"Journey to Success" - Interview Series - The Daring Life of ´Mama Africa´
Begleiten Sie Beatrice Ama Boatemaa Asante auf einer inspirierenden Reise mit Persönlichkeiten, die in ihrem Leben ihre Träume verwirklicht haben. Diese Interviews sollen die Jugend motivieren, dass man mit Entschlossenheit und Durchhaltevermögen jedes Hindernis überwinden und seine Ziele erreichen kann.
Join Beatrice Ama Boatemaa Asante as she takes you on an inspiring journey with personalities who have achieved their dreams in life. These interviews aim to motivate the youth that with determination and perseverance, one can overcome any obstacle to reach their goals.
Original-Interview (in Englisch) mit Mrs. Ntuison
Beatrice: Dear Mrs. Ntuison, how would you describe yourself in a single phrase or short sentence?
Mrs. Ntuison: Thanks very much for giving me the platform to share a little about my life Journey. Anytime I am called to serve young people and humanity as a whole, I see it as a huge privilege. Well, Beatrice, regarding to your question, I am a gentle, kind, empathetic, and Intelligent person.
Beatrice: What makes you who you are?
Mrs. Ntuison: I would say: My strengths and my personality as a whole. I am a Woman of strong character and I must confess that throughout my life I have been very keen on making little to no mistakes due to my strong sense of critical thinking.
Beatrice: How did you start life?
Mrs. Ntuison: I was born in Limbe, Cameroon to Mr. John Macaulay and Mrs. Regina Macaulay. Life itself and living it began when I started University. At the University, I became more independent and connected to the word of God and that drove me to get baptized. During those years I became more aware of who I was and my purpose on this earth.
Of course, this journey of self-awareness didn’t happen overnight. It took some time to discover me. I began my leadership journey at the University and there I also became a founding member of the Academic campus fellowship. At that point, the path became brighter with every passing day especially as I became a member of some pan-african groups. I realized that there was something greater in me that could benefit Africa. I became fascinated and convinced by the idea that I wasn´t actually born by chance in Africa but that I was intentionally planted there to bring hope to many.
Beatrice: What were you like as a child and what did you want to become?
Mrs. Ntuison: As a child, I was very inquisitive. I had always wanted to know why things were the way they were and I must confess that it led a lot of people to think that one day I could be a lawyer. Such an inquisitive attitude has helped me a lot in becoming the type of Woman I am today. During my early years as a christian, I couldn´t comprehend, the so-called ´´prosperity gospel´´ especially here in our part of the World where people will pray for hours, days, and Months and yet live in poverty. I then realized that alongside the long prayers, people weren´t willing to go the extra mile to put in the hard work to achieve success for themselves. I therefore decided, not to leave an irrelevant christian life and decided to depart from such a mentality and work hard on my life goals, still maintaining my strong faith in god.
Beatrice: Mrs Ntuison please tell us what your parents were like during your childhood.
Mrs. Ntuison: I had a very tranquil and easy childhood. My mom, was a very quiet and calm person at heart whereas my dad was very strict and a man of integrity.
Beatrice: Can you say experiences from childhood have shaped you into the person you have become?
Mrs Ntuison: Yes. If I can say so. As I previously mentioned, my dad had a very strict personality and to it, he was the tax director of one of the states in Cameroon. He hated corruption and made sure that any kind of unlawful act came to light. He was indeed a man of integrity and I will say all his children picked that character trait from him.
Beatrice: Where did you school and what did you learn?
I had my first degree at the University of Yaounde´1, in Cameroon where I read History and International Relations. I then went ahead to complete a degree in Business Administration at the Haaga Helia University of applied science in Finland and then Mastered Agribusiness at the Rome Business School. Last but not least my passion for God´s Word led me to also acquire a degree in theology at the Athens International Business School.
Beatrice: As a young Woman what have been your challenges in life and living it?
Mrs. Ntuison: Sincerely speaking in my teenage years, I was a shy person but when I became conscious of my leadership call, I understood that I needed not to be shy, because as a leader you have to be bold and it’s one of those skills I have developed
in my life journey as a leader.
Beatrice: What drove you into entrepreneurship?
Mrs. Ntuison: The unending thirst for finding solutions to problems in Africa led me into entrepreneurship. I am of the standpoint that Africa doesn´t need aid but rather finding solutions to our needs and Monetizing them.
For example, we complain about hunger or scarcity of food but the willingness to farm, grow and process our food is barely taken into consideration.
Our Continent has 65% of the world´s arable land, but how do we still struggle to feed ourselves? How do we explain that!? The majority of our people are after Government jobs whereby Africa is in dire need of Entrepreneurs aimed at bringing solutions to some of our challenges that in return will create jobs on African soil and reduce poverty. For so many years, we have beaten ourselves down as Africans and blamed the ´White man´ for our unending obstacles.
Consciousness and self-awareness are good, but until we understand that the period of playing the victim card is over and the making of Africa great once again lies and remains solely in our power we will remain at the mercy of the Western world.
Beatrice: How did you set up your business?
Mrs. Ntuison: From the birth of my various projects I never saw ´´soughting for funds´´ as an option to grasp as it limits the
vision God has given you. Waiting for someone to decide whether my business ideas are worth venturing into was a big No for me, so I opted to set up my own Business with the little I had and with its profits invest in my various Projects I am proud of the steps I took.
Beatrice: What has been your greatest challenge in the Business and Consultancy World?
Mrs. Ntuison: My greatest challenge as a business owner in my country, Cameroon, was that most of the businesses I saw at that early stage of my company were either small or hand- to-mouth businesses and often because of lack of knowledge or vision, they felt uncomfortable about the type of corporate company I was about to establish. They didn´t believe in my vision and thought I wouldn’t. It took 5 years for my company to take off and throughout those years I was either told that I was going to fail or I was just wasting my time. I must confess that what helped me overcome all those naysayers was my thoughts and the clarity of the vision I had for my company. Today, I am hailed for not giving up on my dreams, by those same people who doubted my Journey.
Beatrice: Which personality did you find it tough to work with? And why?
Mrs. Nutison: Well, as somebody who has worked with a lot of people, I have come to learn about the 4 major personality types we all, one way or the other have. That has helped me adapt to all kinds of weaknesses and strengths be it in my workers or Business partners.
Beatrice: What holds your life together?
Mrs. Ntuison: Firstly, I will say my husband and my children. They have been my backbone from day one. My Husband has been my number one supporter in all my endeavors and granted me space and time to become the greatest version of me last but not least, my life´s vision, as it has helped and shaped my life according to the purpose I am here on earth.
Beatrice: What is your ultimate goal in life?
Mrs. Ntuison: My ultimate goal is to help build the Africa we want by economically empowering Africans through my various projects, such as the ´´food security project´´ that finances local farmers. Another project I would also like to embark on is the manufacturing of processing machines that could enable our productivity in all spheres of our economy.
Beatrice: What advice do you have for the young young lady or out, who are still searching for their purpose and how they can develop their potential?
Mrs. Ntuison: First, I will embolden every young lady to empower themselves by focusing on their studies and striving to add value to themselves through the acquisition of new skills. We are living in a digital era where access to virtual learning platforms is unlimited and unmatched and ignorance is no excuse. Last but not least they should strive for financial freedom and stability.
Beatrice: In conclusion, Mrs. Ntuison what is your Vision for Mother Africa and her children?
Mrs. Ntuison: I would say:
- Empowering the African youth to take charge of their lives by being innovative and creative in all spheres of life.
- Setting up professional schools for welders to manufacture African-made processing machinery.
