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Recapping the Vodafone Ghana AppStar Awards & Exhibition

December 23, 2014, 2:58 am
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I've done what people will call emceeing at many Barcamps in Ghana. I'm the default +Barcamp Ghana emcee, but am trying to change that. I won't be emceeing +Barcamp Accra this Saturday. This year, I've emceed the weddings of my two sisters. I'm not sure I did a great job but I will do this better and better. Who knows? I should get +Kafui Dey MC's "How to MC any event" book. Maybe I'll become a professional emcee.  On December 3, 2014, I emceed the Vodafone Ghana AppStar Awards and Exhibition at the Fiesta Royale Hotel. This was the first I had emceed a professional event. I wasn't able to experience the event like an attendee because I was a different kind of participant. But that's why there is Twitter and hashtags :-)

I announced the day on Twitter.
Vodafone also welcomed us.
I then started reading a number of funny #appstargh tweets. I blogged about those earlier here. This was when fuel Tracker was demoed. Alongside a radio app whose name I can't remember now.
I introduced the judges. My +Party Crew buddy +Derek Bossman, +Julius Owusu-Kyerematen who I knew from the States and +Todd Holcombe from the +Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology.
After wondering who will be finally especially be in the established app category, we learnt about it at the event.
The Vicinity App was demoed first. This app helps users find waakye spots, ATMs, and other places of interest around them. +Priscilla Haizel who I met this year was on the team with other MEST EITs Aberdeen Adelu and +Barnabas Nsoh.
I had missed most of the +VodafoneGhana #IconsRemix goodness because I didn't have a TV. So I didn't realise @AliceTwum and co when they came in. I thought they were media people because we were asked to vacate some seats we were in for them. Anyway, Alice, who was the 2nd runner up of the Vodafone Icons Remix edition sang a song after. Because I never knew the song, I thought it was hers. "I blast!" :-)
Smart Doctor was the next app to be demoed.
The Vodafone Icons first runner-up Titi (@icons_titi) and then the winner Chris (@Icons_Chris) performed after.
I released my first tweet while at the event. My phone's been having staying alive problems. Sigh.
Africa's Legends. That's what +Eyram Tawia and +Nana Kwabena Owusu will become part of. Kobby asked about African superheroes and someone in the audience mentioned my name. Honoured. Eish, I just remembered I have to write that blog post about how I do all I do.
GH Vigilante demoed next.
I was very happy when Africa's Legends won! More money and bragging rights for +Leti Arts. Kobby, Eyram and I go way back. Really proud of them.
Vicinity won! Another team from MEST? The +Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology schools just keep on #winning.
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JCIP - A paid internship program for Ghanaian high school students

April 9, 2015, 5:04 pm
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I've blogged about the +Junior Camp Ghana program started and grew. As part of providing value to high school students in Ghana, primarily through, we organized Junior Camps in Ketasco, Kalpohin and Augusco. +GhanaThink Foundation's Junior Camp Ghana program has grown into 21 events since January 2013. It includes a collaboration with the +Ahaspora Ghana Young Professionals in mentoring some senior high school students. Our first major partner is +Webster University's Ghana campus, which we truly appreciate. Our +Diaspora Camp member +Thelma Boamah applied for a grant to run an internship program for high school students last year. After working through it, getting the grant and supporting more junior camps, we are at the point where the Junior Camp Ghana Internship Program is live.

Before I leave you with details, I'll like to recognize those who have led us to this point under the leadership of Thelma. +Gameli Adzaho has worked on the curriculum that will prepare the interns, with help from +Priscilla Esinam Yevu. +Kofi Kafui Kornu takes on a role working with our 6 confirmed companies. +Nathaniel Alpha +Eunice Mintah Young +francis kumadoh and +Pedel Oppong continue to support the success of this under their Junior Camp Ghana program. Get in touch with us for more information and how you can help, support or partner. (juniorcamp at ghanathink dot org). The most important link is the application form - Bit.ly/JCIPAppForm :-)

From July to September 2015, Junior Camp Ghana is rolling out a Ten Week Internship Programme for Senior High School leavers. This programme is meant to expose them to the world of work. The Internship Programme will focus on grooming 10 participants in their various fields of interest, as they undergo 8 week internships at companies in Ghana. These will include Agriculture, Technology, Art, among others.


The Junior Camp Internship Programme (JCIP) will boost their confidence and capacity to improve their employability. “Experience is the best teacher, which is why internships are so valuable for career development,” Thelma Boamah, the JCIP project lead said. “JCIP participants will be supported to gain a better understanding of their career interests and, through practical experience, develop the soft skills employers want to see.” Final year students in Senior High Schools in Ghana should apply via Bit.ly/JCIPAppForm before 1st May, 2015.


Junior Camp Ghana is a career guidance and mentorship programme run by the GhanaThink Foundation. This foundation believes in investing in the potentials of young Ghanaians, especially at the Junior High School and Senior High School level. They believe this will help heighten their interest and participation in ensuring the progress of the country. The main message in the Junior Camps is to encourage students to build skills. JCIP will give 10 senior high school graduates the opportunity to experience work and implement learning as they continue to build skills.

Last year, over 3,000 students benefited from the career guidance and counselling sessions on their campuses with mentors from various industries. This is an extension of the overall vision of the GhanaThink Foundation which has the slogan; “Less Talk, More Action”. JCIP is an effort to put more action to all the talks where students learnt about building skills in the previous year. The internship programme will offer successful applicants a unique opportunity to gain vital work experience and industry exposure.
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My passions, #getstartedafrica!

April 28, 2015, 5:22 am
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Eaton INTU Ghana - powering ourselves better

May 13, 2015, 9:44 am
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On Monday, May 11th, I attended a media briefing which launched Eaton Corporation's operations in Ghana in partnership with a local group of companies INTU. Eaton is the 4th largest electrical company in the world with over 100000 employees globally. With offices and manufacturing lines in South Africa, Tunisia and Morocco, Ghana is a new point of call to drive their business more intimately. Monday marked a milestone in Eaton's business as they launched their operations in Ghana, in conjunction with the INTU group of companies. This launch was organized by Global Media Alliance, the same company which houses YFM, ETV, Silverbird. They do a lot of press relations and marketing work as well. Eaton's interests here were represented by Jerry Sawyerr, who handles their PR in the sub region. Sumaya Abdool, the head of marketing for Eaton Electrical in Africa, welcomed us.
Shane Kilfoil, the managing director of Eaton Africa, gave a presentation with some more insight into Eaton's business and organization. "We don't manufacture power, we help out customers manage power, safely". A lot of light has been thrown on how Ghanaians manage and/or waste power & energy. A bit part of the problem driving this #dumsor crisis is the heavy consumption while we don't generate power to current capacity.


About Eaton, Shane mentioned "We make equipment that operate in harsh environments and still do so in safe ways". This is extremely important. With their South African operations, Eaton makes so many conveyor belts that are used in mines all around the world. We see a lot of unsafe galamsey practices in Ghana, whose business is not crippling the formal mining sector in Ghana. If our tech companies are hard hit by the power crisis, imagine the mining sector, the bread upon which our natural resource economy is based. Their ability to use power and even contribute to the power grid is important for Ghana and Eaton's entry will make this even better.

Everyone likes to talk about the 50MW power projects, forgetting about the smaller ones for end users". I bought a generator for the first time this year to cope with dumsor. I had considered solar power, and inverters before this. Many SMEs are suffering in this current climate, and solutions that target them to manage their power consumption are key. Eaton and INTU understand this clearly and will be driving these solutions in the market. It may have taken them a while to launch in Ghana, but there is no better time than the present.

How do you build one of the world's largest electrical companies with billions in revenue and a 100,000 employees? By working with partners and acquiring others to grow. Eaton already does business in Ghana but by partnering with INTU, one aspect of business often overlooked in Ghana is done better. "With people on the ground, manufacturing & delivering quicker, means better customer service", Shane said.

