By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
I met Opara Ujunwa Anthonet earlier this year during International Women’s Day. At the time, I was tasked with writing an article for a newspaper on women thriving in male-dominated fields. Believe me, I searched everywhere, looking for a woman working in such a field, but I couldn’t find one. I became sweaty from all the searching, but since I wanted to write this story, I didn’t give up hope. I kept looking, even as many laughed, saying that most women these days are focused on dressmaking, restaurants, or hairdressing. They told me it would be rare to find a female mechanic or any woman working in a traditionally male-dominated profession. I laughed but remained determined.
After a long search, someone directed me to a shoe repair
shop, and when I arrived, I found Ujunwa gumming some footwear. I told her
about my article, and she was very pleased. Even her boss was thrilled, as he
also wanted to be featured. After the interview, I went home satisfied and
happy to have found someone like Ujunwa, thriving in a male-dominated field and
taking shoe-making seriously. At that time, she hadn’t yet started making her
own shoes—her shop was focused on mending them. But Ujunwa didn’t want to
settle for just shoe mending; she had the vision of creating her own footwear.
A few months later, she added me to her WhatsApp group, Gabby’s Shoe Making. I smiled but didn’t
say much. What surprised me, however, was seeing her post pictures of shoes she
had made herself. I was astonished—just a short while ago, she was still an apprentice
in a shoe repair shop. How was she now making her own shoes? At first, I wanted
to doubt it, but remembering the determination on her face when we first met, I
dismissed my doubts. She continued posting images of footwear she had made, and
I decided to reach out for another interview to hear her full story. She
agreed, and we met at her family home, where she lives with her parents and
siblings.
I was delighted to learn about her journey. Ujunwa
explained that her boss hadn’t taught her the art of making shoes. Instead, she
learned on her own, driven by sheer effort and determination. She registered
for online courses on footwear making and taught herself by studying other
designers’ work. Sometimes she would fail and have to redo her efforts, but she
kept practicing until she got it right. She even recounted how she stayed up
late one night to master sewing in a straight line, a skill that later helped
her when stitching into footwear.
Her father has been a huge supporter of her dreams,
buying her numerous materials to start making her own shoes, which she proudly
showed me. I also saw the filing machine she uses. She was happy to share that
her father’s friends sometimes ask her to make shoes for them. Her father,
Opara Milletus Ejike, also known as Adidas, has supported her immensely, even
buying the necessary materials for her shoe-making venture.
Today, Ujunwa has her own government-registered brand, Gabby’s Shoe Making, complete with a
logo. I saw several pairs of shoes she had made. She admitted that her early
attempts at filing weren’t smooth, but now she’s mastered it, and her footwear
surfaces are perfectly smooth.
Although she’s already making shoes, Ujunwa remains
determined to keep improving. She’s driven to build a large shoe company with
different departments, and she won’t rest until she achieves her goals.
For custom-made footwear and more information, contact Opara Ujunwa Anthonet of Gabby’s Shoe Making via:
WhatsApp: 08107131579
Email: gabbyshoemaking@gmail.com
Follow Gabby’s Shoe Making on social media:
Instagram: Gabby’s Shoe Making
Facebook: Gabby’s Shoe Making
Twitter: Gabby’s Shoe Making
TikTok: Gabby’s Shoe Making
WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VafBcOoDZ4LZIdJzNM3s
Join her WhatsApp channel for the latest updates, exclusive offers, and a closer look at her creative process. It’s the perfect way to stay connected with Ujunwa’s growing brand and witness her journey as she turns her shoe-making dreams into reality.
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