IN SHORT

A native of Agboville, Jean Ahoua has set himself a challenge: to succeed in a field everyone thought he couldn’t. An accountant by training, Jean wanted to manipulate leather and blossomed into an exceptional and talented craftsman. Today, the self-taught founder of Gona Maroquinerie is one of the most famous leather craftsmen in Africa, employing over 25 people. He aspires to teach young people to work with leather at his own training centre.