A Graduate Sells Amala With Mum

"Getting a job after graduation from the university was pretty difficult for me, so I joined my mother in her Amala business.

Since I had been monitoring those in her shop before completion of my study, taking over on graduation was not so much of a hassle.

Many people often look at me funnily as they do not expect a man to be in the business of selling Amala. But since it brings in money for me, I do not mind the insults; I am married with a child and I need to take care of my family.

My mother started selling Amala forty years ago and trained my siblings and I with it; we are all graduates. She single-handedly financed our education with the amala business since our father passed on about thirty one years ago.

Two of my siblings are presently outside the country and my mum travels abroad as often as she wants, having struggled so hard to give us the basic education.

I had wanted to be a medical doctor when I was growing but all that changed. I studied Home Science Management at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and all I want to do now towards the future is to expand this (amala) business if I get the resources to.

I make enough money from this business daily to take care of my family and pay other bills. There is no demeaning job in as much as your integrity is intact.

My name is Adio Lawal, a 35-year-old man from Ogun state and this is my story."