I must have heard about INTU before, especially INTU-IT. Though the INTU group of companies has done extensive work in Ghana, because it is B2G - Business to Government, I have hardly heard of them. INTU has a great track record in the services industry in Ghana. Bryan Akyeampong, their CEO, shared a lot of this.


INTU will be starting out with Eaton power quality products & others that can help companies & communities manage power better. Bryan mentioned how companies like Global Media Alliance could wean themselves off the grid and even sell power for distribution. The more intriguing revelations were around towns like Nkawkaw using Eaton power systems and products; A plug & play power container into to provide power for all its needs. A strong local leadership could take such a project on with other forward thinking partners. We need great examples like these to inspire change and innovation around the country. After the presentations, Eaton's Shane and INTU's Bryan signed their partnership into agreement and posed for photo opps, short of the two of them taking a selfie and posting it on Twitter with the #EatonIntuGhana hashtag.

I was curious as to what roles many of the 100,000 Eaton employees were in globally, why there were only 900 of them in Africa and what they did differently. A journalist asked about the unemployment issues in Ghana and Eaton will help resolve that. Shane answered saying many of the employees are in manufacturing and distributing roles. Partnering with local companies also brings new business and capacity that creates more jobs as well.

You can find more information about the media briefing via #eatonintughana. Let's welcome Eaton into Ghana. Eating Intu Ghana. See what I did there? :-) Akwaaba INTU Ghana, Eaton. Eaton's mantra is powering business worldwide but in Ghana, we can use Eaton and INTU 's partnership in powering ourselves better. 
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Barcamp Tema 2015 - Create, Impact, Sustain

May 27, 2015, 9:09 pm
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Great to see BarCamp Tema 2015 happen under the team work of these fine folks, +Benjamin Adadevoh +ELOM ALFONSO +Edem Kporha +Nana Ennuson +Leonard Hagan +kofi yeboah +Rachel Hormeku +Senam Aseye Bridget amongst others.


BarCamp Tema 2015 is a free networking forum bringing people together for a day of discussion, demos and dialogue on Tema, Ghana and beyond. It takes place on May 30 at the Rotary Centre (Club House) in Tema. The theme is "Create. Impact. Sustain" . This is the 44th +Barcamp Ghana  program and it’s organized by theGhanaThink Foundation as it builds a network of young change makers, doers and entrepreneurs in Ghana. It's being organized in conjunction with the Rotaract Club of Tema. This year, we take a more realistic look at how ideas and solutions are created, sustained and impact our community and the world.
There will be a speed mentoring session where mentors will give insights and answers to questions from attendees. As usual, mentors from diverse industries will be there to share insights on the theme. Confirmed mentors are Annabella Boadi-Misa (Founder, ABM ART integrate), Kenneth Owusu-Akyaw (President, Aquimiini Digital Communication), Damiano Aubin Lantonkpode (Projects/Events Management Consultant), Crisswaddle R2Bees (Musician), +Akumaa Mama Zimbi (Media Personality), Gameli Adzaho (‎Environment & Human Health Specialist, Blogger), +Hassan Salih(Architect, Founder Mesh), Lucy Dede Asare (Chemical Engineer, Caterer - Founder JollotPot), Norbert Ambenne (Engineer,Writer), Nicholas Ferguson (HR, Construtora Queiroz Galvão), +Akua Akyaa Nkrumah (‎Environmental Scientist, Waste-to-Resource Technologist), +jude abbey & +Jude Nyoagbe (3d visualizer, Graphic Designers Partners Revival Design and Visualization studios); Doe Y. Agbolosoo- Mensah,(Corporate Strategist, National Petroleum Corporation), George-Patrick Bediaku (Civil Engineer, sports journalist), Frederick Tettey (Administrative Assistant Solas Enterprise, marine safety consultancy) and MANY MORE.

This Barcamp will focus on sharing and education on many tips and ways of being creative and sustainable and impactful with our ideas. As usual, the Barcamp will feature multiple user-generated breakout sessions about topics. There will be a keynote interview with a top level executive from Tigo Ghana, discussing the theme - “Create. Impact. Sustain”. Norbert Ambene will also give a presentation centering around the topic. Director of the +GhanaThink Foundation, Ato Ulzen-Appiah adds, “ +Barcamp Tema will be the first in a series of networking forums, where a lot more quality is ensured in our breakout sessions, with active participation from industry expertise.”
Register/RSVP at the BarCamp Tema eventbrite website (barcamptema15.eventbrite.com) or text "Barcamp Tema [name] [email address] (example Barcamp Tema Esi Eshun esi@eshun.co) to 1945 through any mobile network. Contact us via barcamp at ghanathink dot org for partnership opportunities.
BarCamp Tema 2015 is supported by Tigo Ghana, Rotaract Club of Tema, Making All Voices Count (MAVC), BLU Telecommunications, etc. Join us to move the Greater Accra Region and Ghana forward.

Stay tuned via our social media. Twitter | Facebook | Google+

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10 over 10 - Barcamp Wa completes Barcamp Ghana

June 12, 2015, 11:32 am
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Finally, in a couple of days, we can say Barcamps have been to every region of Ghana. Thanks to a team led by Rukaya Sukah and the resourcefulness of Joachim Danbo, the first Barcamp Wa happens on June 13. I'm blogging about this as I take a DKM bus to Wa with Rachel Hormeku, marketing lead for the Barcamp Ghana team. We'll be joined by Kofi Yeboah, Kobe Subramaniam, Daniel Yakuba, Amos Antumwini amongst others in executing the first networking forum bringing and building a community of young changemakers, doers and entrepreneurs in Wa.

Below is the press release prepared by Rachel Hormeku. At any point of time you are reading this, search #Bcwa on social media and get updated.

BarCamp Wa 2015 is a free networking forum where participants learn,
share and network. BarCamp Wa 2015 is on the theme, 'Entrepreneurship for economic security'. This maiden edition in the Upper West region of Ghana takes place on June 13, 2015 at the Lecture Hall adjacent the Spanish Lab at the Wa Campus of University for Development Studies.

This first BarCamp in Wa would be the 45th Barcamp as part of the Barcamp Ghana program run by the GhanaThink Foundation. The Barcamp Ghana program is building a network of young changemakers, doers, entrepreneurs in Ghana and beyond. This Barcamp will focus on sharing and education on many ways of being creative entrepreneurs and how to sustain businesses in Ghana's economy. Rachel Hormeku, the marketing lead for the BarCamp Ghana team said, "I'm excited about this first BarCamp in Wa. It will be and build a network of great minds. Every young person in Wa would benefit greatly from this."

As usual, the Barcamp will feature multiple user-generated breakout sessions about topics relevant to the Upper West Region, Wa and beyond. There will be a speed mentoring session where mentors will give insights and answers to questions from attendees. As usual, mentors from diverse industries will be there to share insights on the theme. Some of the confirmed resource personnel include Mumuni Sulemana, Martin Dery, Dr Damasus Tuurosong, Hikmat Baba Dua, Alhaji Nur Danwaana, Lawyer Shakur, Aiden Sumara, Richard Quainoo, Braimah Samadu, Justice Bening, Benjamin Kanligi, Steven Saan Ire, Freeman Kanton, Mahama Latif, Abu Jica, Roger Zolko-ere, etc.

Register at Barcamp Wa Eventbrite site barcampwa15.eventbrite.com. You can also register by sending “Barcamp Wa Your Name Your Email Address” to 1945 on all mobile networks. (example - Barcamp Wa Esi Eshun esi@eshun.co). Contact us via barcamp at ghanathink dot org for sponsorship or partnership opportunities. Our hashtag is #bcwa.

