Baking with Betty

Recently I noticed a rack of pastries in one of the general provisions stores. There were small cakes, mini doughnuts, and homemade crisps which I have never seen before in Tamale. All the products were packed and labeled with a small tag “Mansa Betty Pasteries” listing the price, contact information and product name. I was really impressed to see that this entrepreneur had identified the importance of labeling a product and equally impressed to find that these products were available at a number of the grocery stores and gas stations-she had an established distribution system.
As part of the public awareness campaign, I have been asked to highlight successful entrepreneurs in the northern region to provide others with a source of encouragement and motivation. So I used the label to set up an appointment to visit Betty and we got together on Friday. She told me all about the small pastry business that she runs out of her 3 room house on Lamashedu. She learned the trade in Accra and slowly built up her business by purchasing an egg beater, large bowls, an electric stove, and a doughnut maker (which makes 5 at a time and looks like a George Foreman Grill). She begins making her products on Saturday and then works through the night on Sunday so that she can deliver the products fresh on Monday. She personally visits each store to check their inventory, then drops off the new products and removes the old ones.
I wanted to profile Betty in some of my promotional work, so we made a deal: I would teach her how to make banana bread and next week, Grandma Joy’s shortbread, and in return I get to watch her whole process and interview her. So on Saturday morning I returned to Betty’s and we got to work. I had to make a few improvisations, but the banana bread turned out really well and we had a blast working together and getting to know one another as we asked each other questions and swapped information.
After we were done the banana bread, Betty toured me around her neighbourhood and took me to her friend’s baby naming ceremony. The baby naming ceremony was like a Ghanaian version of a baby shower. All the women in the neighbourhood came over to view the baby and produce a small gift. The baby was officially given its name and they shaved her head, which is a traditional practice. I took some pictures and the women loved seeing themselves on the digital camera.
I will visit Betty next week to share Grandma Joy’s shortbread recipe with her- who knew our favourite Christmas shortbread would travel all the way to Africa!!!