How alpher helped me become Oshewa Cakes

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved cakes. I get this satisfying feeling when I put a piece in my mouth. The explosion of flavor, and the tingling of my taste buds as I savor every sweet bite puts me on cloud nine. It’s no surprise that I became a baker.

I wasn’t always a baker. I had given up my dream. Then I found alpher.

This is the story of how I went from being a woman without direction, to one of the most sought-after bakers in Lagos.

I am the only child of my single mother – Oshewa.

When I was younger, every Saturday evening my mother would bake a cake, and every Sunday, she would take that cake to her women’s association meeting. It was my mother’s M.O. to go with a cake. I loved watching her in her bright yellow apron, sing along to Victor Olaiya’s ‘Mofe Mu yan’ as she poured flour, eggs, and sugar into the big red bowl with the floral pattern.

“Bola, dance with me!”, she would say, and I would get up from my seat in an attempt to mimic her steps.

Eba mi so fun sisi ye, ko ma ilo o… she would sing heartily.

Whilst the cake was in the oven, she would put me on her laps and sing to me while playing with my cheeks.

The highlight of my Saturday evenings was always that moment when a warm piece of cake went into my mouth. I would close my eyes and savor the flavor. It felt like I was sitting on a high pedestal with my head in a cloud of cake.

I always looked forward to Saturday evenings, they were the best time of the week. I wished every day was a Saturday.

When I grew older, Mama let me make the cake. She would sit on a stool by the kitchen counter singing and watching my every move as I measured, poured and mixed the batter. Occasionally pausing to correct something I was doing wrong.

One day, Mama asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I had paused for a while before responding

“I want to make people happy”

“That’s not bad. How do you intend to do that?” She had asked.

“I’ll make them the sweetest cakes in the world!” My 15-year-old self screamed.

“That’s my girl!” She said with a beaming smile on her face.

Two years later, my mother died of a heart condition - she was buried within a month. That day as dark clouds covered the sun, so were the curtains drawn on my dreams.

 A few years later...

“Thank you, Miss Bola. We will be in touch.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes in frustration. I replied with a smile and exited the office. If I got a dollar for every time I heard that line, I would not be looking for a job. I stood in front of the building trying to figure out my next move.

Why did my life have to be so difficult? It felt like ever since Mama died nothing good had happened in my life. I had to scrimp and scrounge to pay my way through school. I managed to graduate with a second-class upper in International Relations and for 2 years now, I had been unable to find a job.

I was tired of the looks of pity I got from Aunty Bimpe anytime I got home without an offer letter. I was tired of hearing ‘It is well. God will do it.’ When was He going to do it?

I boarded a bus heading to Yaba. I took out my phone and opened Instagram, I needed to distract myself. I scrolled through my timeline.

What a beautiful couple… Double-tap

There goes a gorgeous pair of shoes I’ll never wear because I can’t afford it. Double-tap

Invest in forex. I wish I could. Scroll

Achiever? alpher.

Are you an achiever seeking the right opportunity? Then the alpher mentorship program is for you! Our year-long mentorship program, in collaboration with WIMBIZ, offers you unprecedented access to women in senior leadership at Union Bank to help you become everything you already know you are.

Click the link in bio to complete the mentee application. For more information, visit https://alpherwoman.com/ 

On a normal day, I would scroll past this post but for some reason, I felt compelled to engage. I read through the post again. I felt an urge to click the link, so I did. I filled the application form and clicked submit. Hopefully, this one does not get rejected.

Two months into the mentorship program with alpher, I could proudly say that I was a newer version of myself. I remembered that I wanted to make the world happy by making cakes that put smiles on faces and started taking steps towards making my dream a reality.

With the help of my dedicated mentor, I was able to come up with a solid business idea. It was exciting going through the process – strategizing, running projections and analyses. Oh! I loved the rush. My life finally had a purpose.

I pitched my idea to Union Bank, applied for a loan through alpher, and got some funding. It was one of the happiest days of my life. For the first time in a long time, I went home to Aunty Bimpe and she did not give me a look of pity instead she burst into song. I twirled around the living room with her laughing heartily.

On the 18^th of July 2019, I stood in front of my small cake shop, a broad smile spread across my face. Finally! My dream had come true. I flipped the sign at the front door.

Oshewa Cakes was Open for Business.

As the merry tune of Victor Olaiya’s ‘Mofe Mu yan’ poured through the speakers, I tied my bright yellow apron around my waist and measured the ingredients into the big red bowl with the flowery design.

It was a beautiful Saturday. The dark clouds over my head parted and the sun shone through.

The journey had just begun. Stay tuned for the next part.