Nigeria's Ireland-based fashion designer recounts how rogue agent left him stranded in the Sahara Desert

Nigeria’s Ireland-based fashion designer recounts ordeal

How rogue agent left me stranded in the Sahara Desert

By ADETUTU AUDU

Abolaji Razaq Alausa also known as ‘Abohla Razac’ is the brain behind wave-making Razac Gear Clothing Company in Dublin, Ireland but success did not come to him on a platter of gold.

After losing his adorable father at age 12, the only son in the family of seven had to struggle to keep body and soul together with meager proceeds from his mother’s local restaurant.

After his secondary school education; with no support to further pursue his university education, he started hustling to make ends meet. Though he had always dreamt of traveling abroad, he could not realized this due to lack of funds, until he met a man who promised to take him and others in his shoes to Europe by road. He had promised to get them there within a few hours. Unfortunately, after five months on the road, they had still not arrived at their intended destination. The seemingly ‘good Samaritan’ absconded with their money and left him and others stranded on the beautiful North African Sahara desert.

However, not discouraged or deterred by his dream killer, Abohla found his way to Dublin, Republic of Ireland and studied Fashion design, Merchandising and Visual Display at Portobello College, Dublin. After many ups and downs, Razac Gear Revolution was born and today, the rest is history.

Excerpts

Background and growing up

My name is Abolaji Razaq Alausa also known as Abohla Razac. I was born on the 17th of March 1976 at General Hospital, Onikan in Lagos, Nigeria though my parents are from Ilorin, Kwara State. I’m the only son in the family of seven. I attended Lagos Island Primary school; now known as Fazloma Hammadiya Primary School, Ikoyi, Lagos and
Boys Academy, Lagos Island.

I grew up in a very humble, religious and disciplined family. My family holds the Islamic religion in high esteem. I remember during my primary school days; when getting ready
for school, my dad would always comb my hair and would take his time to create a path line on my hair with a comb.

With an electric iron, he would create the spider design at the back of my school uniform when ironing my cloth. I must always look great and standout at school.

 I also attended the Arabic and Quranic School, which I always attended in the evening after school to study the Holy Qur’an. Our Arabic school was just by the traditional worship shrine (Igunnu) and a church was also situated about 10 meters away in Epetedo, Lagos Island. On our street, we have mosques, churches and shrines for traditionalists. Growing up in the midst of all these religious factors, family background made me come to the conclusion that the best way to live in harmony is to ‘live and let live.’

Dark moments

Life became a struggle when I lost my loving father at the age of 12. My mum was a poor widow and had 5 of us to support including our youngest sister who was aged 8 to feed. I was the only son and second to the last born. Alhaja (my mum) owned a small restaurant (Buka) and had to work harder to send us to school and we in return had to help her sell at her shop. My routine then was to go to school and also attend Quranic School
after school. Afterwards, I would end up in the shop. With almost no money to
support my educational needs, I struggled to complete secondary school.
Life suddenly became took a tough turn for the only boy of the family who had been pampered. I had to learn to do almost everything by myself including feeding clothing and all. I had to dream and wish myself common things in life. These have really helped me to become a self dependant team worker. I learnt moral and spiritual values. I understood hard work in achieving success.
At 21, a young man without money to sponsor his university education, no future prospect, had to hit the streets of Lagos hustling to fight poverty. I experienced and learnt rules on the streets that made me wiser.

Trekking to Europe

I didn’t come to Europe by flight. I dreamt it but I couldn’t see myself flying in a plane.
While growing up, I have been bullied many times to stop dreaming of foreign countries without money in my pocket. I tried stopping it but I didn’t have power over it. I just seemed to see things before they happened. I soon had an opportunity to come to Europe when I was introduced to a man who promised to get us to Europe by road within a few hours but his trip eventually took us 5 months. He absconded with our money and left us stranded on the beautiful North African Sahara desert with lots of mountains to climb, valleys, seas to cross and so much to strive for.
I realized my second to none passion for fashion at an early stage in life but had no opportunity to actualize it because of my father’s death. When I eventually got to Ireland, I studied fashion designing, Merchandising and Visual Display at Portobello College, Dublin in 2008.

Razac Gear Revolution
My childhood experiences lead to the creation of the company. If there was a free and accessible handcraft and technical centre for a man like me when I was growing up, I wouldn’t have gone through all the ugly experiences I went through. Each time I remember there are still many young people going through what I went through, wandering out there without direction, I believe I can make a difference.
Razac is my Muslim name (meaning the Provider and Sustainer in Arabic). After I finished from college, the thought of moving to the next level came to me at the entrance of the company registration office in Dublin where I went to re-register the company name as Razac Clothing Inc. After a brief deliberation with my former colleague, I added my name to it.

Challenges encountered

After designing shoes and T-shirts with my social welfare payment weekly allowance, I realized that few Africans loved it on me but were not bold enough to wear it. I was only attracting some ethnic groups like the white community and I didn’t feel represented. I was labeled a mad man, a racist and called discriminatory names. I felt bad about it.

People thought I should get a job first before establishing my own.  But I couldn’t work in a fashion industry because we had to travel to London for work experience and I could not get a visa to travel. I decided to get any job as the pressure was high. I needed money to support my family. I couldn’t keep most of the jobs as I was always sacked either for daydreaming with a busy colleague, challenging the manager for a rule to be changed or talking about irrelevant issues on the job. I was sacked from my last job because I was caught selling T-shirts to colleagues at work and I went back to the streets.

The key to success

Being a Nigerian has helped me in different areas. I understand class. I rediscovered myself. You can become whatever you aspire to be. Anything in life has a price tag to it. You can either pay the price by staying the same and complaining or you can make a positive difference. I have learnt a lot of lessons, self discovery and many questions answered. I became spiritually improved as I prayed hard.

I realized that the same skills, intelligence, beliefs, knowledge and determination one uses to commit anything negative is the same one can use to impact a positive change. One only needs a twist in the right direction. Just like a job applicant would pray before attending an interview and a businessman would pray to build a successful business empire.
When I realized that everything starts from the inside, I stopped blaming people for my mistakes.
The key to success is self belief, discipline, focus and determination. If you don’t believe in your dreams, I don’t think you can believe in God.

Culled from National LIFE