The Vim Views & Versions - Blogs of a MIghTy African

Thursday is a special day for technology. This is because of #TechThursday. I am a social media fanatic. That's why we also have #JollofJeudi. But we are not talking about #GhanaJollof in this #blogh post, we are talking about Ghanaian mobile apps. I often ask Ghanaians I meet about which Ghanaian built or Ghanaian focused mobile apps they have on their smart phones. Majority tend to have zero. Most Ghanaians have Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and GMail on their smart phones, be it the Nokia 8 or others. So I did some research on Ghanaian mobile apps others use regularly. I discuss my findings below.

One of the most popular apps was ExpressPay which is an app for bill and other types of payments. I have used to buy internet credit for family, as well as mobile credit for myself, family and friends. I also use it to send mobile money (especially if the amounts are lower than 100). I just started using the Kwese iFlix app and I have been using expressPay to pay my Kwese bills for more than a year now. Hubtel.me is another popular payment app, stemming from the days of mPower. I have used Slydepay to make purchases in the past as well. Another person mentioned Flexipay.

Kasahorow is also a favorite for many. This app originates from GhanaThink - a kasa dot ghanathink dot org project - which enables African languages on the web. A similar app is Nkyea which grew while targeting mostly Ghanaian language learners who live abroad, focusing on iOS. Imagine if we had an app for news in local languages in audio formats? Well, we built a voice-related app called Tigo Kasade at Rancard. I mostly use Google News to receive new items. Every now and then I visit Citinewsroom.com. They have an app too- Citi News App which some friends use. Others use the Myjoyonline app.

There was a lot of controversy around the ghanapostGPS app when it launched, which showed the ugly, unwarranted, corrupt nature of government bidding which needs to become a thing of the past. There are several articles you can read about this. That said, the #JackWhereAreYou app has gotten some great traction in Ghana (like it should with all the money backing it). It is an app to generate a digital address for use in addressing and posting in Ghana. It is good that the Ghana government has started to ask for the GhanaPostGPS address for government business. This would force more Ghanaians to use technology, which is something that those of us in the tech space would love to see. "Increase our addressible market". :-) We can't talk about this app without mentioning SnooCODE, an app that generates addresses as well and helps users navigate to these addresses.

Ghana is a very religious country, and that is why churches in Ghana must do more to help Ghanaians adopt technology more. We can see good examples in the use of the Methodist hymnal and the Anglican Hymnal (these apps are mostly used on Sundays). Asoriba had a lot of hype a few years ago when it was winning many pitch competitions. They buckled down to work on their business and have made good strides. Recently, Asoriba and expressPay were instrumental in an ICGC related app, before all the Mensa Otabil bad news hit. It's awesome to see ICGC embracing technology, I hope to see more religious bodies in Ghana following suit. Some Ghanaian churches have apps that have good download numbers but I am yet to hear anyone say they use those apps.

A friend uses AudioRhema. While I have installed AFRadio, I have not used it much. Osiki is an app built by a few friends for voting on competitions, etc - MissGhana and co. Lifestyles make me think about (Barcamp) Takoradi. It is not surprising that the Ahwenepa has some Takoradi roots too. :-) It is an app for finding and buying African fashion items. The Tress App is another app that has been mentioned but I don't feel like I can be a Tress user :-) This is because I don't buy hair products and don't keep hair like my wife and other women do 😅

I love the ECG app! I have been using to buy electricity (credit) since April 2018. I run into some issues recently and emailed them and they responded as well. Electricity Company of Ghana's customer service is one of the best in Ghana. I have also used the E-Prepaid app though I believe the ECG app is better. A friend also mentioned that they have used the GWCL customer app for water. I don't buy water from Ghana Water Company Limited though, we have a local supplier where we live in Oyarifa.

Talking about jollof, we need some popular Ghanaian built food related apps. Abinchi is trying to get there (and is not launched yet), Waakye Locator tried and did not see the light of day, etc. Abinchi is an app which tells you which supermarket, food vendor or farmer has food products available for sale at a huge discount or for free. Jumiafood (formerly Hellofood) is also an app that users use to decide what to eat and not to order. Jumia is not from Ghana or Nigeria though, ICYMI.

I was a judge for the Tigo Digital Changemakers competition when the Autism Aid App emerged a winner. This health related app provides education and awareness around autism in Ghana. There are various education related apps as well. There is the #AnanseTheTeacher App which has some educational games and is brewing with more content. Talking about Tigo, some people mentioned their use of the My Vodafone App. Another suggestion was the My Busy internet app which is used to buy data, check data balance etc. Another friend mentioned scandistin which is for scanning scratch cards which I have stopped buying thanks to expressPay.

I only heard about UncleFitter via the social media post. It is a mechanic on demand. They service your car at your home or other places. Now that's a very useful app! Fuel Connect is an app to help users find the nearest fuel stations. You would agree that finding the station is not enough and this app could provide a lot more features. When I was not using a #vimride, I used Uber, which is not a Ghanaian built or focused app. Dropping and Yenko are though. No one in the social media post mentioned Taxify but it is gaining traction (also not a Ghanaian app).

My good friends Eyram Tawia and Nana Kwabena Owusu have been working on various apps from the Leti Arts stable. I am a big fan of their latest app, AfroComix. I used it a couple of times to buy content. My current screensaver (coming to a #NokiaLovesAndroid) themed post near you) is one I bought using this app. Leti Arts is into gaming and has also built the #AfricasLegends and My Jorley apps. There are other game related Ghanaian apps, paramount of which is Oware 3D built by Setriakor Nyomi.

Are there other Ghanaian apps that you use regularly? Leave a comment on this blog or on this Twitter tweet or Facebook post. You might also be interested in these previous posts I wrote - #VimTechList: 5 top African built Android games on Google Play, Leti Games - building computer games in Africa. Leti Games named amongst Ghana's Innovation Heroes, Uncompromising Passion, Getting used to fast, convenient payments online, again, etc

#NokiaLovesAndroid! Rapid renewal of a smartphone portfolio brings next generation Nokia 5, Nokia 3 and Nokia 2 to Ghanaians.

It is important for Ghanaians to have affordable smart phones. I love my Nokia 8 but it is pricey like other higher end phones. It is well worth the price for what it is able to do though.

Smart phones make life easier especially when you have some of these apps that I blogged about here - Some Ghanaian built apps that people in Ghana use. Here are 3 new Nokia smartphones running Android OreoTM which further build on hallmark design and deliver quality you can rely on. Can you hear the famous Nokia ringtone ringing in your ear? Hear ooo hear!

Accra, Ghana, 28 August 2018 - HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has continued to rapidly renew its portfolio of Nokia Android smartphones by today announcing availability of Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1 in Ghana.

Offering access to the latest Google services, such as the Google Assistant, the trio of smartphones continues to deliver a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience with Android One and Android Go.

This is combined with the premium craftsmanship and design expected from a Nokia smartphone and the performance to match.

Joseph Umunakwe, General Manager, HMD Global West, East and Central Africa, says: “We are encouraged by the response that we are getting to our products.

Our consumers in Ghana tell us they love their Nokia smartphones on Android. It is our constant endeavour to enhance the experience to better suit the everyday needs of our fans.

Every single detail on a Nokia smartphone has been designed with consumers in mind, which is why we are delighted to introduce these refined smartphones that deliver a dramatic step up on performance,

continue to drive the most premium design elements to price points accessible to everyone and deliver the class-leading quality that you expect from us”.

Nokia 5.1: A timeless classic refined

Continuing with the classic design of the previous generation, the new Nokia 5.1 is understated, compact and effortlessly stylish.

It gets its structural integrity from a single block of 6000 series aluminium, refined through a rigorous 33 stage process of machining, anodising and polishing to give an exquisite satin finish and feel in the hand.

The new Nokia 5.1 packs a 0.3-inch bigger display in a 2mm narrower body and precise attention to the finest details like harmonising the rounded edges on the screen bezel with the corners of the phone to offer a compact, pocketable experience.

Nokia 5.1 comes with a higher resolution 5.5-inch Full HD+ display in 18:9 aspect ratio, making watching your favourite content –

be it browsing the web, watching your favourite shows, sharing funny memes or gaming - a delightful experience.

Coming in Copper, Tempered Blue and Black; with storage/RAM of 2GB/16GB, the Nokia 5.1 is now available to buy from GHS808.

Nokia 3.1: The perfect harmony of materials and performance

Nokia 3 has been the most successful model in the line-up of Nokia smartphones and our biggest franchise to date.

The new Nokia 3.1 now forges a rich connection between materials with a stunning design and delivers the performance to match, making it more attractive than ever before.

The beautifully curved screen melts into the slim CNC’d aluminium sides with a dual diamond cut to deliver a perfect harmony of materials.

Just the right size for single hand use, our most affordable 18:9 smartphone with 5.2-inch HD+ display gives you more content at one glance, while the 2.5D curved display is protected by damage resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass to keep it beautiful for longer.

Coming in Blue/Copper, Black/Chrome and White/Iron; with RAM / storage of 2GB/16GB, the Nokia 3.1 is also now available from GHS617.

Nokia 2.1: The 2-day battery life smartphone gets even better

Serving long-lasting entertainment needs for consumers who are always on the go, Nokia 2.1 comes with a 2-day battery life, a large 5.5-inch HD screen and dual front-facing stereo speakers.

The Nokia 2.1’s huge 4,000mAh battery now charges even faster so you can get back up and running even more quickly than before.

With its HD display almost 20% bigger than the original, you can enjoy high-definition videos on the go while the dual speakers with bespoke 3D formed stainless steel detail gives you an amazing stereo sound.

Coming in Blue/Copper, Blue/Silver, Grey/Silver, the Nokia 2.1 is available now from GHS454

Pure, secure and up-to-date Android experiences across the range

Together with Nokia 7 plus and Nokia 6.1, Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 also join the Android One family, delivering an experience designed by Google that is smart, secure and simply amazing.

Nokia smartphones with Android One offer more storage and battery life out of the box, as well as the latest AI-powered innovations from Google to help you stay ahead of the game every day.

Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 will receive three years of monthly security patches and two years of OS updates, as guaranteed in the Android One programme.

This puts them among the most secure phones out there, always up to date with the latest Google services like the Google Assistant and Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage.

Meanwhile, Nokia 2.1 comes with Android Oreo™ (Go edition), designed for smartphones with 1GB RAM or less, giving you a smooth Android experience, more storage out of the box and consuming less data. All three phones are ready for Android P.

Anne Laurenson, Director, Android Partnerships at Google, says: ''People all over the world look for smartphones that fit their needs and Android’s mission has always been to bring the power of computing to everyone.

Part of that is ensuring a great experience across the broadest range of devices. It's great to see HMD Global taking a leading role in that mission by launching the Nokia 2.1 running on Android Oreo™ (Go edition), as well as having two phones joining the Android One family.

We have worked closely to combine Google’s latest software innovations with HMD Global’s expertise in quality hardware, so the Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1 can bring the smart, secure, and simply amazing Android One experience to everyone."

