Kolo (Money saving Box) makes a Big Come Bank, Thanks to Mrs Adenike Adeleye CEO of Kolo by Denike

By Kemi Mobuse - Friday, January 05, 2018

I had my first experience with Kolo while growing up…….Mum, God Rest her soul, decided to give all six of her Children a Kolo (money saving box}each. Funny thing is, none of the cash given to me ever made its way into my kolo. Mummy; anytime we were given money, with a stern and unsmiling face, will say: Oya, pass me the money and let me keep for you. The little tyke who dares protest among us should consider him/herself a goner….. because, you will hear Mummy murmuring while puttering around, God Knows she is trying, she feeds us, she clothes us, and even buy us things, so what does she need our little change for. Lol! She naturally always forget to mention that, the money for all above mentioned comes from Daddy ohhh!

That experience nevertheless taught me to save, although I never really made a success of it until I got to University. Being a member of FIN, I recently came across saving with Kolo again and all of a sudden, it became a “thing” and one of my New Year resolutions. Coming across Mrs Adenike Adeleye was refreshing for me, because of the great impact that a brand like hers is bound to have on our economy and individuals as well. I was extremely curious to learn more and she was more than delighted to share with us all……read below:

KMB: Can you kindly introduce yourself?

Kolo By Denike: I am Adenike Adeleye, daughter of the Most High, wife of a King and mother to Queens.

I am a passionate lover of The Father, trying to be the best person l can be.

KMB: When and how did you decide you wanted to make money bank "kolo"?

Kolo By Denike: About 2years ago, l got this money "eating" safe from China. I was going to import them but the exchange rate issue came up and l decided to look inward instead. I realized that; we have always saved in one way or another and I thought it a great idea to modernize our "old designs" and also teach the younger generation about our culture, that is why all our Kolos have a name. I did a little bit of research and here we are…

You can say; Kolo by Denike is a product of divine arrangements.

KMB: Can you walk us through how you started out?

Kolo By Denike: I started with wooden boxes shaped like houses and then went for fired clay which we painted colourfully.

Ikoko one of the first Kolos is a nod to my grandmother's water pot. She had a clay water pot when l was younger and the water was always cool👌🏽

KMB: What challenges have you had to deal with since you started and what can you say they taught you?

Kolo By Denike: Mostly manpower issues.

Workmen not keeping to delivery dates and of course finishing the products in the standards l am used to. But we are getting round it…..It has taught me paaatience!

KMB: Do you have a favorite among your products?

Kolo By Denike: Hmm!I love them all, because each is different. If l had to choose, l would say Ponle and Bukka!.

Bukka is the hausa word for hut

Ponle means honoured in Yoruba.

KMB: Wow!!! That's nice

Kolo By Denike: The design is another nod to my grandmother's soup pot with a cover. So l designed it to have the cover fixed and then brightened it up.