Aurore Houèvi TOSSA, one day decided to take her professional destiny in control by becoming an independent woman entrepreneur in order to avoid unemployment after studies. What was the deciding factor? How did she get there? She shares her experiences, her enthusiasm, her ideas and also her doubts through her company Aurorapearl. Let’s go behind the scenes of entrepreneurship in Africa.
Aurore Houèvi TOSSA is a second year student in physiotherapy at Health Sciences Faculty in Cotonou. She is a very young inspirational woman. Born in Agla in the thirteenth district of Cotonou (Benin) the twenty-two years old entrepreneur discovered her passion for beads, a typically African style. From then on, making necklaces, bracelets, bags, shoes, waist baya etc. has become her life’s purpose without neglecting her studies. Seeing her aunt at work in her younger age, Aurore learned on the job, “Seeing my aunt making it, excited me because it was pretty nice” she says. This attraction pushed the young student of the time to launch herself with the necessary in such a great adventure though ignoring the magnitude two years later. “I started in high school with the idea of personalized bracelets made with crystals,” says the young entrepreneur. And as any great thing requires a lot of commitment and energy, she got herself trained for more professionalism. This professionalism brought her to such a wonderful universe that she burns the midnight oil in order to satisfy her customers, who are now numerous even beyond the African borders up to Europe. A pressure that is nothing compared to the pleasure that the owner of Aurorapearl feels. Her fulfilment while satisfying her clients”I stay up after classes to get the orders received but it is nothing compared to the joy I feel when the human being is beautify thanks to my articles” she let us hear. The young student is now independent from her parents as far as her personal needs, as well as many other expenses related to her studies are concerned . “I can afford for my photocopies fees and many other expenses related to my studies, which helps my parents a little bit,” reassures Aurore Tossa. And talking about photocopy at the university, it’s important to understand that it requires a lot of resources. In addition to all these expenses, the young entrepreneur has committed to saving every month, which will allow her, in the next few years to expand her activities throughout Africa and even in the West. The 22 years aged woman has not only impacted the black continent but also the westerners in the field of clothing style through her style which has been adopted by more than one person. On the other hand, delivering outside the country sometimes is challenging for the young entrepreneur, given the exorbitant shipping costs. The lost caused by some customers ordering the articles and not being interested in them anymore are also part of the difficulties Aurore Tossa faces daily. All this does not prevent her from achieving her goal: empowerment, financial independence. She seized this opportunity to call for help.
TOSSA Aurore’s request
In Africa, the business conditions are not at all favorable for young people who aspire to be entrepreneurs. This can explain the reluctance of young people to engage in entrepreneurship. Those who take the risk and hold on are in fact ” tough as nails “. Aurore Tossa clearly addmit that: ” entrepreneurship is not a pieace of cake, for youth, but it is always better to be autonomous a very early age because while growing up you build a whole life”. These remarks show the situation of entrepreneurship on the black continent. A very nice journey that demands perseverance: Persevere in what you do, enjoy it and most importantly be good and no matter the difficulties, give your best. Moreover, the Aurorapearl manager invites young people to take risks, avoid excuses of not externalizing their talents: “I did not start with a given fund; I did not wait for someone neither, it all starts with the savings from my small allowance and today I am very proud of it” because she adds, “autonomy is a great weapon to fight poverty”.
French translation of ”Entre études de kinésithérapie et entrepreneuriat, il n’y a qu’un seul pas : la passion”, Eliane FATCHINA by Salima ALAGBE
