It’s been a journey for me being on The Employables. Although I went there with an existing business - it was inspiring just to be there among all the entrepreneurs. When I started it wasn’t always easy as I was working on my own to achieve my dream. So many things happen in building a small business that it can be hard to focus. The show helped me maintain focus.
My family, parents and three siblings fled Sierra Leone and arrived in Australia as refugees when I was 10. When I came here I couldn’t speak English. I couldn’t read or write. I focused on investing in my education and studying hard and going to university to study Bachelor of International Development. But I wasn’t satisfied.
I didn’t feel I belonged because I didn’t find the thing I wanted to contribute. I knew I wanted to give something back but I didn’t know what it was.
I loved the idea of business as a way to give back to Australia for welcoming me into the country.
Yarrie Bangura. Source: Supplied
I thought about what I could introduce that is not in Australia? We love Ginger Beer in our culture – it’s always used for celebrations. Even though I had left Sierra Leone, I hadn’t left behind our traditional family recipe – my Aunty’s ginger tonic. The ingredients all came from her backyard – the ginger, the tamarind, the lemon.
I decided that this is what I wanted to introduce to Australia.
But I had a lot of fear. I thought that maybe this was too big a dream. I thought I would not be able to achieve it and stay in my lane. I was worried about cultural barriers. I came here as a refugee and I am a coloured woman. All these nagging doubts were at the back of my mind
Then I read about other entrepreneurs who have gone through struggles in their lives and have made it. I thought if this person could make it, and so could I.
I remember I told my mum I wanted to start up Aunty’s Ginger Tonic. She said I should finish my degree and get a job, and that was the best way to contribute to Australia. I stopped talking to my mum about it because I knew she has already made up her mind about who she is in Australian society.
I talked to my partner. He said that if I knew how to do it, he would support me and that was all I needed. I started playing around with the drink. I would make the drink and ask my family to taste-test. They would tell me if it was as good as my Aunty’s or if I needed change anything. After two years of testing batches and perfecting the blend, I approached businesses to see if they could run focus groups for me.
People ask me why I call my product Aunty’s Ginger Tonic. For many years, I was not happy with myself, because of how I left my home. It wasn’t always pleasant to think about home. Making the ginger beer was a way for me to think about home positively.
I remember as a child in Sierre Leone sitting by my grandmother side as she peeled ginger roots she had grown and harvested. There were huge tubes of peeled roots of ginger. The smell was so fresh and strong. As she boiled the ginger she would tell me stories of her youth, of the village and of the people long passed. Sometimes she would sing to make the ginger stronger.
She believed in her magic to make the ginger stronger. My Aunties would also sit together to make the ginger tonic. I saw women sticking together and making this drink – working together, talking and laughing. For me this is a wonderful memory of family and community. I feel a sense of pride to be bringing the family recipe. It gives me energy to continue with my business and break out of my fear.
I’m focused on empowering people. I go to schools to share my story. I say to people – “Look at your fingers - the fingers are not all equal. This is life”. Some people have a lot of connections. Some people have no connections. If you’re a minority group and living in an area where you are not exposed to different things, it can be hard to find opportunities. To be successful you need to love what you do and be determined and focused.
I couldn't have started a business that I had no personal attachment to. Some people from my extended family laugh and say to me: Why are you into ginger? They think that is something that is part of home and it’s not a big deal. To them it’s funny. The small things you think are funny, to other people it’s a big thing.
When people buy my product they are not just buying my product. They are buying a part of me – my personality, my story and my determination to succeed. We need to embrace ourselves and let our light to shine because those are the things people will see and value.
Episode three of The Employables airs Wednesday September 5th at 8:30pm on SBS. Catch up on previous episodes on .
