We are here again with fresh and exciting stories from another set of trainees of the Fashion Expressions project. The determination of these two, is worth emulating
DETERMINATION SPURS ELIZABETH ON
For Elizabeth Adjei, a mother of two from Effutu Koforidua in the Cape Coast Metropolis, being on the Fashion Expressions Project is a great eye opener an opportunity to rise in the Fashion Industry.
Elizabeth had undertaken some training in Fashion and had been practicing it at home. She admits that the first six months of training at the Centre for Empowerment and Enterprise Development (CEED) at Adidome was very challenging. She was introduced to a new concept; Pattern Drafting when all she knew was free hand cutting.
The 2nd phase of her training, the Industrial attachment was at Dash Fashions Ghana which has carved a niche in Bridal Wear and Bespoke Garments. Elizabeth speaks passionately about how she got to learn how to sew beaded kente dresses. Besides sewing Elizabeth acquired a rare skill of purchasing materials for the Fashion House
Elizabeth intends to further enhance her knowledge by enrolling in a Technical University to study Fashion but immediately she wants to rent a shop and start courting people in Cape Coast with the skill she has acquired.
One significant strength of Elizabeth is her tenacity. Her determination pushed her to make a huge sacrifice; leave her young children at home and focus on her 12-month training. She was not deterred that she was the eldest of her cohort. This same determination was tested when in less than 2 weeks to the Fashion Show when everyone was poised to finish three garments and fine-tune them, she had to undergo an emergency surgery. At the time when are her supervisors were urging her to take it easy and not worry that she will be missing the Fashion Show, she insisted she will go ahead with her plans. On the day of the Show there was no difference between her and her colleagues.
Elizabeth hopes to get her shop running before Christmas. Cape Coast and its environs keenly await a release of talents from Elizabeth’s couture.
MELODY DEKATOR’S PASSION TO DO MORE
The decision to post Melody Dekator to a Fashion House specializing in male garments when the initial six months focused on female clothing was a daunting one. Looking back, this has paid off and yielded results beyond expectation. A few months into the internship Melody had gotten used to her new role and had begun to show promise of being an outstanding and dependable employee.
A past student of Adidome Senior High School (ADISEC) Melody recounts her struggles through Senior High School as a teenage mother. When she could not proceed after SHS due to financial constraints, she resorted to farming and sold food in the evening to make ends meet at Mafi Tsawla.
In the midst of these challenges, she did not give up on her dream. When Fashion Expressions came knocking, she knew it was God sent. She grabbed the opportunity and made her best out of it.
Hardworking and calm Melody was one of the few award-winning trainees at the graduation of the maiden cohort of Fashion Expressions and crowned it with an outstanding performance that got her a job in Accra.
Her goal is to perfect her skills within the next 3 years and quickly embark on her passionate journey of training teenage mothers in her community and building their capacity to attain some financial freedom.