Cameroon: Pricilla Ngung Sees Gold in Depreciated Fashion Accessories

By Sonita Ngunyi Nwohtazie

BUEA, November 14, 2023 – As a young girl, Pricilla Ngung had always had love and admiration for the African culture, which has gradually been neglected. As youths venture for more European accessories, Ngung says she ventured into producing Ankara goods to revive her heritage.

Recycling depreciated shoes, bags, bracelets, earrings, and other fashion items is a niche crafted by Pricilla Ngung as she feds for herself after graduating from the University of Buea. Intending to showcase the African culture and employ themselves, the young graduates use African fabrics to transform and design all fashion accessories.

“As a young girl, I have always had love and admiration for the African culture, which has gradually been neglected. We Africans are constantly in search of the western culture that doesn’t represent us,” Pricilla Ngung said.

“It is with this aim that I decided to venture in this line of innovation. I do this to revive my heritage through the use of Ankara materials to beautify bags, shoes, earrings and many other things of any kind."

Face with job search difficulties, the 24-year-old graduate decides to be self-employed as she grows her fashion sense wider in the designing world while improving her standard of living.

“With the hardship in society today, especially as a woman, most girls are so reliable to their parents and love partners which only increases the rate of dependency. That is why I decided to empower myself with these unique skills, to be different from others by finding my source of income to better my life” Pricilla added.

With a love for Ankara designs and culture, Pricilla in the quest to empower other young girls, extends a helping hand to others who are willing to learn and equip themselves.

“Getting into this sector of transformation, I have thought over 10 batches of students who are exceedingly doing well in their various specialities. I am happy to have been able to empower these young girls as income generation and skills acquisition has been acquired” Pricilla Ngung recounts.

Some of her trainees are ready to pass on the same skills to others as the learning process is already yielding fruits. “Working with Pricilla for just 3 months I can boast of a lot. I can transform some of the fashion bags, and shoes and sell them in the market to have income," a trainee of Lambo said.

As Pricilla continues to uphold the African culture and its values through fashion with the use of Ankara to better her day-to-day life, skills acquisition and a strong sense of self-employment are what keep her going. She sees gold in depreciated bags, shoes, and bracelets by giving them a beautiful look with African made fabrics.