Shea Butter queen Hamamat Montia says success abroad did not shield her from painful experiences.
After winning an international competition in Turkey nearly two decades ago, she had an encounter white a white boy that boarders on racism.
“At that time, there were not too many black people in Turkey,” she said in an interview with Bola Ray monitored by MyNewsGh.
“Everywhere you go, people are staring at you.”
One moment remains vivid. “I was in a supermarket and a little child came and took my hand and licked it because she thought I was covered in chocolate,” she recounted.
The experiences left a mark. “It was difficult because I’m so proud of my culture. It was difficult dealing with people who didn’t respect my culture. I wanted to come back home. This is not it for me.”
She admits the emotional toll was real. When asked if she ever felt depressed or frustrated, she answered plainly: “Yes. Truthfully, yes. There was a time that I was lost.”
For Hamamat, the turning point was discovering purpose in cultural education and entrepreneurship.
“Your purpose is something that you enjoy doing,” she said. “For me, it was teaching the culture, and somehow shea butter just became a product.”
Her journey from pageant queen to cultural advocate reflects a deliberate shift, choosing to build from home rather than chase validation abroad.
“The right mindset for us Africans right now is to go back home,” she stated. “The whole world is coming for a piece of Africa.”