Availability

You can find these phones at all accredited retail shops

Nokia 5.1 is available from 27 August 2018 for an estimated retail price of GHS808.

Nokia 3.1 is available from 27 August 2018 for an estimated retail price of GHS617.

Nokia 2.1 is available from 27 August 2018 for an estimated retail price of GHS454.

Ever since the year 2003, I have seen people say I would be the president of Ghana. They must have seen something in me. Some have been saying #Ato4President for a long time. But that's not the point of this post so we won't get into that. I would rather have people say I am (not I would be) a great leader. I don't think I am a really great leader (which is what we need to see) but I am trying and would love to be known as one of the best leaders of all time. The same way Alex Ferguson is one of the greatest managers of all time. Beyonce is one of the greatest singers of all time. Tim Duncan is one of the best basketballplayers of all time. Oprah is one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time. The late Nelson Mandela is one of the greatestleaders of all time. Catch my drift? I have blogged about (my) leading into leadership at KNUST-JSS, Presec, Syracuse, MIT, etc. Where am I today? Let's see.

One fine day in May, Naomi Kokuro (the #bcksi logistics lead) asked me "How do you describe your leadership style? Personally. And how do you think the members will describe your leadership style?" She continued, "As a leader, u need to know how your fellows describe your leadership style. This will help you to know if you are in tune with them". She added some more fine insight, "You should get your people to feel responsible for every activity they do not compulsion or obligated. Once they do it as an obligation, The results is not sustainable" Odikro papapaa!

You see, I disagree with me needing to make them feel responsible. I responded "That's not my job entirely. I don't have the time and energy to do that for everybody". Naomi didn't agree with me, what about you? Let me know.

Naomi Kokuro (@EMBAhenfie)"Sad. ❌❌❌ (yes, she typed this hehe). The moment you lead, you become responsible. Not to force them but your actions will influence. No time or energy stuff". I disagree. (Disagreeing is fine, no?) I'm looking for people who would be more responsible to lead. I haven't said I'm not responsible, but I am no interested in working with people I have to 'babysit'. I am looking for people who would be proactive, which is not exactly the same as people who are leaders (but that's fine).

I've spoken about leadership styles twice at SOS HGIC in Tema (not Junior Camp Ghana related) and shared some examples. You can google articles talking about leadership styles, she's a great friend. My leadership style is a mix of strategic, transformational and facilitative. Strategic because I like to lead based on strategy, seeing how things would work, research and testing this. There is some design thinking and engineering in here if you dig deep. And it is important to pick out the best strategies and improve them as we all work on them. Transformational because I believe in transforming people. There are so many people out there who could be much better than they are and it is our collective responsibility to help these people because we all benefit. I always want to see people around me grow so they can take on more responsibility, new tasks, add value, bring more success for everyone to benefit, whether it is in terms of recognition, money, feeling good, etc. Facilitative because I believe good information must spread. In order to generate success (however you measure it), one must facilitate the right things and best practices to be done. That one is a leader who understand the importance of facilitation and the responsibility to help make things happen.

Naomi Kokuro: "You should as a leader analyse yourself and leadership style once a while". Un, deux, trois, quatre. I think GhanaThink members will describe my leadership style as transformational, coaching and charismatic. I pay a lot of attention to coaching people I work with to do better. I do this privately and publicly depending on the situation. You don't think Sir Alex does the same? Do you call it shade or tough love? Ah well, up to you. At the end of the day, we are a team, win or lose. We need to reduce repetition of mistakes and be on the same page with our X's and O's (I'm not talking about xoxo puhlease). This is why Gregg Popovich's leader - Tim Duncan - has been called a Team First Superstar. Leaders know that role players and other team members are very important, you have to kerr as a leader. I believe I have a lot of charisma. I won't talk plenty, lemme rhyme for you - Obama.

Esperanza Felicia Yakubu (@EspeeGH) who has been part of the Barcamp Accra and Jobcamp Koforidua teams and is now working with Digital Opportunity Trust - DOT (connected to GhanaThink's Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program) chimed in: "I think you are a combination of laissez-faire and democratic". That democracy word. Sigh. I responded: "I can see some of that too. I guess one can't really be one leadership style. I am not a big fan of democracy so I doubt I'd go around saying I am a democratic leader hehe". Can we dissuade our minds of the opinion that you are either democratic (good) or autocratic (bad) as a leader? There is so much more in between. No matter what cracy is involved, the best decisions must be made and implemented in leadership. That is why I like consensus building. If one of your next thoughts was Paul Kagame and Rwanda, good on you, you see where I am going.

@EspeeGH posted (on Whatsapp, not Twitter): "The laissez-faire style is what I see most in you. Reason being that these type of leaders serve as mentors, have great motivational skills. They try to hire the best people and then trust them with the process. Proof is the Barcamp teams most of the time teams organize and reports to you. My thought though". Someone needs to write an article about reporting, followership, communication and leadership. One might exist, but because of the notion of followership, it might not. Is that a word? Maybe. I use it.

You have heard that song, haven't you. What's your flava, tell me what's your flavour? I have told you about mine. Let us learn from you. Comment and let us all know. We're a team of learners who want to be better leaders.

On Sunday September 16, I was added to the NUGS Volta Region Bloc Women's Platform to share and discuss volunteering and volunteeringh. It was exciting to do this after Barcamp Ho coordinator Courage Christson Tetteh had done something similar with them earlier. Pamela Klutse is a young lady I admire and it was great to have this discussion with her, Makafui Tsey and other young tertiary level ladies based in the Volta Region, many of which have never been to Barcamp Ho. The various submissions I shared are important for National Volunteer Day so here is another #MightAfrican blog post :-) Remember to join us for NVDay18, see more details at volunteeringh.org

Sometime in late 2012 - in lieu of the elections - #GhanaDecides, some GhanaThink members and I were thinking about the lack of great leadership in Ghana. We believed that many of our political leaders didnt inspire confidence in Ghanaians or cause us to act. We believed that we needed to lead more as individuals, and the idea of volunteerism became very important to us. You see, volunteering involves taking responsibility, taking charge and getting things done, without expecting monetary benefit for the most part. Volunteering is very much about serving.

In 2013, we decided to institute National Volunteer Day - NVDay. This was to.encourage many people in Ghana to volunteer, make impact in our communities, help solve problems in ways we could, and help people. It wasn't just to help people, but help ourselves as volunteers : in building skills - especially soft skills, gaining experience, networks, etc. See more about the first couple of years on Wikipedia. We chose Founders' Day - September 21. This was a day the Atta Mills led government instituted as a day to remember the founders of Ghana (men and women) who did great things for Ghana. By volunteering around September 21, we would also be doing something for Ghana.

Volunteering through NVDay has enabled several people to gain leadership, teamwork, and other skills because they are given opportunities to learn on the job. This is similar for many Volunteeringh opportunities all year round for people in Ghana. There are so many examples of #volunteeringh activities one can do. Eleanor Asare (a member of the Ghana Volunteer Program team which runs NVDay) has leveraged it to build the CSR Hub. Kuukuwa Manful started SociArchi after leading about 40 people to build a playground for a school in Accra. Sampson Deklu (the Partnerships lead for Barcamp Ghana) started volunteering and is now running #ThousandFor1000.

Aside this, let me use myself as an example. I have been volunteering since my time in university, first degree. I had the opportunity to learn how to run training programs, work in teams with diverse groups of people, how to use different types of software, how to send better emails, etc.

By volunteering to run Barcamps in Ghana with others - I proved my ability to bring hundreds of people together who are tech savvy, influential, driven and hard working. Those types of people are valuable to many companies. When Google was hiring a program manager to work on programs for these types of people in Ghana, some of those hiring already knew me and my abilities due to my previous volunteering. So when I applied for the job, I was very confident I would get it, and surely I got it. I knew my experience was great for what they were looking for

Volunteering puts you in places that help you learn, gain information, form insight and produce intuition. It makes your interviews conversations instead of Q&A because you know what you're about and can demonstrate your abilities. Because you're not being paid while volunteering, you're given some space to fail, and learn without major consequences. It allows you to try, figure out best things if you have an attitude of learning, and puts you in various positions. You're given the chances to try your hands at different roles, if you succeed, you continue, if you don't, you learn and everyone involved finds something else for you to do.

This year, GhanaThink ran Jobcamps in every regional capital in Ghana. Employers who were at the events were in unison about volunteering- they love it. Many employers would hire those who volunteer with them, show their abilities and qualities, and then bring them on for salary instead of others who they don't know well - and don't have requisite experiences to add value to their organizations. Ghanaian youth must actively seek out opportunities to volunteer or create their own volunteeringh activities. It shows and sows so many soft skills and builds skills that become valuable for work, entrepreneurship, business, etc. Certificates are not enough, and those are not what you should be chasing, chase skills.

Around September 21, 2018 brings more volunteeringh opportunities. I hope we all here take advantage of NVDay to add more value to our lives, continue to build our track records that would make our professional lives much easier due to built skills and excellent experiences.

Can't volunteer? Support us financially by donating via https://expresspaygh.com/nvday or via mobile money - MTN-0245857061 (Midas Bambilla) | Vodafone-0207823076 (Eleanor Asare) | AirtelTigo-0267879382 (Ato Ulzen-Appiah). Register, join activities or find more info via https://volunteeringh.org

On Sunday September 16, I was added to the NUGS Volta Region Bloc Women's Platform to share and discuss volunteering and volunteeringh. It was exciting to do this after Barcamp Ho coordinator Courage Christson Tetteh had done something similar with them earlier. Pamela Klutse is a young lady I admire and it was great to have this discussion with her, Makafui Tsey and other young tertiary level ladies based in the Volta Region, many of which have never been to Barcamp Ho. The various submissions I shared are important for National Volunteer Day so here is another #MightAfrican blog post :-) Remember to join us for NVDay18, see more details at volunteeringh.org

After sharing some thoughts on volunteeringh, the floor was open for questions. I love people who are curious and ask questions, it is a great trait to have. If people feel they have no questions to ask, then they need to build that skill, trait, knowledge, ability, yada yada yada.

Pamela Klutse asked the first question: Please are there any activities organized by GhanaThink towards NVDay18? If yes, how can anyone here who is interested take part?
I answered: Yes. We started National Volunteer Day - NVDay on September 21, 2013. For the 5 editions, we have averaged 60 activities across Ghana each year. There are various activities happening for #NVDay18 which can be found at Volunteeringh.org - more would be listed before September 21.

Pamela Klutse: Please are the activities always onsite? For instance has there been online campaigns etc where people can volunteer or participate remotely?
MightyAfrican: Those interested can.find activities by checking Volunteeringh.org, as well as #NVDay18 on Twitter & Facebook. Some activities would be shared via Facebook.com/group/Volunteeringh and Facebook.com/GhanaVolunteerProgram. There have been.some opportunities to volunteer remotely. One year, some people edited Wikipedia pages in their homes as part of National Volunteer Day. People can do a few things online, supporting on social media, etc

Pamela Klutse: Most of us are students, how mentioned you started volunteering in varsity. Please how did you combine that with schooling? Were there any challenges, if yes how did you overcome them?
MightyAfrican: I think students worry too much about schooling, classes and grades. You're in university to learn, both inside and outside the classroom. By paying attention to volunteering, you're improving your value while.at university. Because when you leave university, those who would employ or work with you would be looking for more well rounded people and not just those who did well in school. This is the time to volunteer, you would have not more free time when you're done with school.

