Blue Agate Beaded Necklace from Ghana, "Blue Nsroma"

"I'm a jewelry artist from Accra. I was drawn to this craft because of the natural love I feel for art. Once I visited a friend and saw her working on jewelry. It attracted me so much, I started designing jewelry of my own.

"I mastered this craft by using my break hours to learn from my friend, who generously taught me. I get my materials from the market. The best part of this work is when I see people who appreciate my designs and encourage me to do more.

"My friends say I'm calm and innovative. I'm always ready to learn new things. I decided to pursue a degree but I didn't have the funds. Some people promised to help me but they later turned me down. As the deadline for payment approached, I decided to take out a loan. My sister also lent me with some money she was holding at the time. I felt proud when I went back to school again. It was incredible,

"But there was a subject I really struggled with. A classmate at school offered to teach me along with a friend who didn't understand the subject either. It was almost a week before exams and I was also working while studying. I was so tired when I got to school!

"I really needed to pass my exams but, while he taught us, I fell asleep. I awoke, but then dozed off again. Naturally, he was annoyed and shouted, 'Salome! You like sleeping a lot!' I felt so embarrassed.

"Starting on my own was easy because of the passion I had, and learning and designing made it also easier for me. Currently, I teach two people from home. One of them is my husband.

"My inspiration arises from sharing ideas with people in the field of art and also reading more on what I do. However, it can be challenging when I have a design in mind but am not able to complete it.

"My hope is to be recognized in the larger artisan market and to develop a wider collection of designs. My dream is to become the best artist I can be and, one day, to train and employ others in my community to be effective artisans."