Meet the 27-year-old female Ghanaian who abandoned engineering to braid hair in The Bronx, USA

Mary 'Sparrow' Agyapong's thriving success in the hair braiding business in the United States of America had an awkward beginning.

Upon her arrival in the United States years ago, Mary 'Sparrow' Agyapong, eager to braid her hair, encountered an unexpected shock as she struggled to find a suitable place.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Doreen Abanema Abayaa in The Bronx, New York City, the 27-year-old said she and her father were in disbelief when the braider they approached charged them $140.

She added that even for that fee, it was discounted because she (Mary) was Ghanaian.

“When I first moved here, I went to get my hair braided and the lady was like because we are Ghanaians, she was going to charge about $140, and my dad was surprised. So, I asked, 'What if we are not Ghanaians, how much was it going to be?' and she said more than $140,” she narrated.

Swiftly, Mary informed her father to gather the essential tools for hair braiding, affirming her intention to undertake the task herself without any delay.

That, she added, was the beginning of what has become her life as a braider in The Bronx.

“So, I just told my dad, 'Listen, just buy me the stuff; I’m going to start doing my own hair'. I started doing my own hair, and started doing my friends; my mom joined me after some months and I started doing my mom’s hair. And now, look at me, I have my own business” she told Doreen Abanema Abayaa.

Mary now has a strong conviction about her craft: “When I touch your hair, you’re not going nowhere else; you’re staying because the magic happens here.”

Mary also shared details of how rewarding the job has been, and how it has contributed to her life.

“Not to brag, but [I have over 500 clients]. I work from Monday to Saturday... I work on three to four clients a day, depending on the hair. Sometimes, two, one. Like I said, it depends on the hair...

“I had an assistant who I was helping because she came from Ghana and needed support before she got into the system. So, I was helping her till she stood on her feet. So, she’s started school and it needs time so she stopped coming. I’m very fast when it comes to braiding; I braid really fast and sometimes, I let my friends help me if I have a lot of people,” she added.



Asked what the biggest trick to being successful in the business is, Mary said it requires a lot of patience.

“This business, if you don’t have patience, you cannot deal with customers. Customers are always right, you have to know you are dealing with people. Everybody has their attitudes, mood swings and stuff and in the morning, people can come in with bad attitudes but what can you do but do something to cheer them up,” she stressed.

Until she got into this business, Mary trained as an electronic engineer and hopes to be able to return to school when she has completed her building project.

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