Although Afia and Owusu have not received any COVID-19 benefits, they have built positive relationships with African diasporans in Philly and beyond, and that, combined with their hard work and innovation, has helped their businesses to survive.

Owusu notes Woodland Avenue in the SouthWest area as a hub for the African diaspora community in Philadelphia. When describing his discovery that Black people in the US are stereotyped as rude are untrue, Owusu says:

“Before you come to the States, people will tell you that Black people are rude, but when I meet Black people they greet me, especially when I meet older people. Blacks here have been helpful. Some people even buy from me when they see I am from Ghana.”

Owusu advises entrepreneurs to consider delivering products or to start a delivery service, as most people get items like groceries and household items delivered in the age of COVID, and to create strategies to succeed for the future. “If you don’t plan for the future it will be more difficult. It’s not easy, but plan”, he says. Afia advises entrepreneurs to “take the downtime and brainstorm about what you can do better, whether it be a new website, redesigning your product labels, launching a new product, etc.”

Check out their businesses on Instagram at @SereniteePureandNatural, @AdornmentsbyAfia and Owusu Bonsu on Facebook. Shop their products at www.adornmentsbyafia.bigcartel.com.

This article has been made possible by the Independence Public Media Foundation.

This article brought to you in Partnership with Broke in Philly

 Nana Ama Addo is a writer, multimedia strategist, film director and storytelling artist. She graduated with a BA in Africana Studies from the College of Wooster, and has studied at the University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Nana Ama tells stories of entrepreneurship and Ghana repatriation at her brand, Asiedua’s Imprint ( www.asieduasimprint.blog ).