REPS
THE CALABASH HUB – Team Representatives
Meet The Calabash Hub Reps who have shown positive support for many years to ensure TCH vision, aims and objectives are delivered with passion. Each rep has an individual experiences and shares a common interest in African culture, community and development.
SONIA – GHANA TOUR UK REPRESENTATIVE – 2019
Greetings, my name is Sonia. I travelled to Ghana with The Calabash Hub in 2015. Oh! What a journey. It truly felt like I was home. Professionally, I am a social worker, working with people experiencing mental health crisis. It’s a very challenging job that has focused my mind on ensuring I create a good work/life balance. My refuge is my crafting, anything from sewing to card making. For me it is important to incorporate my heritage in my crafts so Adinkra symbols and African print fabrics feature greatly. I am looking forward to working with the Calabash Hub as one of the UK tour reps, sharing my experience of my trip and encouraging others to make the journey. It is important for us to know where we have come from to help understand how it influences our future. Familiarising ourselves with the lands of our ancestors is one way to do that. Bless!
GRACE – GHANA TOUR UK REPRESENTATIVE – 2018
I have a background in education where I have worked in primary schools across London from 1984 and retiring in 2017. I love anything to do with my African heritage and holistic wellbeing. I love cycling and playing connect4 with my significant one. I first travelled in Ghana in 2009 and again in 2014 with The Calabash Hub. It was such a special moment for me as of the very day and time we landed my twin grandsons were born. As a Ghana Tour UK rep I was able to channel my experiences of people wanting to travel to Ghana. I was part of a fascinating team working with remarkable people and I loved what I did.
JIDE – MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE
GRACE – GHANA TOUR UK REPRESENTATIVE – 2018
I am known by the name of Ashanti Michelle. I chose this name as I acquired self knowledge. I came across a warrior queen by the name of Yaa Asantewaa. She stepped up to fight the British rule over Ghana, after her brother was exiled. It was her bravery against all odds, her wanting to protect her community, her warrior spirit which inspired me to adopt such a powerful name. I was physically born in London, descendent of Barbados, roots in Africa. Thankfully I have had the privilege to travel to the motherland on several occasions. My last encounter was in 2014 to Ghana with The Calabash Hub where I fully embraced the Ghanaian experience.
I am a qualified primary teacher and have been for the last 14 years, albeit i see the value of teaching within schools in UK. I would relish the opportunity to teach in Africa at some point in my career. My love is learning about me; spiritually, emotionally and physically. As I transform I see the importance of educating fellow melanin rich individuals like myself, through The Calabash Hub about the various products from the motherland, we should be using on ourselves. I have been using shea butter and black soap for many years and have found these products to work better on melanin rich skin than the products readily available from the West.
I have taken up the opportunity to manage the online shop and product sales at community events, using this experience to set up my own business in the future.