BarCamp Wa 2015 is supported by Tigo Ghana, Making All Voices Count (MAVC) and UDS - Wa SRC. Join us to move the Upper West region and Ghana forward.

Stay tuned via our social media.
Twitter  - @BarCampWa
Facebook - BarCamp Wa
Google+ - BarCamp Wa

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Barcamp Ghana - All about Barcamps in Ghana

July 22, 2015, 5:53 pm
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This is also posted on the Barcamp Ghana website. See here - http://www.barcampghana.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-barcamps/

Recently, someone sent a message to the +Barcamp Koforidua  page asking - "What do you do at the (bar)camp and for how long and how much?" This article addresses his and others’ questions. The Barcamp Ghana program is a GhanaThink Foundation initiative. This program is building a network of young changemakers, doers and entrepreneurs. At Barcamps in Ghana, there is learning, sharing and networking. The aim is to bring people together to learn from each other, share with each other and network. A lot of the conversations are broadly around entrepreneurship, leadership and technology.

What is a Barcamp? A Barcamp is an ad-hoc informal gathering of people. Barcamps in Ghana are an evolution of what regular Barcamps are and a revolution around which certain goals are being met. Barcamps in Ghana have become "networking forums". Events where serious discussions happen in an informal and open environment. So yes, it's liking to camping in a bar without the loud music and the alcohol. Attendees must leave the Barcamps highly motivated, inspired and enterprising. It's that "can-do" attitude. There are 3 main sections of each Barcamp in Ghana as described below.

There is one session that centers around the theme for the Barcamp and its location - town, etc. This session can be done in the form of a keynote speaker who speaks or presents on the theme, or an interview with this keynote person on the theme. We can also have a panel of people discussing the theme. In some cases, we have had open discussions on the theme, as one group or broken into separate groups. The latter session gives Barcampers the opportunity to figure out - who is in the room - that they can network or connect with easily.


The second main session is that of speed mentoring. It's like speed dating, but one person is a mentor the other a mentee. It’s normally a one-on-one 10 minute session or sometimes with a couple of people to a mentor. If there are too few mentors for the large participant number or many participants are unable to see mentors, we'll switch to group mentoring with longer times in each round. The aim of these chats is for the mentee to gain insight and get advice from the mentor. It's also for them to network, discuss something peculiar to them, gain information, etc. It's arguably the most popular session at Barcamps.  

The third session consists of breakout sessions organized by various participants. Some are organized by +Barcamp Ghana partners, other organizations, etc. A Barcamper can literally hear about the Barcamp on Friday, attend on Saturday morning and by Saturday afternoon, organize a breakout session on a topic of their choice. It makes our participants further drive the agenda of the Barcamp. Some use these sessions to drive adoption of tools and products (example Google), others to get local content online (like Wikimedia User Groups), and others engaging users on their programs (like Reach for Change). Blogcamp Ghana, Ghana Makers group, and various groups around the subject of some of these breakout sessions have been created after breakout sessions at Barcamps in Ghana.

Barcamps in Ghana have mostly attracted the youth, especially the aspirational types. They have always been free, since the first Barcamp Ghana event. They target mostly tertiary students and working professionals. The numbers at each event vary from 100 to 400, depending on the location, timing, and yes, budget. Barcamps in Ghana normally run from 9am to 3 or 5pm. The first hour is for registration and networking, and breakfast too. I also call the let's wait for people to come hour". Many Ghanaians are tardy with time and we use the first hour to build a quorum of people and do some networking before the Barcamp actually starts. At about 1 or 2, lunch is served, for free as well.

A lot of the mentors are also young. We believe in the power of peer mentoring. Horizontal inspiration comes when colleagues drive their age mates to do better because they have taken the lead and are achieving. What are Barcamps for? Quite simply, we are building a movement of Ghanaian changemakers, doers and entrepreneurs who all know each other. Check out 5 things somebody learnt after one event.

We +GhanaThink Foundation have had Barcamp Ghana events - in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, Cape Coast, Ho, Sunyani, Tema, Koforidua, Kasoa, Bolga, Wa and counting. I earlier called it a "morevim movement", a number of people who are interested in Ghana's development as well as their own and won't leave that in the hands of the government or others. The movement is moving across the length and breadth of Ghana and multiplying outside of its borders and catching up to the next of kin in the Diaspora.

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The 3rd Barcamp Kasoa discusses "Education That Counts" #bckasoa

July 22, 2015, 6:16 pm
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The third +Barcamp Kasoa happens on Saturday. Before we get into the press release and other info you need to know, I'll like to highlight the team making this possible. Kasoa is a very interesting town, some might call it city. It's one of the fastest growing cities in West Africa, and that also means its growth is pretty disorganized. It's densely populated with many private schools (even tertiary level). We run a Twitter discussion on #famouspeopleinkasoa recently and thankfully, before people jumped on it to make fun of Kasoa, we discovered many great sons and daughters of Kasland. It's clear that the many people in Kasoa are in the informal sector and many who succeed and live there have not had the best education. That's why the +Barcamp Kasoa theme is - Education that counts. Intrigued? Go here.

The main Barcamp Kasoa team is made up of +Elorm Billy-Awittor +Emelia Agblevor +jennepha omueti +Edmund Laryea +Danshiki Lapido and they are ably supported by +Barcamp Ghana team members +kofi yeboah +Leonard Hagan +Rachel Hormeku amongst other +GhanaThink Foundation members. Looking forward to a great Barcamp Kasoa on Saturday. You can join us in person or via the hashtag #bckasoa on Twitter. Press release below.

BarCamp Kasoa 2015 is a free networking event to bring people together for a day of discussion, demos and dialogue about Kasoa, Ghana and beyond. This event would take place on July 25, 2015 at West End University College. The theme is 'Education that counts'. Barcamp Kasoa is organized primarily by the GhanaThink Foundation.

This Barcamp event is part of the Barcamp Ghana program run by the GhanaThink Foundation, an NGO based both in Ghana and the USA. GhanaThink has organized 45 BarCamps in Ghana, building a network of changemakers, doers and entrepreneurs. This will be the 3rd Barcamp in Kasoa.

This Barcamp will focus on sharing and education on many ways of utilizing knowledge from educational institutions.  As usual, the Barcamp will feature multiple user-generated breakout sessions about topics relevant to the Central Region, Kasoa and beyond. Emelia Agblevor a member of the BarCamp Kasoa team said, "I'm excited about this third BarCamp in Kasoa as the theme speaks directly to the educational crises the country is currently facing. It would be a great platform for serious brainstorming and generating great ideas towards making education count in the country”.

There will be a speed mentoring session where mentors will give insights and answers to questions from attendees. As usual, mentors from diverse industries will be there to share insights on the theme. Confirmed resource personnel include +Nanayaw Arthur aka Daniel Arthur-Baidoo (Designer & Inventer), +Eric Opoku Agyemang (Patriots Ghana), Zenaida Morrison (Broadcast Journalist), +priscilla becky cudjoe (Educationist), +Ebenezer Essuman (Public Speaker), +Binta Alhassan Ibn Kimba (Journalist), +Stephen gyasi-kwaw (Entrepreneur), +Wilson senya (Educationist), Afia Drah (Television Producer), amongst others.
 
Register atBarcamp Kasoa Eventbrite site. You can also register by sending “Barcamp Kasoa, Your Name, Your Email Address” to 1945 on all mobile networks.(example - Barcamp Kasoa Esi Eshun esi@eshun.co) . Contact us via barcamp at www.ghanathink.org for sponsorship or partnership opportunities.

Barcamp Kasoa 2015 is supported by Making All Voices Count, Tigo Ghana, West End University College.
Stay tuned via our social media. Hashtag is #bckasoa.Twitter |Facebook |Google+

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Finalists for #GetStartedAfrica announced!

