Agripina Ndoho Ngumu Bindang grew up in a polygamous family in Equatorial Guinea. Her father was married to four wives and she is one of her mother’s four children and the 20th of her father’s 53 children. However, when she was only eight years old, her parents divorced.

Although the divorce disrupted her and her siblings, she did not give up her quest for higher education. She attended Santa Teresita High School and graduated from high school in 2009, then continued her studies at the National University of Equatorial Guinea to take a business management course.

While studying at the National University of Equatorial Guinea, Bindang obtained a scholarship to study at the National Institute of Hydrocarbon Technology (ITNHGE). At the ITNHGE, she was introduced to the trades of mechanical engineering, processes, electricity and instrumentation, and obtained a diploma in February 2014.

“In May 2017, I obtained another pharmacy technician diploma at the AFOREPFA (Academia de Formación y Reciclaje de Personal Farmacéutico) technical school, still in Malabo,” she told Africa Renewal.

After her studies, she launched into entrepreneurship. She founded AfrikChic by Ndoho, which uses Ankara or Kente materials to make shoes, bags, necklaces, tiaras, earrings, bracelets, hair ornaments and more.

Bindang sources its materials from Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria to make its shoes, bags, earrings and hair ornaments, among others. However, since the outbreak of COVID-19, sourcing external materials has been difficult due to border closures.

“I sometimes make the bags from the hard paper used to make boxes because getting the right material from Nigeria is a challenge. The situation has worsened with the closure of borders with Nigeria due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she told Africa Renewal.

According to her, these challenges have prevented her from starting her design and craft school where young people in her community can learn how to make different items with Kente cloth and earn money to support themselves.

Positioning herself as a role model, Bindang said her greatest achievement is the recognition and admiration she receives from people every time she participates in an exhibition.

“I attended two of these events and took the opportunity to promote my work. Many young people have come to me asking for advice and support to be able to do what I do,” she added.

In a message to young people in Africa, the young entrepreneur said they must take their destiny into their own hands and not wait for others to find solutions to their problems. “Let’s use our talents to make Africa a much better place. Let’s do it with love, passion and strength,” she noted.