Remembering Ms. Camella: The Inspiration Behind It All

This post was written by Karen as a tribute to Ms. Camella – the wife, mother, homemaker, and businesswoman.

Ms. Camella gives her best smile in this candid shot.

Today we’re remembering Ms. Camella, my mother and Nyana’s grandmother, who passed away three years ago on this day in 2017. She was the inspiration behind what we do today. As a pioneer businesswoman, she got started out of her home and peddled her baked goods, sweets, and snacks around her hometown and at her local town market. She soon she became renowned for all of her delectable goods because of their handcrafted quality. She put a lot of the love into her products, and great flavors resulted due to that combination with quality.

Ms. Camella was dubbed "pone lady" because of her famous cassava cakes (pone as they are called in Trinidad and Tobago and some Caribbean countries). What was remarkable about her was the manner in which she carried herself. She was able to establish a positive relationship with potential customers by getting them to buy, and was able to turn them into repeat customers as well. This is how many came to know her.

But there is more to her than just being the “pone lady.” Let’s journey back into Camella's past before she became an entrepreneur. She came from humble beginnings, and as a young girl, she was very curious about cooking and baking. This passion of hers became a reality at a later period in her life, when she took up domestic jobs to support her family. Although she was married and had a husband, she wanted to be independent and make her own money, so that she could also take care of her children. In this endeavor, her husband gave her the support she needed, and also worked behind the scenes to assist her with home chores.

Later on, she decided to be her own "boss" in order to get more flexibility to work from home. She started making baked goods and snacks for sale. This is where I witnessed a lot of her generosity. She was very genial and would entertain anyone who would stop by her home. Regardless of who they were, she would embrace folks with open arms. Everyone was welcome at her home, and she would always have food on hand in case anyone stopped by. On top of that, she loved to help take care of the sick and disadvantaged. She often helped kids that were in need with uniforms and books. Growing up as young teenager, I was amazed by the many times in which young men and women would pay visits to my mom. They would often stop by in order to reminisce about the ways in which she had helped them out when they were younger.

Working with my mom as a teenager was influential for me. In helping her to prepare those goods, I was able to learn how to be kind, and generous. She taught me to treat people with respect, regardless of their situation. In addition to those values, she instilled in me good habits. I learned the importance of preparing products with high quality premium ingredients, and why it is so important to produce in small batches as is traditionally done. Those weren’t the only lessons that she instilled in me. Being a businesswoman means having to juggle work, family life, and the day to day chores. She was able to juggle all of these effortlessly. To this day, I don’t know how she did it all, but it truly was an amazing feat! I never would have imaged that I too would one day walk in her shoes and become an entrepreneur myself. But I have taken up the trade, and am using the lessons that she taught me to carry on her legacy.

There was once a time when men dominated the business world, and women in leadership positions were rare or even unheard of. My mom showed me just how possible it is to eschew the traditional gender roles and run a business. As women, we are taking the lead in starting new businesses and we are proving just how strong and resilient we are! To quote from the late Christopher Reeve: “once you choose hope, anything is possible." That is exactly the spirit we embody every day, and why we aim to #BeCamellaSaucy.

I am glad to have learned from my mother and am honored to have called her mom – she was a great woman. Little did I know that she was setting me up to carry on her legacy back then. Today, I pay homage to my mom, who forever will be in my heart. May her values live on and pass to another generation.

Camella’s Kitchen is run by two ladies from Trinidad and Tobago. Based out of Prince George’s County, Maryland, we’re living our sauciest lives by bringing our bold Caribbean flavors to you! How will you #BeCamellaSaucy? Tell us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube!