By Raymond Kyekye
Profile
Addiction counsellor advises youth… Stay away from alcohol, it can ruin your life
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
Profile
Meet Mavis Adjoa Yeboah Adjei, brain behind leading clothing giant
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
