Mrs Deborah Olusanya may not be your every day woman because she is so many things rolled into one. Majoring in catering, she has business interests in other sectors. If you refer to her as contractor, you are right. She also gleans megabucks making headgears. She is an interior dercorator. In fact, she is a woman of many parts. Aside her role as a mother and wife, she is also a writer. She spoke to Weekly Spectator on how she got this far. Excerpts:

I was born in Ebute-Metta, Lagos. I am in my early forties. I had my education, up to secondary school level, in Lagos and Ibadan. Later, I also studied Hotel and Catering Management. I worked for some years in the Production Department of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Apapa (makers of Cowbell Milk). They were previously known as Wonder Food Nigeria Limited.

I started developing my interest in catering at school. I started the work as I grew up, making smaller cakes at first. The next cake I was to make was a wedding cake - in 1993 at age 28. As merchants, we at Debolu Ventures provide buying and selling services on catering and similar items.

We are contractors when we receive out-door catering services and other food-oriented 'contracts'.

Regarding headgear, this is, in fact, a family business. My mother, Madam Esther Olufunmilayo Fadu(ola), was first and foremost, a headgear specialist. She renewed headgears for members of staff of the then NTV 7 Ikeja at Tejuosho; and often, she featured on TV presentations on headgear matters. That was in the 1980's.

Decorating goes along with wedding and similar ceremonies. This involves hall-decorating and tarpaulin deco. Sometimes, balloon deco is involved if it is a wedding.

An aunty of mine by name Ronke has a catering service outfit called Ronkky Catering Services: I was articled to it between 1985 and 1988. During the period, I travelled extensively with Aunty Ronke on decorating and other out-door catering activities.

During my school days, I performed in a number of cultural drama presentations.

I was always in the cast of traditional troupes at school. I particularly enjoyed and loved the 'ewi' recitals (that is, Yoruba traditional poetry recitals).

While I was in Ibadan, My interest grew much in knowledge and study of traditional folk-lore. Later when I got married to Shina Olusanya, a poet (in 1996), I started picking further interest in poetry generally. Of course, my husbands' membership of, and activities in ANA helped develop my interest in the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). I started posting poems to the site of the International Library of Poetry (ILP, USA) until a poem was eventually accepted by them for publication.

To read this poem on-line, simply log on to http://www.poetry.com/ and type my name, surname first, that is: Olusanya, Deborah.

HOW I STARTED MY BUSINESS

As I earlier said, I started in 1993 when I made my first wedding cake. I did not have my own oven then: I used to rent oven, to bake. I got my oven in 1995.

My initial take-off capital was three thousand naira (N3000) then in in 1993. That was a lot of money back then, it being a month's take home salary of a Level 12 officer in the civil service those days.

Individuals and companies are my clients.

Debolu Ventures, my business outfit, has a lot of workers and support staff members - all uniformed and organised - for the general activities and various events. We employ division of labour in all we do. My family members also support me a lot.

Page 2 of: 'Weekly Spectator'

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