When Eno Quagraine (Talkative Mom) reflects on her journey, she always comes back to her name.
In our 8th anniversary podcast series, with this episode hosted by Nubuke, Eno opened up about how her name has shaped her path and purpose.
“Eno, my name, actually means mum. And I remember growing up, I hated my name so much. I was like, why would I be called Eno? Which, you know, initially I thought it meant old woman. I was like, I’m six years old, and the old women are also called Eno. What’s going on? Like, why couldn’t I be called a Tiffany?”
It wasn’t until after her father’s passing that she began to see the meaning differently.
“It was after he died that I kind of appreciated my name. I was like, wow. Like, there was a whole plan for my life. And words and names are really powerful. And I guess I’ll say that it was my purpose to start this because it really ties into why I’m called Eno.”
That sense of purpose has shaped everything she’s done, from founding Petite Elise Preschool to creating safe spaces for women and families. More recently, her children inspired Ghana Camp, a cultural program reconnecting young people with Ghanaian heritage.
“My kids actually inspired Ghana Camp. My kids and my childhood. I remember growing up, my first field trip was to Elmina Castle, Cape Coast Castle. And I mean, the feeling — there was something about it that I couldn’t explain… it couldn’t have been taught in the classroom. Like, you just had to be there.”
She recalls a moment that made her realize something was missing:
“I went with my kids to this Ghanaian-themed Independence program… and then they see a mortar and pestle, and they’re asking me, ‘Oh, mommy, what’s that?’ And for me, I grew up with that. So I didn’t realize that they had never seen that before. And I was like, no. I almost felt like I had failed them. And I also knew that if my kids are asking me this, other kids also need this.”
For Eno, education is not just books and exams. It is identity, belonging, and culture.
“A lot of these kids… they’re in schools doing foreign curriculums and things like that. So they don’t learn about Ghanaian culture. So I said, we need to include that in some of these programs. The first summer camp we’re going to run is going to be called Ghana Camp.”
Her story is a reminder that purpose sometimes hides in the very things we once resisted; even a name.
This conversation with Eno is part of our 8th anniversary podcast series: 8 Heroes for 8 Years; eight remarkable people who embody voice, vision, and impact. We’ll be releasing one episode every month.
Watch the full podcast conversation with Eno Quagraine on our YouTube channel here.