I volunteered in instances and situations that I knew would not take too much of my time or things I would love to do. These situations also helped me learn things that were useful in my classes and understanding things we were taught. The way I overcame challenges of balancing volunteering and classes, etc were around time management, getting help from fellow students and then my TAs. For time management, I cut out many unnecessary things and events and habits that didn't add value to my life and spent adequate time on the serious things. Getting help is important. It helps you build better understanding of what you're learning for current classes and corresponding courses, and saves you time working on assignments, etc.

Angelina‬: So in your voluntary work did you encounter monetary issues? If yes how did you go about it? In a situation where you are to travel to a particular town to do the voluntary work...and money is an issue how were you able to manoeuvre n get there.

#MightyAfrican: Since volunteering normally does not have payments, the terms of volunteering must be clear for everyone involved. If the organizer knows they cant pay transport, they should make that clear. If the volunteer cant transport themselves, they should.make that clear as well. The onus is on the volunteer show up and get things done, if they can't, that's also fine. If the volunteer understands the value of volunteering, they would borrow to be able to transport themselves. The terms should be clear. Problems arise when something is promised and not delivered. But assumptions should not be made, there should be clear communication. I'd also say there are many volunteeringh opportunities. Same way volunteers can be recommended, organizations can also be recommended. Great people would choose great organizations and vice versa.

I would add that I encourage people who are organizing Volunteeringh activities to find volunteers who live close to the activity. That way, they save money in budgeting, and save transport money for everyone involved. There are people who want to volunteer everywhere, Peki, Aflao to Elubo, Paga to Mankessim,etc 😊 If you know this Volunteeringh opportunity would be valuable to you, you can borrow transport money if you really really want to travel, and leverage the skills to make money to be able to pay back.

Angelina was not too convinced I guess and asked ‬😊: So how would such a person manage?
#MightyAfrican: It depends on the person.. I cant answer for them unfortunately. Or find volunteeringh opportunities right near them. They can also. create some by going to volunteer at a nearby school, church or orphanage

Pamela Klutse had a particular interest and queried: Please how does one organize an activity? Online or onsite.
#MightyAfrican: Online activities include a discussion topic or seminar online, editing a page, posting a page, etc. So one can organize one just like you have tonight Pamela. (wink wink). Online or onsite activities are not popular so.there are not many to choose from. Plan what you want to do, give people ample notice, get a couple of people to help, and you're good to go

Lovina‬: You said volunteers should find volunteering organizations closer to them, what if one wants to be a volunteer but there is no organization close by and that fellow doesn't have all it takes it organize one herself. Does that dream of voluntarism can't be achieved?
MightyAfrican: If there are no volunteeringh opportunities,nearby, they can be created. There are churches and schools everywhere. You can approach the leaders there, discuss what their challenges are, and volunteer to do something you can to help. If the leaders are good, they'd find something for you. It should not always be about an organization, the volunteer should take responsibility. You can then put the work you did there on your CV. It shows great things about you if you do.

Pamela Klutse: Please are there any monetary benefits or motivation in volunteeringh? If it happens is that still volunteeringh?
MightyAfrican: Various people who organize Volunteeringh activities find ways to motivate volunteers. Most tend to cover food and transport. Others give gifts like tshirts, etc and show other ways of appreciation. Volunteering is priceless.

It's important that you take good advice. There's a lot of bad information spreading. Good information must spread. For your good, my good, the good of our communities, and for the good of Ghana and the world.
Can't volunteer? Support us financially by donating via https://expresspaygh.com/nvday or via mobile money - MTN-0245857061 (Midas Bambilla) | Vodafone-0207823076 (Eleanor Asare) | AirtelTigo-0267879382 (Ato Ulzen-Appiah). Register, join activities or find more info via https://volunteeringh.org

In 2013, GhanaThink decided to institute National Volunteer Day - NVDay. This was to.encourage many people in Ghana to volunteer, make impact in our communities, help solve problems in ways we could, and help people. It wasn't just to help people, but help ourselves as volunteers : in building skills - especially soft skills, gaining experience, networks, etc. See more about the first couple of years on Wikipedia. We chose Founders' Day - September 21. This was a day the Atta Mills led government instituted as a day to remember the founders of Ghana (men and women) who did great things for Ghana. By volunteering around September 21, we would also be doing something for Ghana. On December 5, 2013 on the occasion of International Volunteer Day, the Ghana Volunteer Program program was created by GhanaThink to run National Volunteer Day and match volunteers to volunteer opportunities.

National Volunteer Day's home on the web is volunteeringh.org

Here is a snapshot of what has happened in the past with the Ghana Volunteer Program program

2013: 34 activities, 233+ volunteers, 11 towns, 7 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2014: 80 activities, 300+ volunteers, 17 towns, 10 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2015: 80+ activities, 1000+ volunteers, 20 towns, 10 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2016: 70+ activities, 1000+ volunteers, 24 towns, 9 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2017: 70+ activities, 1000+ volunteers, 27 towns, 10 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries

Volunteering through NVDay has enabled several people to gain leadership, teamwork, and other skills because they are given opportunities to learn on the job. This is similar for many Volunteeringh opportunities all year round for people in Ghana. There are so many examples of #volunteeringh activities one can do. Eleanor Asare (a member of the Ghana Volunteer Program team which runs NVDay) has leveraged it to build the CSR Hub. Kuukuwa Manful started SociArchi after leading about 40 people to build a playground for a school in Accra. Sampson Deklu (the Partnerships lead for Barcamp Ghana) started volunteering and is now running #ThousandFor1000.

GhanaThink is run by more than 100 volunteer members. The Ghana Volunteer Program is run by a team made up of - Adelina Martey, William Osilaja-Boampong, Enock Nyamador, Midas Bambilla, Gerald Sowah and Eleanor Asare. They are ably supported by GhanaThink’s executive team. Various teams of GhanaThink members in different towns support this team in localized activities, etc. Our GhanaThink members are some of the most influential young Ghanaians who have excelled in their various fields of endeavours.

Through GVP, a volunteerism program has been launched and started for accounting students at University of Ghana Business School. Several Rotaract and Leo Clubs in Ghana have gained new members through people volunteering with them during NVDay. Many people have found internships and jobs from networking at volunteeringh activities

Around September 21, 2018 - NVDay brings more volunteeringh opportunities. I hope we all here take advantage of NVDay to add more value to our lives, continue to build our track records that would make our professional lives much easier due to built skills and excellent experiences.

Here are some types of activity one can organize including some organizing tips and other tips for volunteers. Think around these Activities: Tutoring in a subject, Teaching a particular skill or talent Blood donation drives, Clean-up exercises, Orphanage visits + donation, Improving infrastructure, health screenings & talks, ICT training for youth, Painting schools, Mentoring events, etc

Can't volunteer? Support us financially by donating via https://expresspaygh.com/nvday or via mobile money - MTN-0245857061 (Midas Bambilla) | Vodafone-0207823076 (Eleanor Asare) | AirtelTigo-0267879382 (Ato Ulzen-Appiah). Register, join activities or find more info via https://volunteeringh.org

In 2017, the GhanaThink Foundation organized the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GYSEC) in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT). It was promoted as #GYSEC2017. 20 budding social entrepreneurs were chosen out of 154 applications to learn, be trained, and compete. They were and are referred to as trainees. In 2018, GYSEC has become a 4th program for GhanaThink after Barcamp Ghana, Junior Camp Ghana, Ghana Volunteer Program and was renamed the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program (GYSEP). 24 budding social entrepreneurs were chosen out of 220 applications to learn and be trained.

Those selected for #GYSEP2018 were — Francis Oko Armah, Desmond Agbleke, Nii Aruna Nelson, Bright Bruce-Acquaye, Joshua Kumi, Constant Komla Likudie, Abdul Wahab M. Kannde, Lukman Abubakari, Michael Sedinam Tenu, Simeon Martey, Rejoice Dufe, Doreen Sena Aglago-Cofie, Queen Frimpong, Yaa Yeboaa Adu, Porschia Gaisie, Adjoa Amponfi, Yvette Kokui Akuavi Dorm Kondoh, Iris Kwafo-Mensah, Paulina Arthur, Emily Esenam Bansah, Samuel Wilson, Eleanor Asare, William Abrefa, and Sampson Wolanyo Deklu.

The program and training began with an obligatory welcome workshop on Saturday and Sunday (June 30 — July 1) at the Impact Hub Accra (starting at 9am and ending at 6pm each day). Ato Ulzen-Appiah facilitated this workshop with the assistance of Maccharty Mac-Gbathy. Kofi Yeboah skyped in from Canada and shared a few thoughts. Fawziyya Issah assisted Marian Adeaba and Richmond Anane with logistics. GhanaThink was used as an example of a social enterprise, and how it made a transition from an NGO to a social enterprise. Ato shared about GhanaThink’s various programs, how it raises revenue, and differentiated between its beneficiaries and customers. Isaac Sesi and Nana Yaa Ayim who were part of the program in 2017 came by to share their experiences from the program, etc. Rachel Hormeku (the Social Innovation Program Community Facilitator) did a presentation on SIP and also led an icebreaker. She also did a presentation on Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and the Impactathon community on Facebook.

The middle workshop was from July 21–22 (9am to 6pm each day), at Hopin Academy in Tamale. Ato Ulzen-Appiah facilitated this workshop with the assistance of Maccharty Mac-Gbathy. Kofi Yeboah skyped in from Canada and shared a few thoughts as usual. Fawziyya Issah handled logistics and was assisted by Marian Adeaba while Richmond Anane handled all finance aspects. Esperanza Yakubu assisted Marian to provide and set up materials for individual and group exercises. Saraswati Efua Arthur who was part of the program in 2017 came by to share her experiences from the program. She championed the importance of keeping the network formed from the program and shared examples of how the network (and GhanaThink) has helped her thrive, honed her idea, and grown her entreprise.

The program’s final workshop was on Saturday August 11 and Sunday August 12 at Impact Hub Accra. Ato Ulzen-Appiah facilitated this workshop with the assistance of Maccharty Mac-Gbathy. Fawziyya Issah assisted Marian Adeaba and Richmond Anane with logistics. The trainees were trained and prepared for the MVP Prototype Fair (Pitch competition). Ivy Barley, Enam Agbozo and Isaac Sesi who were all part of the program in 2017 were present to help the current class work on their pitches.

On Sunday, August 12, the trainees continued to work on the pitches. Ato Ulzen-Appiah and Maccharthy Mac-Gbathy were on hand to guide them through their pitches. Esperanza Yakubu who had taken over from Rachel Hormeku as the Social Innovation Program Community Facilitator spoke about Digital Opportunity Trust -DOT’s SIP. The finale itself featured a number of participant submissions. Jackson Nyarko and Dominic Kepomey who were part of the 2017 class were also on hand to share experiences and advice.

