In an interview with Balai, the entrepreneur, who is the daughter of a Cape Verdean mother and an Italian father, tells us how she decided to create a Cape Verdean perfume line that reflects the feelings she has from the times she spent on vacation with her mother's family in the city of Praia during her childhood.



It all started in 2020 when Maria Mendes, who has a degree in Economics and Finance, decided to change course and take a chance on the fragrance industry. It was a passion for flowers and perfumes that was awakened at a young age and became a business from the moment she wanted to do something original for Cape Verde.



"At the time we were in the middle of a pandemic (covid-19) and we had to take a break from the project, but we already had the studies done, which allowed us to work more on the idea until we were able to implement it a year later," she says of the first steps in creating the line, which had the support of an Italian perfumery professional in creating the fragrances, which despite all being made with plants and flowers typical of Cape Verdean territory, are produced in Italy.



"In 2021 we brought the first perfume to the market, which we named Alma, which, like the others that followed, is made up of aromas from different types of plants from different regions of Cape Verde," she explains about the production processes that make it possible to capture the aroma of the plants and generate a fragrance that, as the entrepreneur argues, does not have an aggressive environmental impact.



Asked about the reason behind the brand's name, Água de Cabo Verde, Maria explains that the name carries an affective value, since the whole reason behind the initiative is due to the olfactory memories she has from her childhood when she used to go on vacation in the country.



"After my vacation, I always returned to Italy with a bottle full of seawater to use when I played. For me, that was a way of taking Cape Verde with me and preserving the good memories, hence the name Água de Cabo Verde," she reveals.



Because of this, the entrepreneur explains that the four fragrances developed by the brand so far have a specific smell that matches the name chosen for each one and that translates the feelings aroused when remembering the archipelago. In all, there are three perfumes and an air freshener.



For the entrepreneur, the first few years of operating in the national market were challenging, as she felt the need to give the initiative greater visibility and get people used to the fact that they had a national perfume brand.



"Over time, we've had positive feedback from Cape Verdeans in the country and in the diaspora and also from people of other nationalities, both African and European, which has made me very proud, as I've always wanted to do something for Cape Verde, especially at a time when we're following its economic development," she celebrates.



Although the perfumes are produced in Italy, the Cape Verdean descendant emphasizes that the goal has always been to create and develop every product from Cape Verde, especially its marketing. Although they don't have a physical store in the country, they do have sales partners on some islands besides Santiago, such as Fogo, Sal, Boa Vista, and at most of the country's airports.



Still on the subject of challenges, the entrepreneur, who also has an inn business in Italy, highlights the barriers imposed by distance, which she says make it difficult to move forward with the business in Cape Verde, which still needs her constant presence.



"One of my big dreams is to have an engaged internal team so that I can have more heads involved and motivated to drive the brand forward," she points out.



As well as a team, Maria shares her interest in creating a mini laboratory where she can allow people to get to know the process of creating a perfume up close.



In the long term, the entrepreneur intends to create two more essences with other natural elements and a bigger plan to open Água de Cabo Verde's own stores in different parts of the country.



As the daughter of a Cape Verdean born in a foreign country and who has had the opportunity to forge ties with her Creole origins, Maria Mendes calls on the children of the diaspora to invest in business in Cape Verde.



For the interviewee, sharing knowledge between those who live abroad and those who live in the country is the first step towards boosting the country's progress by creating projects that contribute to the economy.

This article was originally published on the  Balai Cabo Verde  platform  - Balai .