August 5, 2015, 6:23 am
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The second part of NESCAFE's Get Started (Africa) Challenge begins. The 4 finalists have been chosen after many dreams were submitted via getstartedafrica.com. This is the second edition. The first winner was Fab Muazu who I met last year in Accra via #startcon14. I was with him and other digital influencers in Abidjan this year alongside Ameyaw Debrah who blogged about Muazu.

Read the press release below and stay tuned to updates via #getstartedafrica.

[ACCRA, Ghana] – Part one of NESCAFÉ’s Get Started Challenge 2015, which involved a West African truck tour, has just ended. In part two, the best dream projects will compete in a grand finale that will determine the ultimate winner of US$30,000 worth of financial support and mentoring to get them started.

NESCAFÉ Get Started is a challenge where young Africans between the ages of 18 and 30 submit their socially-relevant dream projects to NESCAFÉ in order to win the aforementioned support from the coffee brand.

NESCAFÉ seeks to inspire the African youth to take part in reshaping the new Africa with their own success stories. The brand believes in the potential of the continent’s young people, so it has decided to demonstrate this belief through inspiring them to share their dreams and supporting the most outstanding one.

Part one of Get Started saw the NESCAFÉ truck travel across West Africa, stopping in Côte D'Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Nigeria.
From the activation grounds and other locations across the region, dreams were being submitted online via www.getstartedafrica.com.

After a selection process that reduced hundreds of dreams to 9, the public voted again to determine the top four finalists. These are Dare Adu, from Nigeria, who plans to help widows and orphans to become financially independent ; Moïse Compaoré, from Burkina Faso, who is determined to reduce the number of deaths that could be avoided by immediately giving all the patients that enter the emergency ward the emergency medicines; Pierre Nahoa, from Cote d'Ivoire, with the aim of creating a platform that provides native languages learning courses in Côte d'Ivoire and Africa and Korotoumou Sidibé, from Mali, who desires to eradicate food insecurity first in Mali and other parts of Africa.

In part two of NESCAFÉ Get Started, each of the four finalists will be coached via live Google Hangouts on the best way to present their dreams by influential African bloggers who have been able to start their own dreams. After this, there will be a final pitch to a celebrity jury that will determine the ultimate winner.
The jury will consist of Toyosi Akerele-Ogunisji, founder of the RISE Networks Social Enterprise, Fred Swaniker, founder of the African Leadership Academy and Adama Ndiaye, the fashion designer behind Adama Paris and founder of Dakar Fashion Week. Each of these African entrepreneurs will use their expertise and experience in adjudging who the winner should be.

“We can't wait to see what these dreams are really made of,” says Swaniker. “Each of them has the potential to greatly contribute to creating the Africa we all dream of.”

The second phase of NESCAFÉ Get Started begins this month. By the end of the competition, another young African dreamer will have won the ability to begin making their dream project a reality
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For the latest updates on this competition, visit www.getstartedafrica.com
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End your search - the Infinix Zero is here, via Jumia

August 10, 2015, 12:16 pm
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facebook cover.pngThe first things that come to mind when looking at the features and the attendant accessories for the Infinix Zero is “this is built for the African terrain”. It’s great to offer choices to cater for the diversity in tastes of the African user as well. No wonder my friends have dedicated Whatsapp statuses to the Infinix Zero2 as their wish for birthday gifts. Let’s rate how high it should be on your gift scale by exploring its features.
The Kevlar® fiber used is ultra flexible, highly resistant and 5 times lighter than steel. It achieves toughness for the phone while maintaining it as a light, handy phone. Other attendant properties allow the phone to endure high temperatures synonymous with Ghana and Africa as well. 5 inch. How’s that for slim things? Thin, light, sleek.
Different advancements have been made in the industry to guard against wear and tear and the Infinix Zero2 is up to date with the cutting edge technologies. Using Corning Gorilla glass 3, scratch damages and screen failure are reduced by almost half from the last generation of the phone. The Super AMOLED Display features a HD 720 X 1280 resolution(294 ppi). This allows the user to experience high quality streaming media, quality experience in video and photo.

The screen response touch time goes under 1 millisecond. This is due to a 0.001mm thickness layer which makes the screen ultra responsive. It also makes it energy efficient by reducing energy consumption by 17%. The previous line is very relevant to us in Ghana with the current dumsor crisis. Do you know what you can do with 17%? Watch a couple more funny videos to reduce your frustration and stress level at work. Adwuma. Hold that thought.

GH_W25_Infinix_C1_S1.jpgThe Infinix Zero2 has one of my current favorite phone features - the Palm feature. I’ve become very enamored with selfies, even if I am taking pictures with non-millenials. Being able to put out my palm, almost as a “get ready, the selfie is about to be taken” sign, is always fun. With a 5-megapixel, 85 degree super wide-angle front camera, I might as well give high-fives to the phone as I take selfies. 5 MP is becoming industry standard with a few higher end phones outdoing it. The f/2.0 aperture provides more light to allow for better shots in dark places. The Auto-Focus feature supports sharper pictures as well.

An unnamed phone I am using currently doesn’t perform very well with too many applications installed. A 2GB RAM allows the Zero2 to perform better with a large memory space for concurrent running tasks. It’s important for the smart phone to run multiple programs - browsing, chatting, multi-media apps - without affecting internal storage.Now, that’s smart!

All of this goodness could be yours for just GHC 639. It’s a DUAL SIM phone as well. If you’ve seen the cedi-dollar recently, you’ll agree this is a great deal. You can buy this via Jumia, which is everywhere in Ghana. Find out more about this deal here, it confirms the great features I’ve sold you on already. Want to get ahead of the pack in grabbing this for yourself? You can place a call to Jumia - 055 402 10 42.
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Celebrating the Ghana 'Brilliant' National Science & Maths Quiz (Brilla)

August 10, 2015, 1:21 pm
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When I was entering Presby Boys' Senior Secondary (Now High) School - Legon more than a decade ago for my senior secondary school education, one of my main goals was to be a contestant for the Presec at the Brilliant National Science and Maths quiz. I didn't meet this goal, I took an exam with a number of students and didn't make a cut of 12. I wasn't too bummed out. Back then, I thought to myself, writing an exam is not the way to choose quiz contestants. We should battle it out via quizzes. Either way, Presec competed for the National Science and Mathz quiz that year in 2001 and while we didn't win, we acquitted ourselves admirably. Charles Odonkor +kc odonkor, Michael Nkansah and Prince Tetteh competed for Presec. No big deal. My alma mater has won the famous Brilla trophy 5 times, 2 more than the next best placed school. 1995, 2203, 2006, 2008, 2009. Bragging rights yes. In fact, we've been amongst the semi-finalists several years. Strong confirmation of Presec being amongst, if not the best high school in Ghana.

My second favorite boys school in Ghana is Opoku Ware School where my younger brother +Kofi Ulzen-Appiah went. He made it into the OWASS squad in 2005 but he didn't contest. He went a steap further than me. Always proud of him for that. Glad to see my brother do better. My sister Tracey Mensah contested a year earlier for St. Louis but they didn't win. She was really smart. Aside competing for Louis in the Brilla, she was very much into entertainment as well. Brilliance runs in the family.

This year, Presec fell short again at the semi-final stage. We lost out to one inspired Appiah-Kubi who shone on the day for Adisadel - Thursday, July 2nd, 2015. I was there at the R.S. Amegashie auditorium to watch Preseccompete. Because I always sit in the front, I sat next to some Adisco teachers and students. The Presec students were sitting in the back somewhere, they arrived a bit late. Appiah-Kubi was really good, one of the brightest contestants this year. I took a picture of him and his colleague, Bennett Brown from Adisco. The Presec contestants were too distraught to chat with me after the loss. Hard. Adisco fell short in the final, losing to Prempeh College, who won Brilla for the third time.

