Ohemaa Woyeje @ 15: It hasn’t been an easy journey

Adom’s FM’s Ohemaa Woyeje is celebrating 15 years of being in the media and as she reflects on how far she has come, the bubbly presenter says the journey hasn’t been easy. 

“Just like any other career, my journey hasn’t been an easy one but God has been very good to me, seeing me through all these years.

“ I have been through all the stages from a sales executive through to a voice over artiste to reporting and reading the news in both Twi and English, entertainment review etc.,” she told Showbiz last Friday when she gave out free food and drinks to over 500 people at her Ice Bar in Accra to mark her 15th anniversary.

Patrons not only got to eat great food, they were also entertained by the Armed Forces Band while Adom FM transmitted some of their programmes from the venue.

Ohemaa, who has been at Adom FM for the past five-and-half years has also had stints at Nkosuo FM and Zuria FM in Kumasi, Skyy FM in Sunyani and Top Radio in Accra where she worked for seven years. She also worked with Filla Magazine for some time.

At Adom FM, she is the host of Work and Happiness, the station’s mid-morning programme. She tells Showbiz that she also does stuff on Hitz FM, their sister station.

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Sharing some of her challenges, Ohemaa said, “first it is people accepting the fact that a woman can be a DJ, people criticise you a lot, some don’t understand why I won the best DJ award.  

Again, there are others who attack your personality so if you are not strong you will be discouraged but I have developed thick skin for all of that,” she said.

Of course, there may be challenges but there are also some advantages that come with the job.

“It is fun when I get to meet a lot of people wherever I go and they are often very nice especially when I travel out of the country. On the whole I would say that doing radio has been a passion, playing songs I enjoy while the audience also enjoys.”

Ohemaa is also an entrepreneur who produces shito and drinks for both the local and international markets. She also runs the Ohemaa Woyeje Ice Bar adjacent to the Qodesh in Accra.

The idea of the ice bar came about when she visited her husband Emmanuel Owusu Kusi in Armsterdam.

“We visited an Ice Bar and I was impressed, since I was running a similar one in Ghana I decided to open one here so I got a bigger venue and here we are,” she said.

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Ohemaa, who got married a year ago says it’s been cool and normal for her thanks to her very supportive husband.

“From the beginning he has not been in Ghana so I still had the chance to do my work, he is very supportive of me and has been in Ghana for the past couple of months just to ensure that the businesses are running.”

She had some advice for young people out there “Try to be independent, believe in yourself, don’t pay attention to people who do not support you especially as a woman. People will bash you but don’t allow anyone to bring your confidence down.”