- Shecanic, born Nana Afua Serwaa Adusei, is the founder of Ghanaian automotive engineering brand Shecanic
- She founded the venture to educate, empower and help elevate women in STEM and other male-dominated fields
- The trailblazer made history when she became the only and first woman to join Wanderlust Ghana on a road trip from Accra to the UK
When Nana Afua Serwaa Adusei founded Shecanic, she had no idea that her automotive engineering brand would gain national prominence six years later.
The idea to start her own business came to her in 2017 as an office assistant at Auto Jewelling Ghana Limited in Dzorwulu, Accra.
It was a clarion call to help women take a keen interest in what they drive and empower them in the knowledge of car mechanics.
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”Shecanic seeks to change the narrative for the automotive sector. In Ghana, when someone underperforms in school, they are asked to learn a skill or become an engineer. I wanted to change that narrative so that graduates can join the industry,” says Adusei, better known as Shecanic.
A photo of Shecanic as an adult:
The trip to Shecanic
Born in Labone in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, Shecanic hails from Juaben in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and is a scion of the Oyoko clan. She received her early training at Soul Clinic International School – SCIS.
“I grew up with my uncles and aunts and moved around a lot because my mother was in Holland and my father was in and out of Ghana,” she recalls.
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Shecanic was raised by an entire family tree, which taught her a lot about resilience, teamwork and making the most of every situation. When her uncle lost his job at the Ghana Cocoa Board, they had to move out of their bungalow in Labone and into a house in Tantra Hills. She later moved in with her birth father because the living conditions and lack of basic necessities in her uncle’s home did not promote her growth.
Shecanic remembers moving between her father’s house and her aunts’ house. Her unstable living situation, however, did not have a negative impact on her studies when she graduated from high school in 2001.
”I scored 7’1 in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). My father wanted me to be a doctor. So he chose Science for me before I took my final exam in high school.
“I then attended Science at Aburi Girls High School, but had to move to Arts in my second year,” says Shecanic.
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Overcoming High School Failures
Her move to the General Arts class was prompted by an instructor who responded that she did not have a place in the Science class after Adusei (Shecanic) drew his attention to the fact that she did not understand a Chemistry subject.
”That was quite discouraging. So I switched to the arts class that same second year. I prepared for mine Certificate of Higher Secondary Education (SSCE) in one year, passed and went to university.’
Apart from books, she had other talents that made her the favorite of many. She says YEN.com.gh that she discovered her passion for dance and teamwork in high school.
”I’m a great dancer and public speaker because I was exposed to a lot of adults, which made me express myself. My father would make sure I read a book every week. At JHS, I was part of the Anase Guide, a group known for nature conservation.”
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Aside from dancing and active team participation, Shecanic loved sports, especially basketball, and co-founded the Arts Renaissance Club at Aburi Girls High School.
Brave steps towards triumphing another academic handicap
However, life took a different shape after High School. Although she achieved commendable grades, life threw a challenge that delayed her pursuit of a college degree.
”I applied to KNUST but was denied entry. I later found out it was due to a mistake in the application form,” he recalls.
Shecanic turned lemons in her favor when she was advised to take up a three-year diploma program at the Accra Polytechnic, now Accra Technical University (ATU). A year into the program, he resigned to pursue a degree in Rural Development at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), thanks to a successful second attempt in 2008.
”I joined the basketball team and represented Ghana in Nigeria in my first year. I was also actively involved in the Student Representative Council (SRC).”
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In addition to breaking barriers in a male-dominated field like basketball, she ruled in fields that were considered exclusive to women. She won Miss KNUST and was crowned Miss Photogenic in her first year, taking advantage of the ultimate prize to work at the university’s radio station, where she co-hosted a show with former Citi FM personality Kojo Akoto Boateng on Focus FM.
”I became the Women’s Commissioner for the Tertiary Students’ Confederation (TESCON), working closely with Dr Gideon Boako, now special assistant to the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. He was the president.”
Shecanic’s milestones at KNUST included serving as the Entertainment Chair for African Hall in her third year before graduating in 2011.
She would later work as a national service officer in the statistical services division of the Treasury alongside her food business. But even at this stage, she had yet to learn that life would change course in the automotive industry.
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“I had my business up and running, but I needed to secure a job. I volunteered at the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) after my job search was unsuccessful. After my tenure ended, I officially became their project manager. I worked there for a year and a half before resigning for another role at Auto Jewelling.”
”I joined Auto Jewelling in Dzorwulu as an office assistant to finance my legal education. They were willing to pay GH¢100.00 more,” he says YEN.com.gh.
The birth of Shecanic
Her years in the auto mechanic shop would inspire the idea to launch her own brand. Shecanic. Five years after following her heartbeat, her hard work paid off thanks to a road trip from Accra to London, UK, with the Wanderlust Ghana team.
Watch a video of Wanderlust Ghana as the team arrives in the UK:
The 10,000km journey, which took 16 days, started on Sunday 23 July 2023 and ended on Sunday 6 August when they arrived in London to great fanfare. Shecanic finished her trip with the team in Morocco, making history as the only woman to start the expedition.
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Shecanic in a photo with the Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and the Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum:
Although the road trip is over, her desire to educate, train and uplift women in the automotive industry is still alive. Her impact is evident in her dedication and commitment to seeing women rise and break into the male-dominated field.
The trailblazer believes that women can be anything they set their mind to.
Four cars used for the Accra to London road trip arrive in Ghana
Relatedly, YEN.com.gh said the four vehicles used for the 10,000km road trip from Accra to London landed in Ghana.
The images were captioned in a Facebook post on Wanderlust Ghana: “Welcome home guys. Next trip beckons.”
Source: YEN.com.gh