A friend, +Nathan Kwadade shared a link with me after this year's competition had ended. It highlighted 15 top National Science and Maths Quiz contestants. It also wrote about what they've been up to since competing. A number of my friends were included. +Ayorkor Korsah of +Ashesi University competed for Wesley Girls in 1995. A year later, Edem Dzakpasu who also went to my JSS (KNUST JSS) contested for Presec. +Akwasi Asabere (Shakespeare as we called him) repped Presec in 1999. +Timothy Kotin, alongside +Roland Ribeiro was part of Presec's winning squad in 2006 and has supported subsequent squads. This includes the victorious squad which had Daniel Yeboah-Kordieh. My friend Vincent Ampadu who was a year behind me at KNUST JSS contested for OWASS with +Paul Azunre in 2002 and they won. Find out about the others in the Urban Gaana web article.

I haven't quite come across some of the others in the article. I'm not sure how these 15 were chosen. Most lists always leave out a couple of deserving honorees. I posted this article on Facebook and it generated a whole lot of chatter. That's what actually drove me to write this blog post. I do justice to all those comments in this blog post. The National Science and Maths Quiz  is here to stay. It continues to unearth many talents, encourages healthy competition amongst schools in driving us to be better. And it is very educative! Some really hard questions are asked during these contests. These contests are for the dondadas! At least, when they are preparing and participating. :-)
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Some top National Science and Maths Quiz (Ghana) contestants

August 10, 2015, 2:50 pm
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A friend +Nathan Kwadade shared an article about the Top 15 National Science and Maths Quiz contestants with me earlier after this year's National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) had ended. I posted it on Facebook and it generated a whole lot of chatter. Many people posted comments talking about other favorite contestants. Some came to share their credentials too. The comments on this Facebook post
actually drove me to write this blog post. Because you can find this blog post better than my Facebook post when you google the info you are looking for. There. You're welcome :-)

Hisham Idris started us off with "Where is Bubune Adih of Mfsantsipim? He's arguably the most prominent contestant the show has seen." It's hard to argue with him. +Bubune Adih actually participated in the NSMQ this year, not as a contestant, but as a speaker. He also donated GHC2000 to the best contestant for this year. Not doing badly at all :-) Bubune was part of the victorious 1998 squad with Mfantsipim. Benjilo Benbela said: Incomplete list without Bubune, Reza Abdullah. Reza was a member of the victorious Presec squad of 2003.

My buddy Emmanuel Seyram Duku chimed in for his sister: Major Laurinda Adusu-donkor was also a contestant in the very first Math and Science Quiz..1993...Represented St Roses.She is currently a Senior Officer in the Ghana Army and is currently in Lebanon serving God and Country. Major papapaa! She posted later on my Facebook saying that her colleagues were Baaba Biden and Eunice Owusu Ansah. colleagues 
colleagues. St. Roses was beaten by Achimota which had Dr Philip Nyinaku of 37 military hospital
Laurinda is now an army officer and a biomedical scientist at the 37 military hospital.  E
Emmanuel came in to share that Dr Yaw Adu Boakye is now a Consultant at that Dept of Medicine, KATH.

One Edward Boakye Danquah chanced upon my post and gave us many names to discuss. My best 15 contestants so far since National Science and Maths Quiz started in the year 94 are Jonny Sobotie Prempeh college 1994,Osei Agyemang Junior also of Prempeh College 1994,Yaw Adu Boakye Prempeh College 1996,Kofi Oteng Boateng also of Prempeh College 1996,Joseph Amamoo of Opoku Ware School 1997,Kwadwo Nkansah Osei Agyeman also of Opoku Ware School 1997,Kwadwo Asare Oduro of Achimota School 1998,Bubuney Addy of Mfanstipim School g 1999,Raymond Avornyo of St Peters School 2000,Paul Azunre of Opoku Ware School 2002,Reza Abdullai and Michael Gbikpi Bennisan of Presec 2003,Timothy kutin of Presec Legon 2006,Vincent Michael Ampadu of Opoku Ware School 2002 and Solomon Nii Kotey aka Nii Kem Cue Irepjesus of St Peter's 2005 and all those listed here are passed winners of this competition.  Now, there's a historian for you!

Nana Akua A. Ankomah-Asare also arrived and mentioned Denyo Hosi (Aburi Girls' 93) and Philip Osafo-Kwafo (Achimota '93), who were taken out by Johnny Sobotie's team in the Champion of Champions) were awesome too. Philip ended up going to MIT, some years before I got there in 2002. I remember Kwadwo Asare Oduro who was part of the victorious Achimota squad in 1998 and who further went on to Harvard. There's also +Paa Kwesi Imbeah who competed for Presec in 1998 alongside Desmond Yeboah. I also remember Abbey Tei who led Presec to win in 1995. One of the more recent contestants was +Lucio Dery who shined for St. Francis Xavier SHS and is now at Stanford. Raymond Avornyo, who competed for St. Peters.

To recap from the article Kwadade shared, the very first name is a popular one. +Ayorkor Korsah competed for Wesley Girls in 1995, the year in which Presec won for the first time. My buddy Edem Dzakpasu who was also at my JSS (KNUST JSS) competed for Presec in 1996. There's also Vincent Kwame Ampadu and +Paul Azunre of the victorious OWASS squad of 2002. +Timothy Kotin and Daniel Yeboah-Kordieh were part of winning teams for Presec in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Are there some great NSMQ contestants we've missed? Share their names, schools and what they do now in the comments with us. Let's celebrate these people. Let's also contribute these to social media via the #NSMQGhana hashtag. Check out National Science & Maths Quiz on Facebook.
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Giving vim to National Science & Maths Quiz participants

August 10, 2015, 3:45 pm
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Earlier this year, I was invited to speak at the National Science and Maths quiz competition. This year, as part of the contests, Primetime, which organizes the National Science and Mathz quiz on TV, introduced a section where various people speak before the contests to motivate the Ghanaian senior high schools students as well as others present. +Bubune Adih who was part of the victorious Mfantsipim squad of 1999, spoke. +Nana Awere Damoah also spoke. The quizmistress +Elsie Effah Kaufmann, who is a lecturer of the University of Ghana Legon, also took out some time to speak about her experiences. I was the last person in the series of speakers, speaking just before the semi-finals happened on July 2, 2015. Interestingly, Presec, my alma mater, competed in the first semi-final. I was there at the R.S. Amegashie auditorium to watch Presec compete. Unfortunately, we lost to Adisadel that day, who in turn lost out on the trophy to Prempeh College. Still 5 time champions! :-) Either way, here are a few tweets capturing my speech.


+francis kumadoh was behind the scenes tweeting up the sessions with the +Junior Camp Ghana account. :-) Really proud of the work +Nathaniel Alpha +Eunice Mintah Young +Kofi Kafui Kornu +Priscilla Esinam Yevu +Pedel Oppong and co have done.

Was great to speak at the #NSMQ. Through our Junior Camp Ghana program, we were to provide a mentor or speaker. In the interest of time and set-up. I represented. Was honored to do so. Many thanks to Kofi Yankey for inviting us. Looking forward to a Junior Camp Ghana- Primetime partnership for the next year's NSMQ.
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5th Barcamp Tamale centers on the role of education in youth empowerment

August 13, 2015, 12:00 pm
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The very first time I visited Tamale was when we had the first +Barcamp Tamale in 2011. We drove in a convoy of 2 cars, it was such a great journey. I went with my brother +Kofi Ulzen-Appiah, +Mac-Jordan Degadjor, +Jojoo Imbeah, +Ali Bukari Maiga, +Carl Nutsugah, +Allswell Abbey and +Fiifi Baidoo. The then version of +Google Developer Groups in Tamale was instrumental in organizing the event. Awesome people like +Ken Kubuga +Stephen Agbenyo and co were involved. This Saturday, the 5th Barcamp Tamale happens. Over the years, I've seen the tech and entrepreneurial community in Tamale grow and various people within it take on bigger responsibilities and projects and thrive. And this community is so networked and supportive of each other. Our +GhanaThink Foundation impact in Tamale has been great. I'm proud of what we've done.

