Business News of Friday, 22 July 2022

play video Araba Quagraine is a female shoemaker

University graduate losses job during COVID Meet the self-taught shoemaker, Araba Quagraine Female entrepreneur producing customized Ghanaian slippers When the COVID-19 pandemic struck and jobs were lost, many young people had to find alternative ways to make a living. One of such people was Araba Quagraine a graduate of the University of Ghana who could not find a decent job after being laid off. Taking her turn on GhanaWeb TV’s BizTech Araba stated that not finding a white-collar job took a toll on her. Araba explained that although she had no prior knowledge of how to make shoes, her determination and desire to make ends meet forced her to learn the trade on her own. According to her, the decision to venture into shoemaking has given her the opportunity to fend for herself. Answering the question of how her journey started, Araba said she decided to get the raw materials that could be used and try to create slippers for herself, just as a hobby. This hobby has become a full-time job as Araba’s slippers won the admiration of many on the internet. She said, “I posted and someone also saw the video of me making the slippers. Everyone who came across the video was amazed by the fact that a woman was thriving in a male-dominated industry. And they started requesting for some to be made for them, that is how it all began," she told GhanaWeb's Stella Dziedzorm Sogli. She currently provides various types of shoes and slippers for a wide range of customers. Watch the full interview below: