The 2026 edition of the Ecobank-Joy Business SME Fair, currently ongoing at Ghud Park, Accra Mall, is more exciting and revealing as well.Exhibitors have displayed a wide range of products and services at discounted prices, from food to fashion and skincare to crafts.But one stall has been stopping people in their tracks — not just because of its colours, but because of the story behind it.That is the stall of Hetty’s Beads.One of the highlights of the fair is how the CEO of Hetty’s Beads, Henrietta Fosuah, took time to explain the importance of romantic bead communication and its enormous benefits for marriages and relationships.For many visitors, it was the first time they were hearing that beads are not just for beauty.For Henrietta, beads are a language. African women use beads to communicate with their partners.According to her, women in this era have introduced creativity in a different way to communicate effectively and more romantically than before.So, we write a name on the beads and wear them on a romantic intimacy or date.So, something like, I love you, baby.“You can write your husband’s name on the beads. So, that will communicate to your husband,” she explained.She added that a woman can also write other messages for her man, and if the man understands romantic-bead communication, he will understand it.It is a silent conversation. No shouting. No long text messages.Just beads speaking.Some common names of beads are Odo Toffee, Sikapa, Agudie, Sikakokoo, Ahwene Pa Nkasa, Gyeawariye, and Odo Pa Nsa.Each name, each colour, each design carries meaning.“We have the black ones with a touch of gold. We’ve designed it in a way that attracts men. We have a certain bead which is called Sikakokoo (Gold).”She explained that Sikakokoo is designed just like its name, and if a lady wears those golden beads, the man will appreciate her class and romantic aesthetic. “Especially if the lady is a black woman, the gold stands out.”She said the number of threads of beads worn by every lady around her waist carries a special message to her man.“If your new date wears three ropes of beads, she is telling him that she has a true love for him. If the woman wears four ropes, she is warning the man against cheating. Three ropes mean love. Four ropes mean warning,” she explained.At the fair, many men laughed when they heard that, and many women nodded knowingly.She also spoke about moonlight beads. “That one glows at night, like the way the moon glows at night. So, we have another one called glow-in-the-dark. So, that one, when it’s dark, it glows. It glows with light. You will see that it’s glowing in the dark, meaning love grows.” For a woman who has found love and wants to visit her boyfriend or husband for the first time, she recommended three sets of Sikapa beads. “Any man who sees those beads worn by a lady will be attracted to her. And mostly, we recommend that women wear Kere beads. Odo Pa Nsada, which means true love never ends”.“Since you are meeting someone for the first time, your first boyfriend, you can wear Odo Pa Nsada. So, that is what I recommend for new ladies in a relationship.” On why beads are so important to women, she explained that “it will divide your waist from your tummy. It will show the area between your tummy and your waist. So, it makes you very attractive.”But beyond beauty, beads can heal.She said women can wear one bead for as long as a year.”But to spice up a relationship or marriage, the woman must keep changing beads. Your husband knows you’ve been wearing one bead, and even if you have a misunderstanding, your husband will likely come to you and say, ‘Hey, Akua, where did you get these beads from? It’s so nice.’“So, the beads can strengthen your bond.” She stated.She indicated that a woman can customise the beads with her husband’s name.“If her husband sees it, he will talk to her, he will be happy, and he will feel that she still loves him.”She also said a woman can write an apology message on beads to seek forgiveness from her husband when she offends him.Proposals could also be made using messages on waist beads, such as “Will you marry me?” For Valentine’s Day, she recommended red beads. “And those red beads, they are not just red. It’s sparkling more than the red that you know, and they are very attractive,” she stated.She challenged every man, especially those unfamiliar with bead communication, to make a stop at the Ecobank-Joy Business SME Fair at Ghud Park for her to educate them on the subject because most women wear beads to express a message.“When they come, I will explain it to them very well to understand the purpose of bead-wearing by women,” she concluded.She further promised huge discounts on beads purchased at the fair.