I will not be at Barcamp Tamale 2015 as I have to attend to some family engagements. But the Tamale team is so awesome and resourceful, to not miss my presence. And they will be aided by the able bodied +kofi yeboah and +Leonard Hagan of the +Barcamp Ghana team as well as +Seyram Freddy Ahiabor. +Mohammed Muntasir Nashiru, the coordinator, alongside +Peter Awin +maccarthy lomotey +Yakubu H.Yakubu +Kwaching Jessica +Jaynie Micado +Mohammed Jaward with the support of +Enoch Robot Boy Appiah Junior are a terrific team. I expect some of our +GhanaThink Foundation members who are part of the +Barcamp Sunyani +Barcamp Bolga and +Barcamp Wa teams to also attend. I'll be following the Barcamp via the #bctamale hashtag as it happens at the Tamale Sports Stadium. Read the press release below

bctamale15.jpg
Barcamp Tamale 2015 is a free networking forum bringing people together for a day of learning, sharing, networking and dialogue on Tamale, Ghana and beyond. It will take place on August 15, 2015 at the  Tamale Sports Stadium. The theme for this year is “Youth Empowerment; the Role of Education”. About the theme, the lead coordinator for Barcamp Tamale, Nashiru Muntasir, said “This year’s theme seeks to inspire the participants by giving youth the right direction to leverage upon their potential”.
TheGhanaThink Foundation has successfully organized 46 Barcamps in Ghana as part of itsBarcamp Ghana program since 2008. BarCamp Tamale 2015 will be a showcase of leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators in the Northern region. Discussions will center on empowering the youth for better development across all sectors. It will be an event for many people who live and are interested in Tamale to learn, share and network. Ato Ulzen-Appiah, the director of GhanaThink Foundation, said “So many young people here have been empowered through Barcamp Tamale, and this is the 5th edition. We’re excited about its continued impact”.


The Barcamp will feature multiple user-generated breakout sessions about business, social entrepreneurship, technology and development, alongside topics relevant to the Northern Region and beyond. There will be a speed mentoring session where mentors will give insights and answers to questions from attendees. Confirmed resource personnel include Karim Karaga (Dizembella), +Boniface Atosona (Ag. Director, ICT UDS), +CHARLES AYENDAGO (Olive School of Journalism), +Janet Sinayor (Associate Advisor, Northern Rural Growth Program), Julien Saaka (Banker/Finance), +william b nsiah-asare (Filla Consult), Cassy Narhwayo (Hotelier), +Shani Mahama (Driinic), etc


Register/RSVP at the BarCamp Tamale eventbrite website (barcamptamale15.eventbrite.com) or text "Barcamp Tamale [name] [email address] to 1945 through any mobile network. Contact the team at barcamp at ghanathink.org about any partnership opportunities or enquiries. Barcamp Tamale 2015 is supported byTigo Ghana, Hopin Academy and Making All Voices Count (MAVC). Our media partner is Justice FM in Tamale. Join us to move the Northern Region and Ghana forward.
Stay tuned via our social media.Twitter |Facebook |Google+

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Getting used to fast, convenient payments online, again

August 19, 2015, 8:53 pm
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Living in the USA for 10 years, I became quite used to paying for many goods and services online. I’ve been living in Ghana for 4 years now and I’ve become used to not doing so. Spending cash has become part and parcel of my lifestyle that I’ve become numb to the conveniences of online transactions, in Ghana. I’ve not had as many opportunities to transact online, fair enough. I’m not as worried about online payment security because I believe I can spot an insecure transaction if I saw one. Many others can’t and trust in online payments bedevils the e-commerce industry here. It will take time, but Canaan couldn’t reach here faster.

There’ve been many local innovations around the online transaction problem but I’ve found most of them too cumbersome. At Rancard, I worked on our payment gateway- PayApp, and one of our biggest features was to ensure quick steps to completing payment. In this current environment, many people forget passwords so giving them a familiar way to log in is key. The mobile phone is king as it continues to outnumber people in Ghana so mobile authenticated payments are extremely important. This same development is what makes mobile money extremely popular in Ghana, even if it’s not quite reached the ubiquity and complex use cases we see in East Africa.


Mobile money discussion at Barcamp Kasoa 2015. #bckasoa
Mobile money’s most popular use cases are in buying mobile airtime and sending and receiving money. They can be used to pay for services and bills but the actual use pales in comparison to the publicity and marketing it gets. I’ve seen cases where mobile money is an option for an online payment, but the process is normally manual, and not as seamless. There’s also the small issue of getting money into the mobile money account. Small but big enough to greatly affect the number of mobile money subscribers who use (or have used) mobile money for payment, including for the popular cases aforementioned.

Ghana’s banked population is very minimal, as estimates put this under 5 million in a population that’s past 25 million. MTN Mobile Money subscribers equal the banked population. Ghana’s unbanked population is at 60%. There are a lot of underbanked people in Ghana, who have bank accounts but no access to other financial solutions. It’s a bankable market. But because it is small, there are few banking innovations in place in Ghana to fully serve our needs.Given my experiences, I want to use my bank card in many instances, especially online transactions.
I yearn for fast, convenient payments and have finally found it in Ghana. After using expressPay for the first time, I marveled at the simplicity of the service. Paying is simple. With only a few taps on my phone, I select my VISA card (which is tokenized for security) and I am done paying. Best of all, the service is delivered in real time. Curtis Vanderpuije, CEO at expressPay, states that the most important driving feature for expressPay is that it works. It simply does the job elegantly and efficiently.
There are hardly many avenues, trusted that is which also have volumes using these services, to buy and pay online. I used expressPay to pay for my Vodafone Broadband earlier, and I was still amazed by how fast my internet started working. No need to go to the Vodafone cafe, stand in line, pay for my bill, call home to check if the WiFi is working so that if it isn't, address Vodafone there and then. Another bonus was that I learnt I had GHC2 advance on my account. So I could actually pay GHC2 less on my payment.
Recently, my mother came to visit me at home. She run out of airtime in the middle of a call. I logged on to the expressPay Android app on my Samsung A3 phone and bought her credit. In under a minute, she had airtime to continue making calls. “Wow”, she said. No need to look for the small boy to go buy credit. After that experience, she yearns for it all the time. She barely texts and is a number of tutorials away from using a smart phone though, so I have been doing it for now. It’s the same way my buddy in Mountain View, California buys airtime and pays bills for his mother in Pantang, Accra.

More wow moments can demystify online payments for many people in Ghana and build trust in online transactions. Wherever we keep our money, in our bank accounts or mobile money wallets, it should be as easy to get money as it is getting money in. This can be done in the comfort of our phones, the most popular device in Ghana. expressPay is a solid option for fast, convenient payments for purchases we do all the time. I’m getting used to making payments online, again.
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Can entertainment drive major development for #Takoradi (& #Sekondi)? Barcamp Takoradi 2015 discusses

August 19, 2015, 9:46 pm
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Last year after Barcamp Takoradi 2014, some of the participants went out partying. We ended up at a new joint called Tilly's where we had a jolly good time. One thing that caught our attention was the number of young people there who were very likely in their early twenties who had no idea there was a Barcamp in town that weekend. We had struggled to get a good number of people to Takoradi Poly that day with the many of the attendees being T-Poly students and some other young people based outside the Twin Cities of Takoradi and Sekondi. We realised that entertainment was something that brought Takoradi and Sekondi together. The social and entertainment spots are areas where many youth congregate. It also is home to many top artistes like Paapa Yankson, Gyedu Blay Ambulley and the Fanti Rap Van Damme, +pappy Kojo. so for this year's Barcamp Takoradi, the theme centers on Development through Entertainment and Entrepreneurship. Exciting, innit?

