A 45-year-old masa seller, Rahila Polycarp, has said she used the proceeds of the business to sponsor three of her five children in the university.
Masa is a popular Northern Nigerian snack made from maize or rice.
Polycarp told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Yelenguruza community in Gombe State that she went into the masa business when her husband could not get a job to cater for the family.
“I have been in the business for over 25 years, and masa business has made me the breadwinner of my family.
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“In the 25 years of selling masa, I was able to raise my five children and send them to school from the proceeds of the business.”
According to her, though she is uneducated, she has ensured that all her children got the best education she could afford.
“Three of my children are now graduates and have done their national service, while the remaining two finished their secondary education in 2022.
“This business has helped me to realise my dream of educating my children and ensuring that they are better off today because of their education.
“I wonder how I would have trained them if I didn’t know how to make masa.”
Polycarp advised women, especially housewives, to venture into businesses that require little capital to start.
According to her, her children would have been school dropouts if she had sat at home waiting for her husband to cater for the family.
“Start little and be consistent, don’t wait for your husband to do all the work because those times when only men worked to care for the family are over.
“There were days I had to borrow money to buy ingredients to make masa, and after the day’s business, I paid the money and used the profit for household needs,” she said.
Polycarp, who still sells masa after 25 years, however, said the pressure of selling to meet household demands had reduced compared to the past, as she now gets support from her children. (NAN)
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