The finale (final ceremony) happened on August 12. Maccharthy Mac-Gbathy emceed the event. Masuma Khan (DOT Project Manager) and Kofi Yeboah (a team member) joined in via Skype from different parts of Canada. Masuma shared her excitement in seeing the program grow and it getting to its final stages and wished the trainees luck. Kofi Yeboah compared this year’s program to last year’s, encouraged the trainees to give great accounts of themselves and their learning as well.

The pitches were great but a few stood out. The trainees leveraged various learning modules to prepare and present their pitch. The judges were Nehemiah Attigah (Hatua Tec + GhanaThink), Amma Sefah-Dede Lartey (Social Entrepreneurs Ghana + Reach For Change), Kafui Anson-Yevu (Impact Hub Accra + Women TechMakers), Cherubim Mawuli Amenyedor (Ho Node + #GYSEC2017), The judges used an MVP Evaluation Checklist sheet to score each of the 21 trainees who pitched and also provided feedback. Amma Sefa-Dedeh Lartey gave some general feedback on the pitches and presentations to the trainees in the midst of the audience afterwards. The top 3 places (with cash prizes) were won by 1st — Doreen Aglago-Cofie of Heighten Up — ₵1000, 2nd — Abdul Ehm Kannde of Starna Labs — ₵800, 3rd — Proschia Gaisie of Let’s Share — ₵600.

The 6 trainees chosen to represent Ghana at the DOT Unconference in October 2018 in Kenya were also announced. The 6 are in no particular order — Proschia Gaisie (Let’s Share), Emily Bansah (Solar Barter), Doreen Aglago-Cofie (Heighten Up), Bright Bruce Acquaye (TGYC), Simeon Martey (Tamale Children Hub), Michael Sedinam Tenu (XCel Packs). We affectionately call these 6 — Team K. All the 24 trainees are to receive certificates of participation. Their portrait links were updated on Facebook as part of the final workshop.

In 2017, in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), the GhanaThink Foundation organized the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GYSEC) — #GYSEC2017. 20 budding social entrepreneurs were chosen to learn, be trained, and compete. 6 winners represented Ghana at the DOT Unconference in Rwanda. They were — Ivy Barley — Developers in Vogue, Princess Allotey — ArithOut (Kids And Math), Enam Agbozo — Y-TIDE(now Radix Nest), Justica Anima — Green Arts Culture, Lamisi Atinga — Savana Oils, Mawuli Amenyedor — Ho Node Hub. They benefited a lot from being in Rwanda and they hvae continued to enjoy a lot of support from DOT, GhanaThink, etc.

In 2018, GYSEC has become a 4th program for GhanaThink after Barcamp Ghana, Junior Camp Ghana, Ghana Volunteer Program and was renamed the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program (GYSEP). 24 budding social entrepreneurs were chosen out of 220 applications to learn and be trained. As part of the program, 6 budding social entrepreneurs from Ghana would be there at the 2018 DOT Unconference in Kenya — Proschia Gaisie (Let’s Share), Emily Bansah (Solar Barter), Doreen Aglago-Cofie (Heighten Up), Bright Bruce Acquaye (TGYC), Simeon Martey (Tamale Children Hub), Michael Sedinam Tenu (XCel Packs).

Bright Bruce-Acquaye leads The Ghana Youth Co-Operative. They are a business and employment youth cooperative that transitions unemployed youths from inactivity to self employment in a collective framework. They seek to mobilize and unite youths and their resources to invest collectively into profitable business ventures that has the potential to provide jobs for members of the coop. Since they started in 2018, they have 25 registered members now and have stablished a relationship with the department of Cooperatives office. After launching of the Cooperative, they would continue to fundraise and establish the first co-op business.

Doreen Aglago-Cofie leads Heighten Up. They promote women’s leadership in corporate organizations. They achieve this by ensuring diversity in organizational structures. Their vision is to create organizational environments where women are equally represented in leadership as men. They have conducted a research on women representation in management teams and/or board of directorship using the Ghana Club 100 companies awarded in 2017. They are organizing mock dialogue conferences in schools. They are also preparating to shoot advocacy videos and photos on Women’s Inclusion. They are also building a Virtual Coaching app.

Emily Bansah leads Solar barter which is a social enterprise that has the sole aim of solving the issue of lack of power supply in rural and off-grid communities. This system is flexible such that we provide our customers with the solar kits in exchange for a bag of cocoa which is approximately equivalent to the bag of cocoa. After the barter trade is functioned, the team will then market the bags of cocoa for profit which is ploughed back into the enterprise. The focus community for the solar barter project is Daboase in the Western region of Ghana. The solar barter team has signed a formal agreement with the Sunking Solar company

to be the supply partners of solar kits to the solar barter team. The Solar Barter team is also in talks with Ghana Energy Commission to factor the solar barter project in the national policy for renewable resources. The team members also include Prince Essel — Project Manager, Fatimatu Iddrisu — Administrative Officer, and Dominic Akoto — Logistics Manager.

Michael Sedinam Tenu leads XCel Packs. This paper packaging solutions social enterprise is founded and managed by Eadberta Tweneboah Koduah, Rhoda Agyekum, Evelyn Lotame, Winfred Dzankah, Benjamin Lawson Doe, Bernard Mwinyoglee, David Marquis and Tenu Michael Sedinam Korku. Their mission is to reduce the use of rubber and plastic bags as they are the major cause of sanitation issues due to their inability to decay. They envision to be the leading maker of product packaging solutions provider for brands and individuals globally. They began production on 5th September, 2018 and have received about 7 orders and have completed 4. They are looking forward to securing investment which will enable them purchase a production machine to enhance the production process.

Proschia Gaisie leads Let’s Share together with Kingsley Amuah. Their mission is to provide the needed assistance to victims of gender based violence and a possible preventative orientation. Their vision is to create an opportunity for victims of gender based violence to share their predicaments by provision of hotlines and short codes for anonymous lodging of complaints aimed at creating the needed assistance and empowerment to victims. They are looking to get a short code and hotlines running and then to launch the special enterprise.

Simeon Martey leads the Tamale Children Hub. The Hub is aligned to exceed the standards of all major education systems in the Metropolis making it the most reliable center to keep babies and toddlers between the ages of 3months — 2 years whiles their parents concentrate on their work/jobs. The Hub also equips school children after school hours in extra curricular activities for a holistic child development. They run a day long services making it so innovative,creative and convenience for users, beneficiaries and our customers.

They would be joined by Ivy Barley, who was at the DOT Unconference in 2017, Esperanza Yakubu (DOT Social Innovation Program Community Facilitator) and the Ato Ulzen-Appiah (director of the GhanaThink Foundation)

As youth delegates, they would be sharing experience, knowledge and passion with other youth attending the Unconference. Some would be running youth-led sessions, these act as opportunities to collaborate, learn, validate the social innovation idea and network with other delegates. The Unconference sessions will feature six themes, which will provide the general topics for the sessions. The Unconference would be from October 17–19 in Nairobi, Kenya.

One of the best years of my life was 2001, the year I finished high school aka secondary school. I had so much freedom and chalked so many achievements. 1999 was one of the worst years of my life, this was the year I was a first year (Form 1) student at Presec. I was a labourer while being a student. Presec stands for Presby Boys' Secondary (High) School - Legon. In between the dates of being a Presec student and being within the walls of this great school, my favorite teacher was Charlotte Akyeampong. Mrs Akyeampong trumps all my teachers (for me), she is my favorite teacher of all time (and for some other Odadees too). 2018 is the year of Presec's 80th anniversary. This is a great time to honour Mrs Akyeampong with a #MightyAfrican blog post.

While I was in Form 1, I joined the Quiz Writers and Debaters Club. I was very passionate about trivia and general knowledge while in junior secondary school (KNUST JSS) so naturally, I joined this club of students who were very interested in quizzes and information in general. Mrs Akyeampong was the patron of this club and this is how I got to know her primarily. She was a sweet caring woman. I got to befriend her even more when I took up debating as well. I became quite good at debating, I loved the word play, etc. Alongside Mr Fercundity (another Presec teacher), they trained us on how to debate and our school debate team was one of the best in Ghana. In fact, I never lost a debate in which I competed for my alma mater. I won all quizzes in which I represented Presec as well. In spite of all of this, Mrs Akyeampong ensured that my school mates and I were humble and continued to study and get better.

In Form 1, thanks to a literary event some Presecans and I went to at the PAWA House in Accra, I fell deeply in love with poetry after meeting a Ghanaian poet who had been published in several UK based anthologies. I started to write so many poems (most of them based on themes) and Madam Akyeampong would read through them, give me feedback, sharpening my iron. Several of these poems were published in UK based anthologies and in 2001, I won an International Poetry of Merit Award. Being on the Presec Editorial Board was the most prestigious thing for any Presec junior (form 1 or 2). As the premier literature teacher in Presec, Mrs Akyeampong was the patron and main staff member in charge of this. I started to write a lot of articles - using the pseudonymAristocrates. We had to produce a Year Book of final year students (2000 graduating class) and an Odadee magazine (2001 edition). We had to write the articles, collect others, design the pages, figure out the flow, and publish 2 magazines. We also needed to work with the publishing house and even find sponsors to support the publication. I learnt so many things under Mrs Akyeampong's guidance as the Assistant Managing Editor.

She was my school mother and guided me in my leadership journey at Presec as well. When I became the protocol prefect of the school, I worked very closely with her since she worked a lot on academic affairs as well. She liked me a lot, and I benefited greatly as a result. Having a mosquito net was very important as a boarding school student in my day. Even though I had one, I had a severe case of malaria in the year 200 while in Form 2 at Presec (Clerk House). "Great Minds Think Alike". I would never forget how worried Mrs Akyeampong was when she heard I was 'that sick' and the measures she took to ensure I had the best health treatment possible. I ended up being admitted at the Legon Hospital and she came to visit like a caring mother would. I spoke about her so much in my circles and at home that my parents became her friends and knew her very well.

Mrs Charlotte Akyeampong taught at the Wesley Girls High School (Gey Hey) in 1969 and then at Achimota school from 1970-72. She came to Presec in 1973 and taught at Presec for 33 years. She retired in 2006. For those 33 years, she helped so many boys become men and many girls also become women. She also helped us become more literate, develop a joy for writing, acting and the creative arts.

She wrote a number of (theatre) plays, the most popular being "The Inspection". This was a play that was very much talked about when I got to Presec in 1999. One of the most terrifying experiences for a Form 1 boy in Presec is preparing for the school inspection (+ competition) and the going through the actual inspection by prefects, etc. Capturing those experiences in a stage play is a genius move for a literature teacher at a top school like Presec. The Presec Drama Club had staged this play a number of times and won several accolades for it so it was famous! She wrote the following books: Chanticleer (1992), The Search (1993), The Birth of a King (1994), When The Child Fell Ill (1995), Suhudoo (1997), The Inspection (1997), Crab Soup (2001), Lost And Found (2001). I joined the Presec Drama Club in 2000 and had the chance to be part of the Chanticleer cast. I was going to act like a woman, that's a role that was given to me. Yeap, Presec was a boys' school at the time which had boys act all roles. Presec did have girls though, from 1975 to 1996.

