Hello Hive family
Yesterday, I made a denim and Ankara fabric bag, along with a matching purse, for my mum. I sent a picture to a good friend who had never seen that crafty side of me. His reply was, “Wow, I never knew you did this.” During our conversation, he asked me why I stopped making bags.
That question hit me deeply. Why did I stop?
I had learned bag-making using locally sourced materials, popularly known as the Ankara craft, in 2017. However, the truth is that once I mastered the fundamentals, I realised I could create bags from almost any fabric.
My Ghanaian roots played a significant role in inspiring me. Rocking Ankara fabric bags was part of my identity, and learning to make them myself brought me joy and saved me money.
What started as a personal interest evolved into a thriving side hustle while I was practising journalism at one of the nation's major dailies. Unexpectedly, the business blossomed.
I sold bags online and soon had orders pouring in nationwide. I still remember the excitement of my first delivery to Abuja, and later, the thrill of shipping an order to the United States. At work, I received more orders just because I carried my bags with pride.
The business grew so fast that I began the process of registering it with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), I had such big dreams.
But then life happened. I got married, became pregnant, and my health took a turn. Living with sickle cell made my pregnancies high-risk. I survived two, but they left me more vulnerable to complications. And then came the nightmare—avascular necrosis. One of the painful complications of sickle cell disease. (It's the death of bones and it reduces motion over time, causes chronic pains, and deteriorates general wellness.)
Suddenly, my priorities shifted. Even though I had what it took to grow financially, my health wouldn’t let me. I no longer had the strength to sit for hours crafting bags. Orders kept coming, but one by one, I had to reject them until they eventually stopped, just as my journalism career did, which also suffered the same fate.
I was faced with a tough choice: pursue business and career or fight to preserve my health. The choice was clear, though heartbreaking.
Looking back now, I am thankful that I’m alive. Sickle cell has affected me seriously, especially in the last five years. It has taken so much from me: my career, my bag business, and even parts of the life I once envisioned. This morning’s conversation with my friend made me realise just how much more I had lost to this disorder.
Perhaps I may never return to the bag business. My health is still fragile, and maybe it’s best to go back to the original plan, making bags just for myself to rock, not to sell. Maybe the business was never meant to be. Or maybe, just like with journalism and even with marriage, I need to make peace with this loss, too.
Still, the pain lingers, I imagine how big my business could have been today if sickle cell had not interrupted my path. It's all memories now; I don't know if to say sweet ones or bitter, but it's a mix of feelings and a nostalgic one.
But one thing remains clear: sickle cell is not something to take lightly. Please, know your genotype, seek proper genetic counselling, and do everything possible to prevent bringing children into the world with sickle cell disorder.
Thank you for passing by, happy midweek.