Life is full of surprises, as it can be rosy today and rough tomorrow. However, the tables can turn in some situations.

This was the case for the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

According to her, before attaining this feat in life, she was an entrepreneur and a teacher of the English language in Saudi Arabia.

She traded in goods and services like Kaba and Slit, embroidered clothes, leather wears from the Northern region, among other Ghanaian products in the Middle East country.

She said the proceeds from her sale of Kaba and Slit, embroidered clothes, and other Ghanaian products she sold in Saudi Arabia were used to purchase gold and sold to her friends back in Ghana.

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful noted that this business came into being when her friends always told her to buy them gold when returning to Ghana from Saudi Arabia.

The Communications Minister said she saw this as an opportunity to venture into this lucrative business; buying and selling gold.

Making this known at the launch of the Ursula Foundation in Accra last weekend, she said, "I later found myself in Saudi Arabia and ended up being a trader, an entrepreneur.

"Because on my holidays in Ghana, I would go back, pack my suitcases full of leather wear from the Northern part of the country, backpacks...and our embroidered cloths because it was a big hit there...even slit and kaba so my suitcases are always full with stuff from Ghana to go and sell from Saudi Arabia to the West Indians and other Africans living and working there."

"Coming back to Ghana, I would buy a little bit of gold with the proceeds of my little trade and come and sell it to friends who say 'buy me gold when coming from Saudi'. Wherever you find yourself, there are opportunities...," Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated.

She said the Ursula Foundation will help beneficiaries develop vocational, digital, and other practical skills to acquire knowledge to excel in various sectors of the economy.

Also, there will be access to credit and apprenticeship for persons who would want to venture into entrepreneurship under the You Push initiative yet to be rolled out.

Even though the minister did not touch on her professional pursuit, she is a trained lawyer and an ardent women's rights activist in the lead up to entering active politics.

She has been Member of Parliament for Ablekuma since 2013 till date.

SA/OGB

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