My relationship with Mrs Akyeampong blossomed after Presec and continues to do so. I have visited her several times, catching up on old times, reminiscing memories, charting memoirs etc. I visited her while she was still teaching and as part of other times I visited the school. It was an honour to have her at my #MightyAfricanLove wedding as well. I visited her once at her son's house in Maryland with a few Odadees as well. She has given me lots of great advice and I really enjoy her company. Several Odadees have many great reflections about her. Due to the impact she made in so many Presecans' lives, an alumni (academic) society called C. S. Akyeampong Society and fund have been named after her.

One of her recent goals has been to have her stage plays published. Thanks to the efforts of various Odadee and primarily, Obeng-Amoako Edmonds, they are being realized. The Search (1993) and When The Child Fell Ill (1995) are available to be purchased on Amazon. They are also being launched at the (new) Presec Assembly Hall on November 27 at 6pm. I would be there alongside several Odadee to honour her for the impact she has made in our lives. Join us. In lumine tuo, videbimus lumen!

Hello 2019!

I am 35 years old now. That is a watershed moment age.
Just after my birthday, I was named African Male Youth of the Year 2018.
You can read about it on various news sources and read what I also said about it here.

In 2019 and beyond, I want to be an even better leader.

Yeap.

I want to write about more posts around leadership like I have done in the past too.

But the point of this blog post is to share with you some cool articles written about me, praising my leadership abilities, etc.

Ato Ulzen-Appiah is a Ghanaian Star
https://www.konnectafrica.net/ato-ulzen-appiah-is-a-ghanaian-star/

I met Ato Ulzen-Appiah
http://tokpatic.nandaseye.com/i-met-ato-ulzen-appiah/

Meet Ato Ulzen Appiah, the Mighty African Who Shuns Speaking and Acts to Motivate
https://amoafowaa.com/2014/12/22/meet-ato-ulzen-appiah-the-mighty-african-who-shuns-speaking-and-acts-to-motivate/

9 heroes of modern day Ghana worth celebrating just as Dr. Nkrumah and the heroes of old Read more: https://yen.com.gh/89860-9-heroes-modern-day-ghana-worth-celebrating-dr-nkrumah-heroes-old.html#89860
https://yen.com.gh/89860-9-heroes-modern-day-ghana-worth-celebrating-dr-nkrumah-heroes-old.html#89860

Interview with Ato Ulzen-Appiah, CEO of Museke Inc; Tony Obey, ICT Consultant and Others
https://internationalreportingproject.org/blog/view/interview-with-ato-ulzen-appiah-ceo-of-museke-inc-tony-obey-ict-consultant

https://www.risingafrica.org/success-stories/technology-and-innovation/science_technology/ato-ulzen-appiah-mentoring-a-generation-of-thinkers/

ATO ULZEN APPIAH – MENTORING A GENERATION OF THINKERS
Do you like to watch videos more than reading? Okay, watch this on Youtube
http://bit.ly/VimVersionVideos

You like listening, audio, podcasts? A few ones for you below.

http://plurrify.net/episodes/33-ghanathink-foundation.html

Now that you are here, like I said, I want to be even better leader.

Wish me luck.
More vim for me!

PS: This blog post would be updated from time to time.

I was approached by Derrick Obeng of Campus Radio Ghana to join their Success Drive Whatsapp platform to be featured, share, answer questions, etc. This happened on January 11, 2019. I loved the conversation I had with the NUGS Volta Region Bloc Women's Platform to share and discuss volunteeringh, following after Barcamp Ho coordinator Courage Christson Tetteh had done something similar with them earlier. Pamela Klutse made that one happen and I blogged about it as well. 2 awesome people who all were part of the Barcamp Ho 2018 organizing team. We discussed many things on the Success Drive show, it was like a hot seat - #KonnectKouch (watch this space). Edith Bannerman, the host, asked me: "So studying at MIT and Stanford? How did that go?" I picked up #MightyAfrican from my tertiary education in the US. Let's dig into that. I hope you find some oil you can use.

Studying at both places was great and fun. I did civil engineering at MIT for my first degree and my closest friends were all African though I had other friends. I chose to study civil engineering because I was awesome at math, liked engineering and was passionate about development. It was great being surrounded by some of the most brilliant young students and professors from the whole wide world. This challenged me to be even better and learn from them. I especially loved D-Lab, run by Amy Smith. It was great to work on problems that affected my cultural neighbourhood in arguably the best engineering academic institution in the world. I started to volunteer and learnt how to be part of and run projects in undergrad. I was part of the MIT-African Students Association, MIT-Africa Internet Technology Initiative, MIT-Expediting Access to Standard Education, etc. MIT paid for me to be in Ghana to work on MIT-AITI (2004) and D-Lab (2006) projects. I started working on what became Museke as well - lyrics dot ghanathink dot org. I started my first blog too. It was great to see the amount of work university students could do, do more outside of the classroom, and how they could impact.

I heard about the Massachusetts Institute of Technology because my main Presec role model got admitted in 2000. Having 3 Odadees at MIT when I got there was great too. The MIT-African Students Association was extremely important to me. My closest friends were in it. It was awesome to act in Chinua Achebe plays with my role model there. I did poetry recitals at our semi-formal events and bigger events as well. Yeah, MIT gave so many opportunities for students to work on interests and their abilities. It is a community and it is as successful, enjoyable and impactful as what its students, staff, etc do! We had to represent for the continent. In football too! The MIghTy Africans participated in various intramural sports - football, tennis, basketball. I scored a freekick from halfway once. Rooney. Even though I was tall, I sucked at basketball because I never played it growing up and while I have speed, I am not very athletic. You could imagine the joy when I drained one from downtown. I watched a couple of Celtics games and watched AC Milan play Chelsea in Boston.

While at MIT, I began loving networking a lot. I started organizing African themed parties at MIT (Partycrew!). I wanted to meet & know almost every Ghanaian student in nearby universities, as well as other Africans. I went to Mount Holyoke's AC Day for 3 consecutive years. Did I go to look for women to date? 22.6%. African-Carribean Day was seeerrriooous. Though it happened in South Hadley, a small town in Massachusetts, people traveled from Connecticut, Maryland, Atlanta to come to it. It was arguably the best African student event in the US - at an all-female college too. I also went to African student events at Harvard, Tufts, Wellesley, University of Connecticut, etc, as well as other African themed events in Boston, New York, DC, etc. Let me chip this in, right after MIT, I started dating my first girlfriend. She schooled in Connecticut, not in Masschusetts where I was. She was from Swaziland, she is from Eswatini. ;-)

I started learning Swahili instead of Spanish (etc) because the former is an African language. I learnt this from East African MIT friends and others. In fact, the person who taught me most of my early Swahili was a female Rwandan student in a very small university in Rhode Island. Chocolatay! I became very Pan-African, listening to songs from all over Africa and learning their cultures. Since we were not thought much about African history in school in Ghana, I learnt a whole lot more. I was babahazed to learn that in high schools in Tanzania, students studied Chemistry and Physics in Kiswahili. Some of these Bongo students came to top institutions like Wellesley and Harvard, and did as well as those we studied science in German, Korean and Spanish. I knew so much about several African countries and the only one I had been was Ghana. Google has always been a very good friend of mine.

Culture is important. At MIT, when I was taking my first exams, I realised there were no invigilators. As someone who wrote BECE (KNUST-JSS) and SSCE (Presec) with invigilators ensuring no one cheats, that really boggled my mind. Interestingly, no one tried to cheat during exams at MIT. That's culture, that's following good behaviour. This is how you drive ethics as well. But also, the students themselves accepted this culture and held it true. If you think this is impossible to do in Ghana, go and research Ashesi University. You might already know how much I adore Patrick Awuah and Ashesi.

One of the best things about MIT is it being in Cambridge, near Boston. I was able to visit several top universities thanks to being there. Harvard was down the road by bus. MIT like several top universities in the US is home to a large number of atheists. I found myself as one of the most religious students there. You know why? Because I became a campus ministry leader. Me? Lol. I was vice-president of the Catholic Students Association at Presec, but that is a level below being an evangelist. My faith and religious attitude was challenged. I believe in God still, I always will. I had several conversations with people there which opened my mind to many worldviews, and I learnt a lot from that. I realised that ethics, good morals, discipline are what drives societies to succeed more and not just being religious. I have become less superstitious. Deeds are paramount, as faith is important.

MIT and Stanford have really shaped me. It showed me so many possibilities and due to that, while I accept the realities of where I might be, I'm always looking at how myself or others can do better in those situations. Surely, they are world class institutions with a lot of funding, great networks, etc.... but these places thought me that in spite of things available to me, I have to go out and grab available opportunities, while leveraging whatever is around for me for more. No matter which place you are in, people compete. So you must do your best. And you should learn to collaborate as well, and work in teams. So much of our grades in these schools depended on work done with others. So you would have to learn to work with people (by force), and realise how you combine your powers determines how successful you all are.

By now, you should realised that MIghTy African comes from 2 things, MIT and Africa. But yeah, I am an African and I want to be as mighty as possible :-)

On January 11, 2019, I joined the Success Drive Whatsapp platform to be featured, share, answer questions, etc.
This was set up by Derrick Obeng of Campus Radio Ghana. This was similar to the conversation I had with the NUGS Volta Region Bloc Women's Platform to share and discuss volunteeringh, following after Barcamp Ho coordinator Courage Christson Tetteh had done something similar with them earlier. Pamela Klutse made that one happen and I blogged about it as well. 2 awesome people who all were part of the Barcamp Ho 2018 organizing team. We discussed many things on the Success Drive show, it was like a hot seat - #KonnectKouch (watch this space). Edith Bannerman, the host, asked me: "So studying at MIT and Stanford? How did that go?" I picked up #MightyAfrican from my tertiary education in the US. Let's dig into that. I hope you find some oil you can use.

Studying at both places was great and fun. At Stanford, I did my masters in construction, engineering management. I wanted to learn management because I realised I had so many interests and didn't want to stick to engineering alone. By this time, I had started my first enterprise - Museke - an African music online business. This is when I started to love technology even more. Stanford was a great place for me, since it is the heart of Silicon Valley, a place where the Google co-founders studied. I spent a lot of my Stanford time exploring different classes, working for different companies, etc. I wasn't as interested in my Masters program (alone). I took 2 Swahili classes even though I lived in a place that had a huge number of Spanish speakers. This is a major reason why I was in California for 5 years. I don't regret it. I found my real self.

