Former Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, has opened up about his humble beginnings, recalling how he used to sell kerosene in his village due to the lack of electricity.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews and monitored by GhanaWeb on April 29, 2026, he explained that during that time, lanterns powered by kerosene were the main source of light for many households.

“I used to sell kerosene, back then, there was no electricity in the village, so everyone relied on lanterns. We would buy a gallon of kerosene, pour it into bottles, put them in a bucket, and go around in the evenings calling out customers to sell to them", he recounted.

The Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe said the kerosene business had its own set of challenges.

According to him, many customers bought on credit, and it was difficult getting them to pay.

'I was shot at and nearly killed' – Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum recounts

“Sometimes it would take a long time to get your money back. I remember one woman near my house who took kerosene on credit, I don’t think she ever paid. Whenever I went to collect the money, she would say, ‘Come next time.’ And on Friday evenings, she would say it was Sabbath, so she can't touch money,” he recounted.

Aside selling kerosene, Dr Adutwum also ventured into snail hunting during the rainy season as well as making baskets from cane, which he transported to Kumasi for sale.

See the video below:

I used to sell kerosene - Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.#thecareertrail #joylearningtv #joynews pic.twitter.com/L0TT3hZLiE

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) April 28, 2026