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Stitching Technical, Vocational skills to greatness …The inspiring story of Mrs Joyce Neenekwor Pechi-Anim
For many years, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was perceived as an option for people who were not academically inclined.
However, as society evolves, vocational skills have become an important driver of economic growth, creating jobs and empowering people to build successful enterprises.
One woman demonstrating the power of vocational skills is Mrs Joyce Neenekwor Pechi-Anim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Joycelyn Fit Fashion, Cake and Décor, popularly known as JFit, in Koforidua.
With more than 26 years’ experience in fashion design, cake artistry, catering, event decoration, planning and vocational training, Mrs Pechi-Anim has built a thriving enterprise serving government institutions, corporate organisations and individuals across the Eastern Region and beyond.
Her journey began at age 18 after she completed her training at St Annie’s Vocational Institute at Nuaso.
Encouraged by Mr Alfred Yaw Kissi, then Eastern Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA), she moved to Koforidua at age 21 to pursue her dream.
But success did not come wrapped in a ribbon.
She first operated from the porch of her rented apartment at Koforidua-Ada. As customers increased, she began searching for a shop. A grateful client promised to provide one but Joyce had to wait and repeatedly follow up for seven months before the promise was fulfilled.
The shop she eventually received was small, but her ambition was not.
She continued sewing, took on apprentices and built a reputation for creativity, discipline and, above all, keeping her word.
“If I tell you to come for your dress at 7 a.m. on Thursday, I mean it. By the time clients come, it is ready,” she told The Spectator in an interview.
That simple principle of punctuality became one of the hallmarks of her business.
Her passion for empowering others also grew.
Through her vocational school, Mrs Pechi-Anim has trained more than 300 apprentices, about 100 of whom are now established in fashion, hospitality and the creative industries in Koforidua, Accra, Nkawkaw, Krobo Odumase and beyond.
Never content to remain in one lane, she ventured into cake artistry in 2016, enrolling at Flora Cakes and Décor for nine months. She later expanded into event decoration, planning and catering.
She later pursued other vocational courses in Ghana and Lagos.
Her portfolio included major assignments such as the decoration of the late Dr Omane Boamah’s one-week celebration in Koforidua, Eastern Expo 2026 and the Eastern Regional Hospital’s centenary celebration.
Her work has earned her more than 30 awards and certificates of honour, including Outstanding Woman CEO of the Year, 2025, presented to her by the Ghana Art Choice and Business Industry in June 2026,
Beyond business, Mrs Pechi-Anim has held leadership positions, including National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) Examiner, Secretary for the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association (GNTDA) from 2000 to 2010, and currently, Treasurer. She is also a Council Member of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
She attributed her success to discipline, hard work, creativity and excellent customer service, while encouraging young people to acquire skills and use social media to market their talents.
Yet, behind the accolades was a woman who knows the difficult side of entrepreneurship.
She recalled apprentices stealing work materials, customers refusing to pay outstanding balances after events and others attempting to damage her reputation by portraying her services as too expensive.
Through all these challenges, she said discipline, hard work, integrity and excellent customer service have kept her moving.
For Mrs Pechi-Anim, vocational education is no longer a second choice.
“I have nurses and other salaried workers coming to learn skills to build careers and support themselves financially,” she said.
She revealed that she has a dream to build a much bigger vocational school, where she would train young children from age three upwards to enable them acquire vocational skills at a tender age.
She believes that would help them to use the skill to support themselves financially throughout their lives to supplement their academic goals.
She, therefore urged parents to support children who show interest in vocational training rather than forcing them into careers they do not enjoy.
She also advised young people to acquire a skill and use technology to their advantage.
In an era dominated by social media, she encouraged the youth to showcase their work online instead of using the platforms solely for entertainment.
She revealed that she used social media to market JFit and has embraced Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to improve her work.
Married to Mr Richard Pechi-Anim since 2009 and a mother of three, Mrs Pechi-Anim believed her story demonstrated that success can be stitched together, one skill, one client and one determined step at a time.
She called on the government to create platforms for successful people in the TVET sector to share their stories and inspire others.
For her, the sewing machine that once sat on a humble porch has become more than a tool. It has been an instrument of enterprise, empowerment and hope.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
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