Though I went to a couple of Ghanaians in Boston events while at MIT, I took this to another level in California (a state with smaller African numbers per capita). For spring break 2007, I traveled to Buffalo, Syracuse, Ithaca, and New York. I went to the Ghana@50 celebration in Syracuse and at Cornell University (another top academic institution I almost went to, twice). I went to several Ghanaian and African events in Californian communities, befriending Africans who lived there. Some of these were unlike me, they didn't come to Yankee for university, they entered America with visitor visas or the lottery, understanding their dynamics and learning from engaging with them. I joined a Ghanaian recreational football team in the Bay Area where we played often and participated in some African themed tournaments. Preparation, fitness, smartness is as important as skill when it comes to sports. Since there aren't as many football fanatics in Yankee, I managed to be an important defender on a semi-professional soccer team in the Bay - Palo Alto FC. I can still remember when I scored my first goal after a corner. I remember when I was by the left hand corner and bended it like Beckham for another goal. I didn't do any dances after scoring like Asamoah Gyan does though. Joining this team helped me network with many others - especially non-Africans.

One of the most poignant things about my time at Stanford was... every time I'd see students working together in the library, I wasn't always thinking they were working on homework, most times I thought they were working on a startup. Think about that again. It was so common. That kind of environment really challenged me. The drive for success was very high, in the majority of people 'on the Farm'. There were so many smart people at Stanford, some of which had already started projects and that was inspiring for me. I also realised I had to use the resources around me even more, so I did a better job milking Stanford than I did for MIT. I have come to love design thinking even more.

Just like MIT, I was heavily involved in the Stanford African Students Association. I did spoken word pieces at multiple African themed events. We had Africans from all over, and students who had grown up in African households in the US were active members. For one of our meetings, I prepared waakye for 40 people. Yeap, I could cook paa :-) My love for waakye started at Presec. Stanford was a great community that helped me personally and professionally. We did lots of things together within and outside Stanford. I never used to interact much with graduate students at MIT but while a graduate student at Stanford, I interacted with lots of undergrads. Lots of mutual benefit too hehe. I befriended lots of Black Americans too. And that's not because of Barack Obama or the fact that Condoleeza Rice was lecturing at Stanford. I was also part of the team that organized the first Stanford African Business Forum. This was useful for me as we started the Barcamps in Ghana in 2008. We had a Stanford Ghanaian Students Association but that was not very active.

While in California, I started dating my second girlfriend. She was not in the arguably the most expensive zip codes in the US, she schooled elsewhere in the Golden State. She is Nigerian. Yeap, I was very Pan-African. I met her at a concert where Alikiba (Tanzanian musician) & Longombas (Kenyan musicians) were performing. What are you doing at a Tanzanian music concert 90 minutes away from where you live? It is a rhetorical question if you have been reading :-) My love for networking was even stronger in a place where public transport was difficult and I did not own a #vimride. I spent a lot of time going to various places in the Bay Area, visiting companies, friends, etc. I went to Ghanaian churches in Oakland sef. I was engaging for personal, friendship and professional reasons. I figured I didn't do such a good job at MIT, so I had to do better while at Stanford.

One thing I loved about Stanford was the fact that while it was one of the best universities in the world for academics and the world of work, it was also top-notch in sports. Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie, Christen Press, John McEnroe, Chiney Ogwumike, were all at Stanford, using their world class facilities. I tried golf there, once. I watched Inter Milan play at Stanford University, yeap, once. By being close to San Francisco, I got to watch Barcelona (and Messi) play as well. Being able to experience so many awesome things by being in that environment was super. I always biked while on the Farm (so I was very fit), and I even run 10 kilometres once (for charity)!

MIT and Stanford have really shaped me. It showed me so many possibilities and due to that, while I accept the realities of where I might be, I'm always looking at how myself or others can do better in those situations. Surely, they are world class institutions with a lot of funding, great networks, etc.... but these places thought me that in spite of things available to me, I have to go out and grab available opportunities, while leveraging whatever is around for me for more. No matter which place you are in, people compete. So you must do your best. And you should learn to collaborate as well, and work in teams. So much of our grades in these schools depended on work done with others. So you would have to learn to work with people (by force), and realize how you combine your powers determines how successful you all are.

MIT was awesome, but there was so much to do within Stanford, and it had a bigger community. Both are great, but I think Stanford is a better institution for undergraduate degree, while MIT is better for graduate. I switched it around but it's all good. But there is a reason why the name is MIghTy African. It comes from 2 things, MIT and Africa. But yeah, I am an African and I want to be as mighty as possible :-)

BarCamp Tema 2019 is a free networking forum bringing people together for a day of learning, sharing, networking and mentoring. It would be held at the Ghana Ports & Harbour Authority's Conference Room (2nd Floor, GPHA Towers) on June 15. The theme is "Building enterprising communities, and creating wealth." Barcamp Tema 2019 seeks to raise a community of young people who are very able and ingenious in business dealings (enterprising) and would be able to make money and create wealth. The #bctema resources lead, Peter Asare Nyarko who has also run multiple financial literacy breakouts at Barcamps adds: “True wealth is about a lot more than just money. Yes, it’s true that financial independence is all about money, but living a wealthy life isn’t. This distinction is critical”.

Barcamp Tema is organized primarily by the GhanaThink Foundation, an organization based both in Ghana and the USA.
GhanaThink has successfully organized 96 BarCamps in Ghana, as part of its Barcamp Ghana program.
Barcamp Tema 2019 is the 8th of its kind and it aims at creating a platform for young people to share ideas on - how to identify, clarify and convert opportunities into business ventures by learning to engage and leverage their passions. It also seeks to promote partnerships that are directed towards providing a support base for young entrepreneurs and innovators. Barcamp Ghana is 10 years old - #BarcampGhanaAt10.

Leonard Hagan co-founded Barcamp Tema in 2012 as a project within GhanaThink while a student of Central University College (Miotso).
He is currently part of the Barcamp Ghana team which oversees Barcamps all over Ghana.
He mentioned: “Barcamp Tema over the years has contributed to the general development of the youth in and around Tema. The event empowers participants through innovative and informative discussions. Barcamp Tema 2019 seeks to be better than previous years though resourceful mentoring sessions, panel discussions and breakout session not leaving out the fruitful partnership that can be established through networking”.

At a Barcamp, one can expect: Mentoring by professionals or entrepreneurs |
Networking with like-minded individuals - you could find your business or project partner |
Celebrating some of the best of our community and beyond | Breakout sessions that you can also lead.
There are many videos like this video on YouTube which showcases what happens at Barcamps.
Some of the confirmed mentors include -
Ofosua Dokor, Michael Bakah, Whitney Boakye Mensah, Nathan Quao, Patricia Lakai-Mensah, Louis Yaw Afful,
Sidney Rockson, Emmaline Datey, Akumaa Mama Zimbi, Richard Afari-Kwayisi, Felicia Edem Attipoe, Albert K Frimpong,
Celicia, David Alema-Mensah, Josephine Amankwah, Ebenezer, Inna Patty, Adwoa Asantewaa Nyarko, Anthonia Fesu -
see more info on the Barcamp Tema Facebook page.

Benjamin Adadevoh, who leads Barcamp Tema, stated: “People living in Tema have benefited a lot from Barcamp Tema events. Learning from various mentors, networking and sharing ideas have contributed to skills development, critical thinking and positive attitudes among the youth”. Yvonne Blasu participated in her first Barcamp Tema in 2017 and is now the logistics lead. She adds: “Barcamp Tema gets better every year and 2019 promises nothing less. We have very interesting mentors coming through this year. You don't want to miss out.”

Barcamp Tema is being supported by Viva Springs Ltd, InnoSpace, Naya Naturals, IPMC Tema, Juicy Shake Hub, Jollof Pot & the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority. Barcamps in Ghana have always looked to work with local partners who help bring in resources to make the free networking forums better and localized.

Register at theBarCamp Tema eventbrite website - http://barcamptema19.eventbrite.com. Join us to move the Greater Accra Region and Ghana forward. Stay tuned via social media - #bctema and on Twitter and Facebook

BarCamp Takoradi 2019 is a networking forum to bring people together for a day of learning, sharing, networking and mentoring. The theme is "The Capacity of enterprising youth to create wealth". Barcamp Takoradi is on Saturday, August 17 at the SSNIT Conference Room. The lead coordinator for Barcamp Takoradi, Herbert Acheampong stated: “I’m expecting new faces, thrilling ideas and fun”.

Barcamp Takoradi is organized primarily by the GhanaThink Foundation, an organization based both in Ghana and the USA, which has successfully organized 101 BarCamps in Ghana. This is organized as part of the Barcamp Ghana program, which is building a network of changemakers, doers and entrepreneurs in Ghana. Barcamp Takoradi 2019 is the 8th edition held in the Western Regional capital of Sekondi-Takoradi.

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. 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. For Herbert, “Barcamp Takoradi is a place where young people meet to network, share ideas and meet professionals to be mentored”.

What to expect?

Mentoring by professionals or entrepreneurs.
Networking with like-minded individuals - you could find your business or project partner
Celebrating some of the best of our community and beyond
Breakout sessions that you can also lead

Our speed mentoring session will help participants gain insights and answers to questions. Some confirmed speed mentors includeIshmael Quaicoe, Grace Danso, Nana Kwesi Coomson, Joshua Anim, Kofi Koomson, Nana Kweku Ofori Atta, Reddaka Johnson, Aikins Amponsah Darkwah, Michael Asare Boadu, Lady Queen Blankson, Prince Smart Bonney, Isaac Ebo-Newton, etc. Learn more about them on the Barcamp Takoradi Facebook page and on Twitter.

Our partners are AdFocus, Naa Sika, Radio Premier 100.5 FM, VMinc, Hope In Motion, etc

Patrick Keli, the online lead for Barcamp Ghana talked about his expectations: “I'm expecting at least 2 projects to come from Barcamp Takoradi this year. At this year's Barcamp Takoradi, I expect that the female mentors and participants dominate that of the males”.

Register via barcamptakoradi18.eventbrite.com. Contact us via barcamp at ghanathink.org for sponsorship or partnership opportunities. Stay tuned via the #bctdi hashtag. Stay tuned via our social media. Twitter |Facebook|Google

A lot of people have always wondered why I talk a lot about

2:33pm (and 2:33am)
The number 233
The number 23
#233moments

I post 233moments on Twitter & Facebook.

When people ask me, either individually or in a group, I ask them to guess the significance of these numbers. I do not remember most of the guesses, maybe because I am so focused on the answer.

Well, the answer is - 233 is Ghana's country code.
Deep sigh or whatever emotion you have right now lol.

I started posting 233moments at 2:33pm to talk about where I am, things going in with me, important or interesting things I had to say. When I am awake at 2:33am, I also post. Sometimes, I intentionally wait till 2:33am to do the post if it is not far from time, etc.

No, I don't post #233moments every day, sometimes I forget and remember too late. Even then, if I really have something important to say, I would post it and use the qualifiers - Way Past, 23.3 minutes past, 3 hours past, etc. It is that serious lol.

