Ebunoluwa Akinola
Agripina Ndoho Ngumu Bindang founded AfrikChic by Ndoho, which uses Ankara or Kente materials to make shoes, bags, necklaces, tiaras, earrings, bracelets, hair ornaments and more.
She sources her materials from Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria to make her shoes, bags, earrings, and hair ornaments, among others.
However, positioning herself as a role model, Bindang said her biggest accomplishment is the acknowledgment and admiration she gets from people every time she participates in an exposition.
“ I have taken part in two of such events and I used the opportunity to promote my work. Many young people came to me asking for advice and support to be able to do what I am doing,” she added.
However, since the outbreak of COVID-19, sourcing external materials has been challenging due to the closure of borders.
“I sometimes make the bags from hard paper used for making boxes, because getting the right material for it from Nigeria is a challenge. It has gotten worse with the closure of the borders with Nigeria due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said
According to her, these challenges have prevented her from starting her planned design and craft school where the youth in her community can learn how to make different items with the Kente cloth and earn money to support themselves.
In a message to the youth in Africa, the young entrepreneur said they must take charge of their destiny and not wait for others to find solutions to their problems. “Let’s use our talents to make Africa a much better place. Let’s do it with love, passion and strength,” she noted.
