Perseverance and determination led Fati Seidu into an experiment in 2006 that has been nurtured over the years to become a popular brand on the market – Fathad Hausa Koko Powder (a local porridge made from either maize, millet or sorghum).
In 2013, Fati began a relationship with REP that has helped to improve her business, income and livelihood. She has benefitted from training programmes in business management and financial management. But her greatest blessing from the relationship with REP has been the sponsorship to attend several trade shows including six Ghana International Trade show and four Made in Ghana Street Fairs organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Fati says her product is now very popular thanks to these trade shows and exhibitions with about 70% of her customers as coming through the fairs. Fati also says her participation in these trade shows and fairs have helped her to significantly improve upon her packaging.
Until receiving training in business management and financial management from REP, Fati says she was regularly misapplying the little money she was making from the business. “I didn’t know I had to pay myself. I thought the company or the business is mine so I can do this or that. But I’ve learnt that I need to do proper record keeping which can even help me to get loan support,” she explains.
With her business now booming and more profit being generated, Fati has establish a pre-nursery school and diversified into fruit juice production with part of the money from the business. She has built an apartment for her mother and perhaps contributes more to her family’s upkeep than her husband. Currently, the 37 year-old married woman with two children is undertaking a degree programme in Distance Education at the University of Cape Coast.
Story written by Nanabanyin Brown-Addo (2019)