March 23 aka 3-23 feels like Ghana.
Like when you are born on 23-3.
The 233rd day of the year (August 20 hehehe) is for Ghana.
2:33pm is Ghana's time.
A count of 23 or 233.
Like when I decided to blog 233 times in 2013.
Like when someone scores 233 points in a Words With Friends game.
Like when someone gets to 233 followers on Twitter.
Like when you buy 233 Ghana cedis worth of fuel
Like when you drink 2.33 cups of water.
Like when you have just had Sobolo on a Saturday
Like when a media guru says there are 233 radio stations in Ghana.
Withdrawing an amount of money that is a multiple of 233.
Like when you are in a training and the time comes
Like when there is a Wikipedia page edit.
Like when 233 goals have been scored in the Ghana FA Cup.
Like when you shout something about Ghana to 23 people.
Like when you post a blog at 23:33pm ;-)
Like when you wait to post a blog at 2:33am Ghana time :-D

The number can, should be, has been used to brand Ghana.

It was great to see Efo Dela and co start to use #233moments to signify Ghanaian moments or moments that feel very much like Ghana. Mistakes, especially on billboards, tend to feature a lot too, At a Blogcamp run by Blogging Ghana in 2013, I was asked to share about #233moments because the organizers thought it was a great way to brand Ghana. I asked Efo Dela to also share as well.

A Google Doodle on Ghana.
A funny caption or statement on a trotro.
Great related Ghanaian news.
A funny newspaper headline
Marketing billboard(s) gone wrong

When Fiesta Condoms releases a condom brand for the times
When the R & L problem arises

When many people are thinking about taxes
When spelling mistakes happen on church billboards
When the taxi driver wants to tell you something
When you need to make an important PSA
When you have a 233 moments section of a 233 Chat app.

When you start an interview series and call it (or ask) 23.3 questions.
W8! W@!?

In 2020, the folks at WearGhana wanted to brand Ghana even more during the month of March. So through some discussions with me & GhanaThink, we started sharing about Ghana around 2:33pm and I also had the chance to talk about #233moments at Starbites in East Legon.

As for the number 23, I am sure you get the point now, it is very close to a multiple of 233. But the other reason I really love this number is Michael Jordan. Yes, the Greatest Of All Timein basketball. The number David Beckham, one of my favorite all-time footballers also wore on his jersey. But you know the most important reason already. Join us to post #233moments. Some companies do as well! ;-)

What at all is this 23.3/233 thing?
Well, you have probably seen #233moments right? Learn about it here.

When people ask me about the number or the hashtag, either individually or in a group, I ask them to guess the significance of these numbers. I do not remember most of the guesses, maybe because I am so focused on the answer.

Well, the answer is - 233 is Ghana's country code.
Deep sigh or whatever emotion you have right now lol.

The number can, should be, has been used to brand Ghana.
Dig it?

Well, I can tell you one person who has been digging it. Khophi!

Khophi started this 23.3 questions interview series and I was one of the first to be interviewed. It is a bit of a long video but let your curiosity get the best of you.

Blog posts should not always have so much to read, so let's finish it :-)

Check out the following 23.3 questions episodes as well.
Kafui Anson-Yevu who I have worked with on GhanaThink on Barcamp Accra, etc and she also works on PhotoWalkGH, Women TechMakers via Google and used to work with Impact Hub Accra.

David Oscar Dogbe, who you might remember from TV - stand up comedy, etc. He was a Barcamp Koforidua mentor as well. He is a musician, check out his music too.

Oral Ofori who I have been involved in Wikimedia Ghana with. He did a really comprehensive interview with me, especially about Barcamp Ghana for his #TheAfricanDream media business.

Regina Honu of Soronko Academy (from TechNeeds Girls). We were part of the same Global Shaper Hub and she has mentored at multiple Barcamps.

Eyram Tawia who I have known since my school days from Kumasi and remains a close friend to today. The Leti Arts guy, and more hehe

What questions would you have liked Khophi to ask me?
Yes, imagine I am on the Konnect Kouch.
First time hearing about the #Konnect Kouch? Read more here.

I get into a lot of discussion on Whatsapp groups these days. For good reason and good measure :-)
I have blogged about some of those via these - especially about volunteerism due to a conversation I was part of in the NUGS Volta Women's Bloc.

In April 2020, a video about Fred McBagonluri was circulating on Ghanaian Whatsapp. Fred went to MIT (my alma mater), was the first Dean of Engineering at Ashesi (one of my favorite universities worldwide) and he now leads Academic City which is also doing and growing well.

Someone reacted to the video seeming to say Fred is able to do the things he does because he went to a top university abroad. I went to one of those and that is not the whole story. Africans who go to universities in Africa can also be world class. Let me expand upon my thoughts with actual submissions I made on the Whatsapp page - called South Tongu Business Hub. Those from Sogakope and nearby, what's up?

KNUST alumni who are exposed and have educated themselves very well can do what Fred is doing. Study Isaac Sesi and what he is doing with Sesi Technologies, them dey force! If you are part of the KNUST community like Isaac was and you join great networks and learn under the right people and organizations, you'd be fine. Yes, the challenges dey plenty. Follow the good advice and you'd see good results. ⁨Cherubim Mawuli⁩ who is #NotYourAverageGhanaian like Isaac Sesi, shared some when we were having the discussion. Like Isaac, he is a KNUST alumni. They both were part of the first cohort of social entrepreneurs trained by GhanaThink's GYSEP which is now called Komseko. Mawuli co-founded Ho Node, a hub working with lots of youth in the Volta Region. One thing I love about Isaac as well is his features on awesome young Africans.

I am really proud of lots of university students in Ghana who have thrived due to networks they joined, training they went through etc. Ivy Barley was also part of this cohort (another KNUST alum), and she has done a great job with Developers In Vogue. She currently works at the Microsoft HQ. Isaac Sesi was featured in the MIT Technology Review. He has really been able to practice engineering and continues to succeed at it, running a great startup, garnering many grants and winning various competitions.

In MIT, every student (including engineering) is forced to take 8 humanities classes which cover arts and business before graduation. This makes students well rounded, it stems from how students are even admitted. That might be hard to do in the current education systems in Ghana especially at high school level. But if the schools and universities can find a way for students to take subject classes and not always classes with those in their one class, this can be done more easily. Students must be well exposed to the community around them, experience peer mentoring and pick up great information.

While we wait for GES and co, we must contribute through extra-curricular etc. It's for our collective benefit. There are several clubs which encourage and run extra-curricular courses. Some teachers should take their time to introduce some in the core subjects. It is tougher these days with the huge class sizes (due to Free SHS, etc) but still workable. The educators reading this, don't fail us. Akpe.

Ensure the clubs are being used effectively, make sure as many students join them. Involve external organizations to support the clubs. Bring more professionals into the classroom and find good ways to teach with them. Encourage poetry when teaching English, or robotics when teaching Integrated science, or journalism when teaching Social Studies. Allow students to sit in a Physics or Catering class if they have the chance.

We hear about practical training all the time. We cant belabor that point. It involves more creativity in teaching and teachers can get help to do this well. But it stems from understanding. If you understand concepts you are teaching or training on well, you can use lots of local examples to drive the concept home. If the teachers want to improve themselves, they'd learn how to do this accordingly. It makes them better teachers, better workers elsewhere and better entrepreneurs. We need to technocreate.

If one doesn't have the diversity of training etc in schools in Ghana, they can gain this elsewhere. Track records, ability to deliver and demonstration of skills can be gained through who you work with, where you work, how and where and why you volunteer, etc. Some opportunities would require formal education but increasingly, if you prove how good you are, lots of great organizations would work with you.

Besides, that's the internet is there for. If you believe the formal education in our part of the world is not great, there are several online classes to take or videos to watch to learn something different. MIT has been sharing its courses on line for free since 2006 through OCW. I have realised that several university students in Ghana are almost like students who went to top universities abroad because of how much they learnt on the internet, and learning from great places. This had held true from the times of those who run 233Tech, Leti Arts till today, creating success stories.

I suggested that one of the members in the Whatsapp group, ⁨Bismark Nartey⁩, tell us more about Joshua Otoo who he was in the Kosmos Innovation Center Agritech Challenge with in 2019. Joshua never went through formal education like many in Ghana did. But through his curiosity and environment (he grew up in a village), he learnt a lot from the internet and is one of the foremost people around internet of things and tech amongst youth in Africa.

I had interviewed Joshua Opoku Agyemang Otoo on the Konnect Kouch for Accra Konnect 2 just a few days before. I was trying to.understand why and how he is different. We need to know stories like Joshua's so we tell everyone. We can mainstream his attitude by multimedia productions, organizations reaching more kids and driving similar good messages, and arming ourselves with great examples to share anytime.

But teachers and students are more interested in exams, many would say. If the end result is doing well in.exams, teachers can trust that their methods would make students pass. Otherwise, if they know they're doing the best for the students and have examples they can show, the future would decide and show they were right and those who need to thank the teachers would thank them.

Joshua's story reminds me of William Kamkwamba's. Aren't we glad that his story has been made into a movie!!!!? Every African has to watch that movie - The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. I got to know of his story quite early, thanks to Twitter, even before he ended up becoming a student of the African Leadership Academy in South Africa. This Malawian boy's story was so inspirational. He shared his story at TED Global in Arusha in 2007 and he was also at MakerFaire Africa in 2009 organized by fellow Barcamp Ghana co-founders Henry Barnor and Nii Simmonds. He was also on the Daily Show before Trevor Noah became the host.

Trevor Noah became famous in South Africa and in African circles before he got the chance to host one of the most popular talk shows in the world. His training locally, his research online to see what is happening elsewhere, his networks all got him to his current status. Many youth in Africa can leverage stories like these above to improve and do better and better.

We all need to contribute to this in our communities to ultimately make our cultural neighbourhoods better. I told those in the Whatsapp group, "We here especially have to rise above excuses. We can learn how to do well so we have less and less excuses". More vim to us all as we improve so we all improve!

In 2013, the GhanaThink Foundation decided to institute National Volunteer Day - NVDay. This was to encourage many people in Ghana to volunteer, make an impact in our communities, help solve problems in ways we could, and help people. It wasn't just to help people, but help ourselves as volunteers : in building skills - especially soft skills, gaining experience, networks, etc. Info about the first couple of years are on Wikipedia. GhanaThink chose Founders' Day - September 21. By volunteering around September 21, we would also be doing something for Ghana. On December 5, 2013, the Ghana Volunteer Program program (GVP) was created by GhanaThink to run National Volunteer Day and match volunteers to volunteer opportunities. Even though September 21 became Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, it is still National Volunteer Day.

In 2020, NVDay is encouraging the celebration of volunteers and for people to volunteer safely and creatively due to the corona virus pandemic. GVP team member Adelina Martey stated: “Volunteering something during this trying period, whether it’s your time, resources, strength or support, can still make an impact even if from a distance. Whenever and however we choose to #volunteeringh this year, remember everyone still wins.” GhanaThink’s online lead, Seyram Ahiabor, added: “There is no perfect time to volunteer. There is always something to do to help another. We are not in normal times so volunteer safely by observing all safety protocols. So go #VolunteerInGH and make that difference!”

