SELLING OYSTERS IN STYLE

AT first sight, it is the sieve containing the fried oysters that is seen. The hand balancing the sieve on the head comes into view and one realises it is a hand clad in the sleeve of a coat. As that realisation sinks in, the frame of the seller is now clearly seen in a shirt, a tie and a coat.
On contact, Solomon Amevi is a pleasure to watch and drawing closer, one gets endeared to him, especially for his neatly shaven moustache, low cut hair and executive dressing.
Although the enterprise he engages in, selling, might appear mundane, Solomon does it with enthusiasm, style and panache.
At 24, the second of two children, with an unknown father and a deceased mother, Solomon recently completed Sogakope Secondary School (SOGASCO) and had to fend for himself after having relied on his grandmother for all his teenage and adult life.
Not having the resources to continue with his education, Solomon looked for a mentor, Pastor Freeman Dzra, for the instruction of life necessary for adulthood, and an enterprise to engage in.
He gets the oysters from Sogakope, brings a sieveful to Accra and, within two or three days, disposes of the GH¢230 or GH¢250 worth of the shell fish.
Within the period, Solomon spends his night at the Tema Station, and makes it back home to Sogakope only when the sieve is empty.
He makes a commission of about GH ¢33 or GH¢34.5 on the sale of the oysters.
Solomon said the idea to dress neatly and sell oysters was the result of experiences he had had with his grandmother, who had sold soap and other petty goods to cater for him when he was young at Dodo Amanfrom, near Kadjebi.
He said when he left his grandmother for Sogaope to school, he had himself engaged in the selling of “bofrot” (doughnuts) and meat pies.
He said when he started his enterprise, it dawned on him that generally, people appreciated neatness, tidiness and some orderliness and so he decided to live these in his enterprise.
With two coats, a grey and a brown one that he alternates, Solomon’s efforts have paid off, for certain people sometimes giving him money in traffic and complimentary cards for further contacts on employment opportunities.
His desire is to become a nurse in future, but lack of funds, resources and social contacts have made him to change plans and to decide to go into teacher training college, if he gets a well-paying job that will enable him to save for that.

DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008, PG 9