Feature on: AfroDiva Nally

I embrace  trends as they unfold in our society, one which is swiftly gaining grounds in our society is the natural hair culture. most ladies have decided to go natural for various reasons.there have been soo many questions lingering on my mind when it comes to the natural hair trend.Therefore i decided to interview a friend who seemed to have answers to most questions i have always wanted to ask and i found it quite exciting that she's been keeping her hair for awhile now and it looks great. I personally have my hair permed at the moment but if ever I'd want to go natural, you would be the first to know. Here are some few answers to some questions i asked her.

TnbGh: Tell me more about Naa.!
AFD:I am a simple yet complicated young Ghanaian woman ready to take on the world. I love volunteering, blogging, making video tutorials, 1taking care of my hair(of course!!!)reading, travelling, eating and sleeping.
TnbGh:How did u come up with the name AfroDiva Nally?
AFD:Well I wanted something that would make me feel confident as a woman rocking her natural hair. And for me AfroDiva immediately speaks to the fact that I am of African descent and also directly describes the way I wear and rock my hair. Nally is an acronym from my first and last names.
TnbGh:Before your natural hair, what kind of her did you have on and can u take me down memory lane?
AFD:My hair was relaxed, I didn’t really have a clue that I could take better care of it and not rely on Ghanaian hairdressers.
TnbGh:When did you decide to go natural and what influenced that decision?
 AFD:I was just tired of the burns and scabs from my relaxer. My hair was breaking and had become brittle. A few months later, I had hosted a student from the US in my home who cut all of her hair when she returned to the US.I must say, I was shocked by her decision but my interest in her return to her roots sparked my decision to return to my roots.

TnbGh: Which kind of "big chop" did you go for"?
AFD:I couldn’t handle the transition process. The two different textures made my hair tangle most of the time so I got fed up and cut it off at about 2-3 months.
TnbGh:What was the reaction from friends and family concerning your new lifestyle?
AFD:When I was on campus, it was perfectly fine. My family thinks I’m crazy so it wasn’t a big deal for them.
TnbGh:The assertion that natural hair is Unprofessional still lingers on the minds of a lot of ladies in this country,what do have to say to that?
AFD:I think you can’t really blame us for holding that assertion. An experience I had during an internship proved this assertion to be a fact but this was only in one case. I work in a liberal open minded organization so no one has a problem with my hair as far as I am concerned. There a bit of teasing once in a while but its nothing I can’t handle.

TnbGh:How are your able to maintain the natural hair because I know it's very difficult especially if your hair is stubborn?
AFD:First of all, I don’t believe natural hair is stubborn. I believe that once you dedicate the time to learn and understand the dynamics of your hair, you are on the track to embracing what is truly yours.No hair is stubborn for that matter.
TnbGh:Is it that expensive to maintain?
AFD:Well it depends on the individual, if you wear your hair in its natural state all the time, your cost will definitely go into deep conditioners, conditioner and shampoos at most. But if you wear, weaves, braids and protective styles often,that can increase your cost. If you go to the salon often to get these done, your cost will also increase. So it really depends on the individual.

TnbGh:You have a YouTube channel, please tell me more about your channel and how do you intend to get you intend to get your message out other ladies who want to go natural?
AFD:Well, when I started researching for information on natural hair, I realized that a lot of these natural hair communities and channels were in the west and they spoke of products and other things which you could not find in Ghana. So with the encouragement from Ghanaianemprezz, I started mine.The channel is basically to share my knowledge and experiences with natural hair so as to help people who have no idea what to do and how to go about it.
TnbGh:Ghanians are slowly beginning to embrace the idea of vlogs (video blogs), any plans on how you intend to get more ladies to get on your channel  and  subscribe?
AFD:Well, I’ll be having a 100+ giveway on my YouTube channel soon and I intend to use this meduim to attract more Ghanaians to the channel. I believe exposure such as this one  will get the message across widely. 

TnbGh:Any favorite quotes in relation to natural hair?
AFD:We didn’t go natural, we returned.
Everyone isn’t going to like your hair. That’s their problem, not yours.
Keep Calm and Love your Natural Hair.
Be natural!!! Be you!!!










COSTUME:CHIDA COLLECTION BY SARAH CHRISTIAN
PHOTOGRAPHER: BEN BOND OF OAB PHOTOGRAPHY 







comments and suggestions are welcomed......

TNB'S CLOSE UP WITH ANASTASIA ATIGLO OF AFIYO CREATIONS (BEAUTY WITH A PURPOSE)

Hello , sorry for the long break, i am back fill you in on everything i was up to. i hope you enjoy every bit of it.  XOXO Naa.

TNB: Can you give us a brief profile of yourself.

AFC:  Am Anastasia Afiyo Atiglo  a third year student of University of Ghana, studying social work and also the creative designer at Afiyo creations. I am  passionate about helping the needy mostly kids and has a dream of making the world a better place for the less privilege. I have a beading club in a village called Obrachire where I teach the kids how to make beaded accessories to help empower them and also explore their inner talent. As the founder and creative designer of Afiyo Creations (Afc) I try to produce bespoke beaded accessories which are made of our African print to help promote the use of the print and also help people have that  Afro centric look .My  philosophy is” always be a man of value than a man of success.:).”

TNB: When did you decide to start Afiyo creations?

AFC:I started in my first year in university as my hobby but began serious business in the middle of the year. It has been a little stressful combining Afiyo Creations with studies but I love doing what I do. 

TNB: What makes Afiyo creations stand out from other accessory making companies...

AFC: We have unique designs and also try to blend our African prints with beads to help make our accessories stand out from the lot. 

TNB: How many collections do you have so far, and what are the differences between them?

AFC:I have two collections, that is Afiyo and Adepa collection. Afiyo was my first collection made up of strictly beaded Accessories whiles Adepa collection consists of Africa print fused with beads.

TNB: How are you able to deal with the pressure and demands from clients......

AFC:I try my possible best to work with time, I manage my time very well n make good use every second, I sometimes give them my time if theirs would not favour I give them mine.

TNB: Tell us about how you got into volunteering work and how you started your club? 

AFC:I am passionate about peoples well being, So when I had the opportunity I just made good use of it, Helping people especially kids is something I can't do without therefore it influenced my decision to go into volunteering in addition to what I do .

TNB: What town is your beading club located, and how are the kids responding to your lessons..

AFC: It is in a village called Obrachire. About 30mins drive from Kasoa.I have 35 students but 15 active students. The lessons, I would say has had a lot of impact on them .They are simply amazing and always enthused about it.

TNB: How do you fund your beading club?

AFC: I fund the club through my personal savings, through funds from my parents and a friend called Gideon Marcel.

TNB: Have you thought of raising funds to support your cause? 

AFC:I plan of having an exhibition of their handiwork to help raise funds for the school and the club

TNB: what is your advice to anyone who was to venture in your field 

AFC: My advice is, “try to do de extraordinary and always love what you love doing best."

PHOTOCREDIT : OAB PHOTOGRAPHY 

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