PrincessOdiakosaSweetDreams
AsmallthinghadthepowertodiminishthejoyoftravelingabroadforPrincessOdiakosa-chocolates.Everytimesheventuredout,familymembersandfriendswoulddemandthatshebringbackchocolates;ontheotherhand,shehadnoNigerianchocolateofqualitytogiftherfriendsabroad.Itmadenosensetothetrainingandmarketingmanageratdbrownconsulting,afinancialconsultancyinNigeriancoastalcityLagos,especiallyasNigeriawasoneoftheleadingproducersofcocoainAfrica,themainingredientofchocolates.Therewasevenacocoatreegrowingrightinfrontofthefamilyhouse,plantedbyhersister.
SoOdiakosa’sthoughtsturnedtomakingchocolatesherself.“IhavealwayswantedtomakechocolatesbecauseIlovechocolates,andIalsolovemycountry,”shesaid,findingtimebetweentwojobsandahecticscheduletoshareherentrepreneurialdreamwithChinAfrica.“Iwantedustohaveourownchocolate,somethingwecangifttopeopleandourselvestoo.Somethingwecancallourown.”
Butshecouldn’tfindanychocolateclassesinLagosanditwasonlywhenshewenttoSwedentovisitafriendthatshecameacrosssuchcourses.ShedecidedtogobacktoSwedenandfindashortcourseinchocolatemakingthatwouldcoincidewithhertrip.Itmaterializedin2014andtwoyearslater,shehadstartedKalabariGecko,herchocolatebrand,makingcraftchocolatefrom100-percentNigeria-growncocoabeans.
The37-year-oldgetsherbeansfromatrustedfarmerinOndoStateandsourcesallotheringredientslocally.Thecolorfulname,thatisaseye-catchingasthechocolateswiththeaccompanyingimageofthewinsomelittleblackgeckowithbandsofbrightcolorsplashedacrossitsbody,cameafteranacquaintanceadvisedhertochooseaNigerianname.TheKalabariisanancienttribewholivedintheNigerDelta.
KalabariGeckoisaninspiringexampleofpassionandtimemanagement.“Myfactoryishome-based,”Odiakosasaid.“Idonothaveanyworkerfornow,asIusuallyproducebeforegoingtoworkinthemorningsorafterwork.Icanproduce800trufflesinfourdays.”Asasmallentrepreneur,shedecidednottoseekabankloanforherbusiness.Theseedmoneyforitcamefromherday-timejob.Togetbusiness,shemakesuseoftheInternetandsocialmedia.OrderscanbeplacedthroughKalabariGecko’swebsite,TwitterandInstagrampagesandfriendsandfansalsopassthewordon.ShehasexportedchocolatesamplestotheUKinalimitedquantitytotestinternationalwaters.
Thesaleslastyear,intendedtotestthemarket,wereheartening.Thisyear,shehasseenordersgrowbriskly.“Valentine’sDaywasabitoverwhelmingforme,”shesaid.“Ihadtorejectsomeordersbecausemydayjobhasbeensodemanding.IamadjustingmoretotheNigerianpalate.Youneedtolovechocolatetomakeit;youneedtoappreciateeveryfacetandpleasureitdelivers.”
Foradivorceewhoisfightinga10-yearcustodybattleforherthreechildren,timeisatapremium.“Mycurrentjobisverydemanding,sojugglingeverythingcanbeabittoomuchsometimes,”shesaid.“Iworkonkeepingmyeyesonmygoals,andstayingfocusedandremainingpositive.”
Theplanfor2017istoleaveherjobinNovemberandbecomeafull-timechocolatier.“Makingchocolatesalldaywouldbeanabsolutepleasure,”shesaid.
Currentlymakingchocolatesbeforeshegoestoherday-timejoboraftershefinishesthere,PrincessOdiakosasaysshecanproduce800trufflesinfourdaysCOURTESYPHOTOS
AbenetPapyataneventinBeijingtopromoteEthiopiancultureandherHabeshaCoffeeCultureinaCup
TOAbenetPapy,acupofcoffeeisnotjustadrink,itisanintroductiontothecultureofhercountry.“IlovecoffeeandIlovemycountry,”saidthe26-year-oldentrepreneurfromEthiopiawholearnedhowtomakecoffeetheEthiopianwayfromhergrandmotherwhenshewasnine.“That’swhatmademegointothecoffeebusiness.”
PapycametoChinain2010asawide-eyedteen-agertostudyengineeringonaChinesegovernmentscholarship.Aftercompletingherbachelor’sdegree,sheisnowdoinghermaster’sattheBeijingUniversityofTechnology.Inthecourseofherseven-yearstayinBeijing,shetempedfromtimetotime,workingmostlyasasalespersonatexposandademonstratoratculturalevents.
“Ateventsliketourismbazarsandgardenexpos,whereyoupromoteyourcountry’sculture,Iwouldbeaskedtodemonstratehowtomakecoffee,sincethatispartofEthiopia’sculture,”shesaid.“Ethiopiaisthebirthplaceofcoffee,whichgetsitsnamefromKafa,homeofwildArabicacoffee.Wehavemorethan58flavorsincoffee,includingmostofthefruitflavorsteahas.Yetnotmanypeopleknowthat.ManyinChinathinkcoffeecamefromLatinAmerica,BrazilorColombia.”WhileworkingwithaprominentcoffeesellerinChina,shewasupsetatthewaytheyrantheirbusiness.“Itwasverycommercialandutterlyprofit-oriented,”shesaid.“Ithoughtitwasadisrespecttoourculture.InEthiopia,youdon’tdrinkcoffeealone,youalwaysdrinkitwithyourneighbors.Youalsoservedessertsandnutswiththecoffeeandpeoplecomeandtalkabouttheirproblems,gossip,sharestuff.”
That’swhyshestartedhercompany,HabeshaCoffee,in2015inBeijing.HabeshameansthepeoplefromNorthAfrica.“Istartedwith35kgofcoffeebroughtfromEthiopia,withmyparentspayingfortheentireventure,”shesaid.“Itwastotestthewaters.”
ShesoldthecoffeeontheChinesee-commerceplatformTaobaoandWeChatappandatoutletsandexpos.Theresponsewasgoodenoughtocontinue.ShebuysthecoffeebeansfromtheauthorizedstateoutletinAddisAbabaandthengetsitroastedthereaswell.Itaddsriskandcoststotheventuresincetheroastedbeansneedtobeconsumedwithinaperiodoftimeorlosetheirfreshness.Thismeansshehastoairliftherconsignments;shipping,thoughcheaper,wouldtakethreeweeksatleast.
Still,herventurehasbeensatisfactoryenoughforhertoplanopeninghercoffeeshopcumrestaurantinBeijingthisyearaswellassalesoutletsinafewothermajorcommercialChinesecitieswithasizeableAfricanpopulationlikeShanghaiandGuangzhou.SheisalsodiscussingwithaninterestedChineseinvestorifthebeanscanberoastedinChina,whichwouldgiveherbusinessmoreleeway.
Alongwithcoffee,shesellsEthiopianceramiccoffeecupsandtheindispensableEthiopiancoffeepot,handmadefromclay.Aftershefinisheshermaster’sinstructuralengineeringin2018,Papyplanstobothworkasanengineerandrunhercoffeebusiness.“IlikebothandIwanttogrowsimultaneously,”shesaid.
Shealsolikesachallenge.“InChina,peopledon’treallydrinkcoffee,theydrinktea,”shepointedout.“IwanttobringsomethingnewtotheChineseteaculture.”
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