The Sogakope barrier is a symphony of organised chaos. Between the screeching brakes of long-distance buses, the sharp commands of officers at the customs checkpoint, and the sweltering Volta heat, it is a place where people are always moving through, rarely staying.
For Anita Efiba Azafoe, however, the barrier was her office.
Balanced perfectly on her head was a wide silver pan stacked with abolo, the sweet, steamed corn cakes, and crispy fried fish. To hurried travellers, she was just another vendor in a maze of sellers shouting for attention: “Daddy abolo a?” But beneath her bright, unbothered smile was the sharp mind of a Kpando Senior High School graduate who had pulled off an impressive Aggregate 10 in her WASSCE, scoring A1 in Elective and Core Mathematics.
Yet, while her classmates packed their bags for university, Anita packed her pan with abolo. Following the tragic loss of her father, her dreams were placed on an indefinite hold. The math of university tuition simply didn’t add up for a grieving family, so she took to the streets to survive, joining her mother to sell abolo and fried fish.
Then came the day the universe forced a detour.
The Disembarkation
It was a standard afternoon when a long-distance bus pulled up at the Sogakope customs checkpoint. The officer gave the familiar command for all passengers to disembark. Among them was Caleb Kudah, the sharp-witted journalist from Citi FM and Channel One TV.
After stepping off to dispose of an empty cashew container, Caleb was determined to head straight back to his seat, ignoring the swarm of vendors offering everything from chofi, yes, FDA’s banned chofi, to bread. He managed to weave through the crowd, but just as he reached the bus door, a voice pierced through the noise.
“Caleb Kudah!”
Caleb turned. Standing there with her pan was Anita, looking at him with a knowing grin. “You look like him,” she said.
“No, that’s not me,” Caleb replied with a straight face, playing along.
Anita just smiled in utter disbelief. Intrigued by her confidence, Caleb dropped his bag and stepped out of the bus line. Sensing a moment, the surrounding vendors watched them like hawks, whispering and muttering, “Be there and be chatting instead of selling.”
But Anita wasn’t bothered. Stepping back for a quick conversation, she spoke with a quiet, brilliant eloquence that caught Caleb entirely off guard. She told him she had finished Kpando SHS with Aggregate 10 but hadn’t bought university forms yet.
“They are not out yet,” she said softly.
Caleb was briefly confused, weren’t university admissions already in motion? Did she simply lack the information?
In that fleeting, three-minute window, Anita revealed her deepest aspiration: she wanted to become a midwife, dreaming of attending the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS). Caleb, deeply moved by her demeanour, took her phone number, noting mentally that she used a basic “yam” phone and wouldn’t even see the pictures they took together, and wished her well.
He posted her picture that night with a simple prayer: May God bless Anita’s dreams!
The Power of the Collective
The digital space exploded. The story of the brilliant abolo seller with Aggregate 10 struck a chord across the country.
Behind the scenes, verification poured in. Her former Elective Maths teacher from Kpando SHS, Benjamin Kofi Attipoe, spotted the post and commented:
“She was my student— She is a very good student. The truth is, she has been financially handicapped because she lost her father. She’s a shy person, that’s why she couldn’t tell you.”
With her brilliance confirmed, the narrative took on a life of its own. While the initial online campaign aimed to send #AnitaTheAboloSeller to nursing school to become #AnitaTheMidwife, destiny had an even larger plot twist waiting.
The viral story caught the attention of the admissions board at Ashesi University. Known for scouting ethical, high-potential leaders who have faced severe socio-economic hurdles, Ashesi saw in Anita the exact grit they looked for. They didn’t just see a future midwife; they saw a future corporate leader, an entrepreneur, a changemaker.
They reached out through Caleb. After a rigorous interview process where her mathematical aptitude and resilience shone brightly, Anita was offered a life-altering opportunity: a full scholarship to Ashesi University.
From the Barrier to Berekuso
Stepping onto the ultra-modern, hilltop campus of Ashesi in Berekuso was a world away from the dust of the Sogakope barrier.
The transition wasn’t seamless. Anita went from counting change for abolo to analysing complex corporate data, calculus, and navigating intense leadership seminars. In the early days, imposter syndrome tried to creep in, but Anita possessed a unique armour: the tenacity of someone who had chased down speeding buses just to make a sale. With the support of faculty and colleagues, Anita’s journey took off.
Instead of pursuing midwifery, Anita unlocked a new passion within the walls of Ashesi University. She realised that by mastering administration, economics, and strategy, she could impact healthcare and entrepreneurship on a macro scale. She chose a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, applying her sharp mathematical mind to supply chain logistics and development economics.
The Walk Across the Stage
Four years later, the morning air in Berekuso is crisp. The commencement arena is a sea of kente, cheers, and emotional parents.
Anita stands in her graduation gown, her heart racing. Her mind briefly flashes back to the Sogakope checkpoint—the smell of fried fish, the heavy silver pan, the voices of vendors telling her to stop chatting and sell.
Then the microphone echoes through the hall:
“Anita Efiba Azafoe— Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.”
The applause is deafening. Walking across the stage, a brilliant, confident smile lights up her face—the exact same unbothered smile she wore at the barrier, but this time, she is holding a degree from one of the most prestigious universities in Africa.
Watching from the audience is Caleb Kudah, witnessing the spectacular culmination of a three-minute conversation at a customs checkpoint.
Anita’s story didn’t end at the barrier, and it doesn’t end at commencement. With her Business Administration degree in hand, the girl who once sold abolo is now equipped to build enterprises, manage industries, and prove to every young girl standing by the roadside that a “yam” phone and a street pan can never limit a mind built for global impact.
A Tribute to Vision and Mentorship
Anita’s incredible transformation was not a stroke of mere luck; it was the deliberate harvest of a seed planted over twenty years ago. Her story is only possible because one man, Patrick Awuah, took a bold, revolutionary leap to redefine higher education in Africa. That singular vision, fueled by the unwavering generosity of global donors, an amazing team of dedicated faculty, and tireless staff, continues to build a sanctuary where raw African potential is polished into leadership.
Anita stands proudly among the more than 50 percent of Ashesi students whose dreams are entirely carried by scholarships. Within Berekuso’s walls, she found a fiercely diverse family from across the continent, including students with disabilities who receive the world-class institutional support so often tragically missing in public universities.
To the leadership of Ashesi University, to Patrick Awuah, to the donors who funded her future, and to the mentors who patiently guided her from the roadside to the corporate stage: this degree belongs to you, too. You didn’t just give Anita an education; you gave her a brand-new destiny.
Source: chanelonenewsonline.com