New African Market in Stafford, Va. Confirms the Formation of a New African Community in the Area (Community Story)
By Abena Ankrah
When Kwame Twumasi opened Devine International Market in Stafford, Va., in October 2005 to serve the international community in the area, he knew he was taking a big risk considering that the number of Africans in the area was still relatively small. Now, he says that it was worth taking the risk.
Located off U.S. Route 1 , the market (See photo to the right) which sells African, Caribbean, Asian and Latino foods, now boasts of a committed patronage. Twumasi said that he gathered statistically from friends that many Africans, especially Ghanaians were moving to Stafford from Alexandria, Va. where thousands of Africans reside when they first arrive in the United States. Alexandria therefore has a myriad of international stores selling predominantly African food. “Our culture does not allow us to adjust to foreign foods so when I heard that many Africans, especially Ghanaians were buying homes in Stafford, I immediately thought about opening my shop here because I knew my people would be looking for food from home.” Unlike Alexandria, there are currently only three African markets in Stafford, the last two which opened after Twumasi opened his store.
Felicia Obeng (Pictured in photo to the left) who lives about a mile away from the store said she visits the store about twice a week. “I usually come here to buy a phone card, send money home or buy food that I can’t find in the regular grocery store. Today, I am here because I would like Kwame [Twumasi] to post fliers about my hair braiding business, in his store.” Twumasi said he started selling phone cards because he found out that, most people who did money transfers in his store were looking for phone cards to call their relatives at home to give them the code for the money transfer. “The money transfer service and phone card business go hand in hand,” he said. According to Twumasi, the customers' needs have guided him in choosing the products to sell. He said that most customers coming to buy yam or plantain were looking to buy meat as well. “I decided to expedite my meat department but I first had a battling problem with the Department of Agriculture due to the type of meat that my customers were demanding. Things are okay now,” he said.
Twumasi said that he has a variety of customers. (Click on the audio box above to listen to Twumasi talk about his customers.) He said that most of them are Africans, but he occasionally has Latinos and Asians in the store because their food is very similar to what Africans eat. He said he also has American customers like people trying to organize lunches where some African friends will be attending and are therefore looking for African food, and missionaries and people who work for the state department who lived in Africa for years and got accustomed to eating African food. Occasionally, a few British or Scottish customers stumble into his store, he said. “Since most African countries were colonized by the British, most of the provisions we eat come from Britain. For example, whereas Red Bull is a popular energy drink in the US, Britain and Africa, Lucozade is the popular energy drink so the Africans and few British here come looking for stuff like that,” Twumasi said. He also said that other English products they come in for are Heinz baked beans, salad dressing and tomato ketchup.
One such American couple that lived in Uganda and is interested in African food is Stephen and Joannie Doe of Fredericksburg, Va. (Pictured in photo to the right) “We came to the carpet store next door but the sign outside this store caught our eye and we decided to come in and check it out. We are happy that they have mango juice in here. We ate a lot of mangoes when we were in Uganda,” Joannie Doe said.
Other items in Nkansah’s store include free advertisements such as business cards of African real estate agents, fliers announcing African babysitter services and hair braiding businesses. Twumasi also sells African movies, especially Nigerian movies which are now very popular in Africa, England and the United States. Twumasi is happy to offer some of these free services because, according to him, it increases his clientele because some people come to his store purposely to ask about these types of services offered by other Africans in the Stafford area. Africans seems to be forming their own little community in this once predominantly American neighborhood.
Photo Credit: Abena Ankrah
When Kwame Twumasi opened Devine International Market in Stafford, Va., in October 2005 to serve the international community in the area, he knew he was taking a big risk considering that the number of Africans in the area was still relatively small. Now, he says that it was worth taking the risk.
Located off U.S. Route 1 , the market (See photo to the right) which sells African, Caribbean, Asian and Latino foods, now boasts of a committed patronage. Twumasi said that he gathered statistically from friends that many Africans, especially Ghanaians were moving to Stafford from Alexandria, Va. where thousands of Africans reside when they first arrive in the United States. Alexandria therefore has a myriad of international stores selling predominantly African food. “Our culture does not allow us to adjust to foreign foods so when I heard that many Africans, especially Ghanaians were buying homes in Stafford, I immediately thought about opening my shop here because I knew my people would be looking for food from home.” Unlike Alexandria, there are currently only three African markets in Stafford, the last two which opened after Twumasi opened his store.
Felicia Obeng (Pictured in photo to the left) who lives about a mile away from the store said she visits the store about twice a week. “I usually come here to buy a phone card, send money home or buy food that I can’t find in the regular grocery store. Today, I am here because I would like Kwame [Twumasi] to post fliers about my hair braiding business, in his store.” Twumasi said he started selling phone cards because he found out that, most people who did money transfers in his store were looking for phone cards to call their relatives at home to give them the code for the money transfer. “The money transfer service and phone card business go hand in hand,” he said. According to Twumasi, the customers' needs have guided him in choosing the products to sell. He said that most customers coming to buy yam or plantain were looking to buy meat as well. “I decided to expedite my meat department but I first had a battling problem with the Department of Agriculture due to the type of meat that my customers were demanding. Things are okay now,” he said.
Twumasi said that he has a variety of customers. (Click on the audio box above to listen to Twumasi talk about his customers.) He said that most of them are Africans, but he occasionally has Latinos and Asians in the store because their food is very similar to what Africans eat. He said he also has American customers like people trying to organize lunches where some African friends will be attending and are therefore looking for African food, and missionaries and people who work for the state department who lived in Africa for years and got accustomed to eating African food. Occasionally, a few British or Scottish customers stumble into his store, he said. “Since most African countries were colonized by the British, most of the provisions we eat come from Britain. For example, whereas Red Bull is a popular energy drink in the US, Britain and Africa, Lucozade is the popular energy drink so the Africans and few British here come looking for stuff like that,” Twumasi said. He also said that other English products they come in for are Heinz baked beans, salad dressing and tomato ketchup.
One such American couple that lived in Uganda and is interested in African food is Stephen and Joannie Doe of Fredericksburg, Va. (Pictured in photo to the right) “We came to the carpet store next door but the sign outside this store caught our eye and we decided to come in and check it out. We are happy that they have mango juice in here. We ate a lot of mangoes when we were in Uganda,” Joannie Doe said.
Other items in Nkansah’s store include free advertisements such as business cards of African real estate agents, fliers announcing African babysitter services and hair braiding businesses. Twumasi also sells African movies, especially Nigerian movies which are now very popular in Africa, England and the United States. Twumasi is happy to offer some of these free services because, according to him, it increases his clientele because some people come to his store purposely to ask about these types of services offered by other Africans in the Stafford area. Africans seems to be forming their own little community in this once predominantly American neighborhood.
Photo Credit: Abena Ankrah
posted by Abena A. at 9:02 AM
1 Comments:
where is this store located at?
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