Episode 6: The Story of Efya
Foreword Hendrik
When we were working flat out to get our almost completed chocolate factory in Ghana up and running in the summer of 2020, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, we were faced with a major challenge: Some key positions in the team were still vacant.
At that moment, I remembered Efya, an impressive young woman from Kumasi whom I had met in 2018. At the time, she was helping out in her family's guest house, and from our first conversations, I was struck by her acumen and curiosity.
Efya is not only part of our team, but was one of the first five chocolatiers to help set up Amanase (our chocolaterie school for handmade chocolates). Today , as R&D Executive, she leads the development of fairafric and Amanase'snew products and has been instrumental in shaping some of our most popular chocolate creations. Her story is an example of how much potential there is in Ghana and how valuable it is to offer young people these opportunities.
I hope you enjoy reading Efya's inspiring story.
Your Hendrik
The search for talent in the midst of the corona pandemic
It was one of the most exciting times in fairafric's history, the summer of 2020, when corona still had us fully in its grip. Michael, our Managing Director in Ghana, and I put our heads together because the team with which we wanted to start up our soon-to-be-completed chocolate factory was not yet complete.We had filled the core positions and were already a team of more than 10 people who were constantly working on the construction site alongside almost 100 construction workers to start production as soon as possible.
In my head, I went through all the people I had had the pleasure of meeting in Ghana over the past 5 years. Suddenly, a young woman I met in 2018 came into my head - Efya Amponsah.
Meet Efya
Efya 'Helina' Amponsah, born in 1992 near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from KNUST University. She started her career in the National Service and is now an R&D Executive in charge of product development.
From hard work to a promising career at fairafric
Michael knew of a guesthouse that was much closer to the factory. It was run by the family of a childhood friend. I had a quick look at it and moved in straight away. On one of the first evenings there, I met a talkative young student from Kumasi.
Efya was a niece of the owner and was on her semester break, which she wanted to use to help out in the guesthouse and gain experience. The conversations with her were refreshing, as it was rather rare for me to have fascinating conversations in perfect English in cheap guesthouses in Ghana.
After a few days, the semester break was over and I was sure that Efya, with her acumen and great personality, had a bright future ahead of her. Until that day when I discussed the future team with Michael, I didn't expect to see Efya again.
After a few days, the semester break was over and I was sure that Efya, with her acumen and great personality, had a bright future ahead of her. Until that day when I discussed the future team with Michael, I didn't expect to see Efya again.
Employment at fairafric and promotion to management
Michael also remembered his buddy's cousin and shared the view that she had a lot of potential. So he contacted her, her studies (English and Sociology) were just coming to an end and she was immediately enthusiastic about supporting us.
After graduation, a "National Service" is compulsory in Ghana. Students are placed in companies to gain initial work experience. So we arranged for Efya to do her National Service with us.
In order to be able to afford her studies, Efya had worked for 4 years after school, saved and waited for a moment when someone would support her to start studying. She also brought this patience with her to fairafric.
Without any experience in the food industry, Efya started working directly with chocolate from day 1. A few months after we produced the first bars, we started our Chocolatiers School Amanase, one of the first chocolatiers was Efy
She did a fantastic job and learned quickly. When her National Service ended after a year, we were keen to keep her on the team. Efya, who had fallen in love with chocolate, accepted immediately.
As Efya was always proactively involved in product development, she was promoted to R&D Executive the following year in line with her career path. In this role, she is responsible for the development of our new products. Popular products that Efya has been instrumental in developing include Amanase's Creamy Cashew and Salted Macadamia.
Efya recently had her first child and is currently on maternity leave. The team can hardly wait for her return and is looking forward to developing more Ghanaian delicacies for the world together with her.
As Efya was always proactively involved in product development, she was promoted to R&D Executive the following year in line with her career path. In this role, she is responsible for the development of our new products. Popular products that Efya has been instrumental in developing include Amanase's Creamy Cashew and Salted Macadamia.
Efya recently had her first child and is currently on maternity leave. The team can hardly wait for her return and is looking forward to developing more Ghanaian delicacies for the world together with her.
Would you like to support us on our journey?
Invest in an Amanase apprenticeship now.
Already from 250 € you can actively help us to create apprenticeships and give more young Ghanaians access to education and qualified training.
You can find all information about the training loan here.