This Barcamp is coming together through the major efforts of the coordinator +herbert acheampong who does an awesome job. His drive is relentless. He is supported by +araba assafuaba yelbert +Marian Clara Adeaba +Jesse Asiedu-Akrofi +Ahmad Nasir Agyekum +james quaicoenile amongst others. The +Barcamp Ghana team is providing support as usual led by +kofi yeboah +Rachel Hormeku and +Leonard Hagan. I'll be there with the +GhanaThink Foundation head of Online +Seyram Freddy Ahiabor and the main co-founder of Barcamp Takoradi, +Mac-Jordan Degadjor. We've seen how youth in Takoradi and Sekondi flock to entertainment events. Can the entertainment industry with some entreprising efforts drive development for the Twin-cities the way Oil and the Ports industries are doing? Read the press release below to learn more about the event.

BarCamp Takoradi 2015 is a FREE networking forum to bring people together for a day of discussion, demos and dialogue about Takoradi, Ghana and beyond. The Theme for this year is "Developing through Entertainment and Entrepreneurship". BarCamp Takoradi 2015 will take place on 22nd August 2015 at the SSNIT Hall in Takoradi. It hopes to assemble Western Regional stakeholders to network, build a supportive entreprising community and partnership.
The 4th +Barcamp Takoradi is as part of the Barcamp Ghana program run by the GhanaThink Foundation, an NGO based both in Ghana and the USA. The +GhanaThink Foundation has organized 47 BarCamps in Ghana in building a network of changemakers, doers and entrepreneurs. This Barcamp will connect and strengthen a community of motivated and aspirational people in the Twin-cities, ultimately benefiting the Western region and Ghana. Participants will learn from, share and network with each other.
The Twin Cities - Sekondi & Takoradi have given birth to a lot of talented entertainers. The best, they say, comes from the West. A lot of Takoradi youth are interested in and flock to entertainment. Ar Barcamp Takoradi, we'll be focusing on how to leverage entertainment and being entreprising in and around it for the development of the twin-cities and beyond. Herbert Akyeampong, the lead coordinator said, “We chose the theme because Takoradi is an entertainment city and it’s time the youth especially realise the prospects of entertainment with adequate guidance from experienced people”.



Thought and business leaders in the region will share insight and inspiration. As usual, we will have multiple user-generated breakout sessions about topics relevant to the Western Region and beyond. Our speed mentoring session will help participants gain insights and answers to questions. Confirmed speed mentors include Ernest Odame (Nestle), Asare Debrah (SG Ghana), Tilly Mintah (Tilly’s), Kofi Larbi Boakye (Coconut Oil), +Mac-Jordan Degadjor (Blogger), +nana ama barnes (Diabetes Youth Care), Joseph Afful (SG Ghana), +George Britton Gh (Media Journalist), Nana Kwasi (Insurance), Asabea Agbenu (Consultant), @richard addisonRichard Addison (Agriculture), Abeku Larbi-Boakye (Mantrac), Hypolite Damba & Samuel Akwesi Peterson (Takoradi Fashion Weekend), etc
Register/RSVP today at theBarCamp Takoradi eventbrite website (barcamptakoradi15.eventbrite.com). You can also register by sending “Barcamp Takoradi, Your Name, Your Email Address” to 1945 on all mobile networks (example - Barcamp Takoradi Esi Eshun esi@eshun.co) . Contact us via barcamp at ghanathink dot org for sponsorship or partnership opportunities. Barcamp Takoradi is supported by Tigo Ghana, Making All Voices Count, YFM 97.9, Paragon 99.9 FM, Guinness, etc.

Stay tuned via the#bctdi hashtag. Stay tuned via our social media.Twitter |Facebook|Google+


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Tigo builds #Shelter4Education for 6 Ghanaian communities

August 24, 2015, 8:40 am
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A lot has been said about the quality of education in Ghana, especially in public schools. It's very important to create a nice environment for learning as bad conditions greatly affect the performance of students. "Schools under trees" is a popular topic when public school education is discussed in Ghana. These points lend more credence to the importance of Tigo's Shelter for Education initiative in Ghana which seeks to improve on infrastructure for basic education in rural Ghana.

Tigo is the reigning Ghana Telecom Awards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Company of the Year. This is quite a big deal, given the constant competition amongst telecommunication companies in Ghana. Tigo launched its new CSR programme, Shelter 4 Education recently. Tigo has put up 6 six unit classroom blocks with Headmaster’s office, Staff common room and a KVIP for some selected schools in makeshift structures or in need of renovation across the country.

The initiative was launched recently while doubling as the handing over of the project. The entire
communities of Obeng Yaw and Adeiso in the Eastern region went into a fanfare when Tigo unveiled a fully furnished six unit classroom block with Headmaster’s office and Teacher’s Common room. This replaced their makeshift structure which dates back to the 1960s and had seen little renovation over the decades. The company also provided all the teachers with fully connected mobile phones whilst the pupils each received two school uniforms, exercise books and Tigo branded souvenirs. The students of these schools also received sandals, and other learning materials. Footwear is one major need for many pupils in Ghana too.

The Head of Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility for Tigo, Gifty Bingley, revealed Shelter for Education is a multi-million dollar project which will transform education in the selected communities. “Education has over the years been a priority for us, our ‘Change Leader programme’ for instance supports various young entrepreneurs to improve teaching and learning among in deprived communities. “One of our goals for this project is to see Ghana advance on the Millennium Development Goals now the Sustainability Goals in particular Goal two on Achieving Universal Primary Education, she said.” I met +Gifty Bingley for the first time when she mentored at +Barcamp Accra. As evidenced by her responses while I interviewed her at +Barcamp Tema, she's extremely passionate about children's education in Ghana.

The CEO for Tigo, Roshi Motman, underscored the importance of education in improving living standards and reducing poverty. “Education is key in building a nation and for Tigo as a caring brand, we want to contribute in shaping the lives of these children – helping them to build their dreams right from the basic level. Our hope is that by providing them with a conducive environment, they can concentrate on their studies and have a brighter future,” she said. I met Roshi earlier this year in her office, and I must say it's one of the coolest CEO offices in Ghana. Roshi is a Swedish native and was recently named second amongst 75 outstanding women from Sweden. She's passionate about digital lifestyle which is evident in Tigo's business right now, but she's a very concerned citizen. She's equally passionate about Ghana's development, as evidenced in her crowning as queenmother in the Tafo Akyem area and has the stool name, Obaapayin Nana Yaa Adusei. Roshi is also a fun lady. She was having a jolly good time at Tigo Ghana Meets Naija and she took a selfie with me. That made me very happy :-)

I am also very happy that the #Shelter4Education initiative touched multiple regions around Ghana. The beneficiaries include

  • Ejura Sekyere-Dumase MA School in the Ashanti region 
  • Tupaa Basic School in GA South of the Greater region
  • Obeng Yaw Basic School in Adeiso of the Eastern region
  • St Joseph Primary School in Obuasi in the Ashanti region
  • Dimabi Nursery and Primary School in Tolon Kumbumgu of the Northern region
  • Banda Ahenkro MA School in Banda Ahenkro of the Brong Ahafo region

The project has also been documented as a television series. Video documentaries showcasing the story behind the construction of these schools around the country have been captured and are showing on local television. They are also on YouTube, You can learn more about that in this other blog post. Kudos and Morevim to Tigo on this project. Looking to seeing great stories of impact in the lives of pupils and students as we improve education nationwide in Ghana.

