Football fans in Edinburgh need little encouragement to cheer on whoever are playing England. And one business owner on Easter Road has an extra incentive to roar on our Auld Enemy’s opponents at the World Cup this summer.
Ernestina Doku hails from Ghana, who face England on June 23 in Boston. Ernestina runs Dazzelustrous, an independent shop selling handmade jewellery, clothing and accessories from Ghana.
The mother-of-three moved to England from Accra as a child and spent many years down south before crossing the border. But despite the time spent there, she is in no doubt about who she will be supporting at the World Cup.
“It’s Ghana all the way for me,” she said. “We are a small nation but very proud and we have some excellent players.”
Ernestina, 46, started the business in 2015 and works closely with her sister in Ghana to select the items for sale.
“I previously worked for a well-known accessories company so that experience was a big help for me in my new venture,” she added. “I contacted my sister about my idea and together we decided to create hand-crafted jewellery and accessories which were taking Africa by storm.
“My sister started taking regular craftsmanship classes and the rest is history.
“All our products are crafted in Ghana with a selection of our jewellery created by me here in Scotland.”
Ernestina has been delighted with the support received from the Edinburgh public for her business – and she is sure this will extend to her country’s football team.
“I wasn’t aware how strong the rivalry was between England and Scotland before I got here,” she said. “But knowing what I do now I am sure that the whole city will be supporting Ghana on June 23!”