ESL SPECIALIZED CLASS
Organic cosmetics king wages war
Cabbie to entrepreneur
In a country where bleach-
ing creams are frequently
used to chemically lighten
skin tone, one savvy entre-
preneur is fighting against
the disfiguring practice.
After 19 years of driving
taxis, Alhaji Mustapha Oti
Boateng was looking for a
change. His journey for a
ENDERUN COLLEGES
on skin bleaching
new profes- Organization.
sion led him
to Britain, Using his deep-rooted
Japan and knowlege of herbs, Boateng had
ultimately an idea to help his fellow Gha-
back home to naians. Now a household name
Ghana, where in the West African region, his
he stumbled Chocho cosmetics has become a
into his call- popular staple in beauty bags
ing after producing a line of throughout the area.
herbal cosmetics.
Boateng, who won the Overall
In Ghana, the practice of using
creams and other cosmetic Entrepreneur of the Year award
products to chemically lighten bestowed by the Entrepreneurs
skin tone is fairly common, as it Foundation of Ghana earlier this
is in many African countries -- year, sat down with CNN to ex-
but the practice is known to plain how he went from a hum-
have detrimental health effects, ble taxi driver to a cosmetics
according to the World Health king.
ESL SPECIALIZED CLASS
CNN Interview with Alhaji Mustapha Oti Boateng
CNN: What was your breakout
product?
Alhaji Mustapha Oti Boateng: I
started with Chocho cream -- the
natural skin restorer and beauty
soap. It is a local soap produced
by our forefathers... It's not all
types of a disease that a cream
can cure, but most of the skin
ailments the cream can cure.
That is why it's written as a
"natural skin restorer" -- it doesn't
bleach but rather enhances your
color.
CNN: Where has this
knowledge of organic cosmet-
ics come from?
AB: My father was a herbalist and
my grandfather was a herbalist I
tried to recall all those things that
when I was young they sent me
to the bush to collect. The herbs
that we have here have a real
potency of curing... and when I
started using them too I have re-
alized that I didn't choose the
wrong way of curing people.
CNN: You had been working as
a taxi driver since you dropped
out of school. Why the sudden
need to mix things up?
AB: When I found that my chil-
dren were growing up, I told [one
of my taxi clients] that I had to
find something to do so that I
would be able to look after my
children very well. And he himself
told me they needed to send
someone to Britain, to go and
learn how to operate printing a
press. He sent me there, I
learned and came back and they
opened a printing press for me in
Accra.
CNN: Then after the printing
press, came a stint in Japan...
AB: They gave me the opportunity to
go and I traveled to Japan where I
started odd jobs... I came back with
about five buses and started a
transport business, but unfortunately
for me it was all accidents, one after
the other.
CNN: So where did the name
"Chocho" come from?
AB: This name "Chocho" is in the
memory of a dear friend, who has
passed on. That name "Chocho"
was a nickname between us.
CNN: And how did you know or-
ganic skin care products would
take off the way they did?
AB: I went to the market and bought
creams that are manufactured and
produced by foreign countries, pow-
ders and perfumes, and went
around announcing those things for
sale and it was really doing very
well.
CNN: So you decided to start pro-
ducing locally and it's been quite
the success. Has it been an easy
ride?
AB: The economy is always fluctuat-
ing. You know we haven't got a per-
manent exchange rate for our cur-
rency. I'm an herbalist, I produce
other products but some things, fra-
grance and petroleum jelly and that
sort of stuff. We import them so at
the time of importation you calculate
based on the exchange rate, before
the goods would arrive in the coun-
try, [sometimes] the exchange rate
would shoot upwards.
CNN: You seem to face these ob-
stacles head on and industry
leaders have noticed. How did it
feel to be honored as the "Overall
Entrepreneur of the Year" in
April?
AB: [As] somebody who started
from nowhere, if I am in this area
and being recognized that I am the
entrepreneur of the year, obviously,
I cherish this the most ... it means
they are appreciating what I am do-
ing, so I was very happy.
CNN: And after receiving these
honors, you're also trying the
"pay it forward" mentality by
helping build schools and pro-
vide computers in classrooms?
AB: I'm not educated but I'm always
happy when I see children in school.
You know here in Africa, it's not all
people who get [the] opportunity to
go to school. Education is a lost
treasure for every human being.
That is why I'm always passionate
even if I did not get the change to
educate myself very well. Now that
Allah has given me that power, eve-
rywhere that I see that need [for]
education, if it is in my power, I help
them.
CNN: Last question, what advice
do you have for any budding
businessmen?
AB: Nobody should think that be-
cause they didn't go to a classroom
to sit on a chair I'm not educated.
We can always educate ourselves
wherever we go. That is a coura-
geous way of life. Whatever dreams
that we have, we should think that
it's human beings who can do any-
thing in this world.
ESL SPECIALIZED CLASS

1. After 10 years of driving taxis, Alhaji Mustapha Oti Boateng was looking for a change.
______
2. He produces a line of herbal cosmetics. ______
3. Boateng won the Overall Entrepreneur of the Year award bestowed by the Entrepreneurs
Foundation of Ghana earlier this year. ______
4. He started with Chocho cream -- the natural skin restorer and beauty soap. _______
5. Alhaji Boateng doesnt have a family. ______
6. He came from Japan with 5 taxis and started his own transportation business. ______
7. Alhaji Boateng has higher education. ______
8. Boateng donates money to manufacturing companies. ______
9. Whatever dreams that we have, we should think that it's human beings who can do any-
thing in this world. ______

1. What family does Alhaji Boateng come from? How did it help him to create his own
business?
2. Why did he become a businessman?
3. Was a cosmetics business his first try? Was his first try as an entrepreneur successful?
4. Why is his company called Chocho?
5. What obstacles does Alhaji Boateng face while running his business?
6. Did he get any awards?
7. Does Alhaji Boateng do any charity? What is it? Why does he do it?
8. What is his advice for businessmen? Do you think its valuable?
9. What do you think about skin bleaching products? Is it popular in your country? Do
you use any?