Also, make sure you are following Tigo Ghana on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/tigogh ), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TigoGhana), Instagram (https://instagram.com/tigoghana/) and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/TigoGhana). 
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Watch Tigo's #Shelter4Education on TV & YouTube

August 24, 2015, 9:12 am
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Tigo's Shelter for Education initiative seeks to improve on infrastructure for basic education in rural Ghana. As part of this project, 6 Ghanaian communities have been beneficiaries of fully furnished six unit classroom blocks with Headmaster’s office and Teacher’s Common room. The pupils each received two school uniforms, exercise books and Tigo branded souvenirs as well. The project has also been documented as a television series. Shot as video documentaries, they are currently showing in Ghana They are also on YouTube. You can learn more about the #Shelter4Education initiative in this other blog post.


The television series airs every Sunday on TV3 at 4pm, and at 6:30pm on both Metro TV & ETV. A repeat shows on UTV at 7pm. Viasat1 shows Tigo Shelter For Education every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. You have only two weekends to catch this so make it a point to watch the show this coming weekend.

The St Joseph School in Obuasi, Ashanti Region was renovated. You can watch a short clip about this renovation here 



The Obeng Yaw School in Adeiso in the Eastern Region was built anew. A big launch was done to unveil this too. You can watch a clip about this on YouTube as well. 


The Tupaa Basic School in Ga South in Accra was also a beneficiary. A new 6-unit classroom block was built, alongside other great facilities for the school. Relive the process here. 



Yesterday, after returning to Accra after a great +Barcamp Takoradi weekend, I was able to catch the Shelter For Education television series on Metro TV. This was the Dimaabi, MA school, Norther Region story. I love how the process was chronicled. We saw some of the construction nitty-gritties, views from the headmaster of the school and some teachers as well. Tigo employees in the Northern region chimed in with their thoughts and +Gifty Bingley also shared Tigo's hopes for the project. I love how the video captured the completion of the construction and subsequent unveiling. The best part are the real stories and feeback from the beneficiaries - the pupils, their parents and the community. 

You can catch the last two episodes on TV. These will be for the African Fit School, Banda Ahenkro, BA region where a new school was built and the Hianwoanwu African Fit school, Ejura, Ashanti Region, a renovated school. 

Kudos and Morevim to Tigo on this project. Looking to seeing great stories of impact in the lives of pupils and students as we improve education nationwide in Ghana. Also, make sure you are following +Tigo Ghana on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tigogh), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TigoGhana), Instagram (https://instagram.com/tigoghana/) and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/TigoGhana). 
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Higgins Memorial Lodge - homely guest house in Kumasi

September 5, 2015, 1:04 pm
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Many a times people have told me that I am very friendly and helpful. It lends well to a lot of the work that I do with the +GhanaThink Foundation etc. Someone said I have the heart of a mother. If I do, you might imagine how great my mother is. She is :-) Her greatness lends itself well to hosting people. She's hosted many people in our house growing up. And for the last few years, she has a guest house where she hosts more people. If you're looking for a place to stay in Kumasi, a guest house for one, two, three nights, a week, two weeks - look no further than Higgins Memorial Lodge. It's affectionately called Higgins Homes.

You can book your stay there by contacting me - @Abocco or on gmail as well with the same username. Higgins is a great place to stay. You can ask +kofi yeboah who stayed there for more than a week. +Yayra Tay stayed there with a couple of friends for some time. My brother +Kofi Ulzen-Appiah can also tell you more. Higgins Homes is on Booking.com now. As well as Trip Advisor.



There are 2 apartments - one 2 bedroom and one 3 bedroom. So you can even rent with your family when you're in Kumasi. Or rent one of the 5 rooms. Versatility at its best. Am sure +Okyeame Kwame agrees. 

You know how you go to hotels and you have to pay to get your attire ironed? At Higgins Homes, an iron is provided for you. There is DSTV as well for you to enjoy a great selection of TV channels. Air conditioning? Down pat. You even have a kitchen to cook that meal you love, in a guest house. Breakfast is for free. Yummy! 

Higgins Memorial Lodge is more than a guest house. It's home away from home. And here's the kicker! The cost hovers around $23.3 per night. What's not to love?

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National Volunteer Day (#NVDay) is here again, and growing all over Ghana (#NVDay15)

September 8, 2015, 5:36 am
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I've blogged about National Volunteer Day (NVDay) a number of times. It all started with promoting the very first one. People (including some +Barcamp Kumasi members) joined me for an activity at the King Jesus Charity in Kumasi. For International Volunteer Day (IVD) in 2013, +GhanaThink Foundation launched the +Ghana Volunteer Program. I encouraged my avid readers to participate in #NVDay14. We used IVD last year to share what had happened during NVDay all around Ghana. I was on TV3 earlier today talking about NVDay with +Andrew Tetteh, we were hosted by Benny Blanco. There was this attempt to keep posted on volunteer activities in Ghana through a calendar that hasn't panned out well. Will try revive again during this National Volunteer Day period. #NVDay15 is here. 19th, 2th, 21st Septemeber. Aren't you excited? Looking for inspiration on what to do? Read my own story.Read the press release below. Or skip it, and go tovolunteeringh.org.
The Ghana Volunteer Program (GVP) is a program being run by theGhanaThink Foundation, an NGO based both in Ghana and the USA. National Volunteer Day, which falls around the 21st of September each year, is our major activity. It was instituted as part of GVP in 2013. This year, the event falls within the 19th – 21st Sept 2015 time frame. The initiative aims to get as many people as possible in Ghana to volunteer their time or do community service during the Founder’s Day Holiday weekend. While volunteerism is not very popular and part of our society’s fabric, many individuals and organisations volunteer occasionally. National Volunteer Day (NVDay) is to increase these numbers and unify efforts in volunteerism in Ghana. We are encouraging more people to do community service within Ghana. That’s the same spirit our founding fathers engendered within our citizenry.
Ato Ulzen-Appiah, the director of the GhanaThink Foundation stated: “Volunteering is a great way to show leadership in our communities and for our nation. It’s great to see National Volunteer Day growing and becoming a yearly feature”. By having volunteer or community service activities during the 19th – 21st September time frame, we would be championing the ideals of our founding fathers and joining a national effort to work for Ghana. Volunteering demonstrates initiative and hard work, two ideals that many organisations look for while hiring. We believe that by participating in NVDay, participants would be building their CVs and professional capabilities.
 
We expect several individuals and organisations to hold different activities throughout the country on the day. Last year, over 80 activities were organised and registered with us, mostly by individuals and groups that were organising volunteering activities for the first time. Their activities directly impacted the lives of thousands of people. These activities happened in 9 out of the 10 regions in Ghana and in several cities and towns. Activities ranged from skills training programs, clean up exercises, tutoring in a particular course, reading clinics for kids, blood donation drives, creating playing grounds for kids in the government schools to painting schools and faded zebra crossings. More than 300 people volunteered and their work benefitted thousands of people. The impact on the volunteers and beneficiaries was massive and was captured on social media via the #NVDay14 hashtag.

Eleanor +Ela Asare , the lead coordinator for the Ghana Volunteer Program said “NVDay has not only come to stay, but it is also here to cause a positive change in our attitudes towards volunteerism and to serve as a development tool.” Make it a point to be a part of NVDay15 this year by organising and registering your event on our volunteeringh.org website. The registration of your activity will allow us to support you with more volunteers and some publicity. At the volunteeringh.org website, you can also join volunteer activities that are being planned by others. We look forward to hearing about the incredible things you will be doing on NVDay15. Stay updated with what’s happening with the #NVDay15 hashtag and on social media Twitter,Facebook and Google+. You can also support the organization of National Volunteer Day activities by donating through gofundme.com/Nvday15. Volunteerism, the heart of community development. Kudos to the GVP team, Eleanor, +Enock Seth Nyamador  +William Osilaja Boampong +Gerald Sowah +Felix Nartey and +Adelina Martey and all the other +GhanaThink Foundation members making this happen.
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