Artist :
Gina Ayebea Fofana
"I'm not just a waist beads vendor, it is part of who I am and I get great pleasure in sharing them with every woman I encounter. My beads are handcrafted in Ghana and are rooted in culture and tradition. As a result, I take pleasure in teaching about the cultural significance and traditions of waist beads in Ghanaian society. I hope that you will take this journey with me as we explore all things traditional about Ghanaian waist beads!"
Gina Ayebea Fofana
Ghana, West Africa
Gina Ayebea Fofana
My name is Gina Ayebea Fofana, owner of Ayebea's Charming Beads and JerknWaisted™.
I was born and raised in Ghana but have lived in the Chicagoland area for nearly 30 years. I am a lifelong wearer of waist beads and as a mother has made sure that my children have a piece of home by adoring them as well since birth.
One of the biggest motivations behind the start of Ayebea's Charming Beads is to teach women how to properly use and adorn their waist beads. The lines have been blurred between tradition and modernity. This has led to waist beads being much more sexualized in mainstream society than they are meant to be, eliminating the traditions behind them and I want to change that.
For example, traditionally, waist beads are not to be worn above the waistline or in the open for others to see, unless they are being used for ceremonial reasons. Even then, the type of beads and the amount used will differ from what is worn daily. Teaching women about these and other traditional significance of waist beads, keep them informed and allows them to make better decisions as well as feel more empowered as they embark on their waist beads journey.