Here is a snapshot of what has happened in the past with the Ghana Volunteer Program program

2013: 34 activities, 233+ volunteers, 11 towns, 7 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2014: 80 activities, 300+ volunteers, 17 towns, 10 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2015: 80+ activities, 1000+ volunteers, 20 towns, 10 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2016: 70+ activities, 1000+ volunteers, 24 towns, 9 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2017: 70+ activities, 1000+ volunteers, 27 towns, 10 regions, 1000s of beneficiaries
2018-2019: similar number of activities and volunteers, with 1000s of beneficiaries

Volunteering through NVDay has enabled several people to gain leadership, teamwork, and other skills because they are given opportunities to learn on the job. This is similar for many Volunteeringh opportunities all year round for people in Ghana. There are so many examples of #volunteeringh activities one can do. Eleanor Asare (a member of the Ghana Volunteer Program team which runs NVDay) has leveraged it to build the CSR Hub. Kuukuwa Manful started SociArchi after leading about 40 people to build a playground for a school in Accra. Sampson Deklu (the Partnerships lead for Barcamp Ghana) started volunteering and is now running #ThousandFor1000.

GhanaThink is run by more than 100 volunteer members. The Ghana Volunteer Program is run by a team made up of - Adelina Martey, William Osilaja-Boampong, Enock Nyamador, Gerald Sowah and Eleanor Asare. They are ably supported by GhanaThink’s executive team, especially Ato Ulzen-Appiah& Seyram Ahiabor. Various teams of GhanaThink members in different towns support this team in localized activities, etc. Our GhanaThink members are some of the most influential young Ghanaians who have excelled in their various fields of endeavours.

Through GVP, a volunteerism program has been launched and started for accounting students at University of Ghana Business School. Several Rotaract and Leo Clubs in Ghana have gained new members through people volunteering with them during NVDay. Several people volunteered for the first time during National Volunteer Day and continue to volunteer. Many people have found internships and jobs from networking at volunteeringh activities.

These are some of the activities that happen during NVDay: Tutoring in a subject, Teaching a particular skill or talent Blood donation drives, Clean-up exercises, Orphanage visits + donation, Improving infrastructure, health screenings & talks, ICT training for youth, Painting schools, Mentoring events, etc. See organizing tips, etc on the volunteering.org website.

Can't volunteer? Support financially by donating via https://expresspaygh.com/nvday or via mobile money. Register, join activities or find more info via https://volunteeringh.org. Think of how you can help someone during this period. We are using the hashtag #NVDay2020. Another GVP team member, William Boampong Osilaja, sums it up nicely, “If you no volunteer, wetin u gain”

This article first appeared on The Raw Africa in 2017. I have not been blogging as much since but I think these nuggets are still relevant.

Be consistent with what you blog about

I started my first blog in 2005 on GhanaThink’s GhanaConscious platform. I was really passionate about Ghana’s development at the time. Hiplife had also become the dominant genre in Ghana and I love it, especially Obrafour. I wanted to marry development and music so I came up with Abocco’s blog — sounds on da ground and see-ins on the scenes. From the blog name, sounds have to do with music while ground means relevance. See-ins was a play on words about what I am seeing and was related to scenes which signifies what was happening in Ghana. I always blogged about Ghanaian songs and how they related to society. An example was a post about Obrafour’s Ako which touched on politics and verbal battles.

I blogged often, at least once a month so that the blog didn’t become stale. You do not want a disappointed reader who has nothing new to read. Once you have many blog posts, this becomes less of an issue. I blog about particular topics too: youth, music, sports, tech, etc.

Leverage relevant and timely topics

From my first blog, I always blogged about popular songs and trendy issues. I continued to do the same in my next blog dubbed MightyAfrican’s blog. On my GhanaConscious blog, I blogged about Sidney’s Abuskeleke & Mzbel’s 16 years and its relation to female child molestation. My most recent post was about Ghana’s Independence day which also marked Ghana At 60. Even though I blogged about Ghana60YearsOn, the post was also about something that had happened in my life.

It is important to blog about trendy topics because people who go online often google about these topics. If your content is unique, relevant and has some good views already, your blog post would be found.

Have an engaging and entertaining writing style

Many people go to websites to read news and get information. They tend to choose popular websites too. For people to choose yours, yours must be special and different. I love to read and love to read entertaining pieces that are not like pages from a newspaper or a text book. I adopted an entertaining style for my writing and it has worked for me. This is because many people like to read entertaining pieces. I live an interesting life so it also shows in my blog and writing style. I love to write blog posts about personal stories so I have a whole section for it!

Some of my best blog posts were part of a series about things that actually happened to me. I had my wallet and phone pickpocketed on March 6, 2013 and within a week, I had the contents of my wallet and my phone back. You may be asking how. I blogged about it and called it — Retrieving pick-pocketed items in Accra, Ghana — the series. I released the posts one by one and people were clamoring for the next chapters!

Build a following on your blog and engage them

It’s important to interact with people who comment on your blog in the comments section. It shows you care about your readers and what they think. It also keeps them coming back to respond or read other blog posts. Similarly, it is important to find out where your blog posts have been referenced or shared on social media. You should comment on those articles or social media posts to show care for people who appreciate your writing or blogs.

It is also important to link various blog posts of yours with others by mentioning them. Every now and then, you can write a blog post just for your readers, I once wrote a blog post telling my readers I was changing the name of my blog. It’s also good to write a blog post mentioning other blog posts. You could also try writing a blog post showing others talking about your blog posts!

Adapt & leverage media and tools around you

In 2012, I realised that I had become a huge fan of Twitter. I was tweeting all the time. A lot of the content I wanted to share or stories I wanted to tell were hitting the world wide web through Twitter. As the years went by, I was tweeting more and blogging less. That’s when I realised, I could leverage my tweets to do blog posts. I started tweeting about things happening with the mindset that I would use those tweets to do a blog post later. In my later blog posts, readers could see my tweets and how I was feeling at the time the blog content was unveiling. They could also find me on social media and follow or share posts.

It’s also important to use images and videos in your posts because unless your writing is extremely entertaining like mine normally is, readers would get bored. Pictures and videos bring emotion out of readers and they enjoy seeing these.

It is clear I write blog posts when inspired. Today was one of those days. Funny enough, earlier today, I had thought about what am I doing for Africa Day. You know the one that was made a holiday in Ghana within 201 and then was removed as a statutory holiday in 2017? The day on which the Organization of African Unity was formed, even as the OAU is now known as the AU (African Union). A day synonymous with Africa's Man of the 20th Century, Kwame Nkrumah. Yes, the guy I like to write to letters to (Letta to Osagyefo). Anyway, Kwame Nkrumah is also famous for leading the formation of Tema, affectionately known as Ghana's Industrial City. On this Africa Day 2021, I shared about "Building Entreprising Communities & Creating Wealth" at the Rotary Club of Tema's virtual meeting, inspired by the theme for Barcamp Tema 2019.

Here is a summary of what I shared. I started by saying "Happy Africa Day o!" with Diaspora Camp also in mind.

I talked about GhanaThink, sharing our mission, vision and standard introduction. We talk about a lot of network at GhanaThink, mentioning a GhanaThink network. We have several communities as well. Like our other Barcamps, communities have emerged out of Barcamp Tema. The Google Group tied to #bctema is still useful. The Konnect groups which are Whatsapp communities are growing in several ways, with Tema Konnect one of the most active, with multiple physical and virtual Konnect meetups.

I also shared about the work of Rotary Clubs and Rotaract Clubs in Ghana, how we partnered with them for Barcamp Tema at the Tema Rotary Centre. I admire their work, and how they are particular about service. It is important in discussing the success and impact of National Volunteer Day in Ghana, where such clubs run #volunteeringh activities annually. #NVDay.

Entrepreneurship is defined in multiple ways, but for me, entrepreneurs are those who take on risk and reap rewards. To be successful at any entreprise, you need to do a lot of research. I shared about this quote I first heard at #bctema 2019, made by Bright who was representing IPMC at the event. "As an entrepreneur, you need to do your research well, or else your side hustle will hassle you". I added this one, “Commercialization is the observation of this civilization. This is a song from the 1970s. You have to observe the people, know their needs, then you can commercialize”, stated by another Barcamp Tema participant, Selassie. Research is important to figure out the pain points of customers, what they would pay for and potentially how much, as well as all the ingredients that go into one's business model canvas, pitch deck, business plan, etc.

In researching for this presentation, I went through the 2010 Census Report on Tema. A couple of important stats: "Of the population 11 years and above, 91.1 percent are literate and 8.9 percent are nonliterate". Chalk up one up for Tema. "About 72.0 percent of the populations aged 15 years and older are economically active". Key word here is active

“I’ve been getting ideas for businesses. I decided I’m going to start lean, bootstrap. I learnt a lot from
@GhanaThink’s #Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program. I learnt about pricing too.”- Esperanza Yakubu @EspeeGH at #bctema

I referred to this tweet by Esperanza Yakubu while also sharing about how GhanaThink trained 44 social entrepreneurs via our Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program (now known as the Komseko program).

I also talked about some important aspects of entrepreneurship. I find it very important to bootstrap: work with small amount of money, time or even effort for great results and impact. Lean methodologies and lean practices are also critical for any entrepreneur, especially one in Africa where funding is not easy to come by. Yes, you may have been hearing about lots of big investments in African-led or African-focused startups, that's a microcosm of the ecosystem. I shared about ideation and the need to pilot and work on a minimum viable product.

Like we have learnt, Tema was created as an industrial city. More stats: 26.3 percent are employed in wholesale and retail; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles industry, followed by 18.8 percent in manufacturing, 8.8 percent in transport and storage, industry and 8.2 percent in accommodation and food service industry. Buying & selling!

The census report mentioned: The country’s biggest port and harbour facilities are located in Tema. These contribute substantially to the revenue of the state but not much to Tema Metropolitan Assembly. In order to reverse this trend, the Assembly is collaborating with businesses in the shipping industry to mobilize enough revenue from the Port. This struck me! There is a shipping industry, but we need to talk about a shipping community. And communities of professionals all around Tema and beyond. Repeat after me. "Private sector is the engine of the growth". Repeat it enough times till you are tired of it and have to absolutely tell someone in an African government that you know. Or take it from Tema = The private informal sector is the largest employer (65.4%), followed by Private formal sector (23.6%) and public (government sector (9.3%)

There is a big opportunity in processing and value added companies - not just due to the industrial history of Tema but in also being on the outskirts of Accra, sheer number of people in the informal sector and the number of literate people. About 31.5 percent are in service and sales occupations - good opportunity in services - especially targeting community by community.

I shared about a few other communities important to see more entrepreneurship in, in Tema. Tourism, think about the traditional and newly created festivals, the Greenwich Meridian in Community 1, Meridian Stone, the Sakumono Beach (sparing a thought for Accra beaches), and the inactive Meridian Hotel. You cannot talk about Tema and not mention music. Several top young Ghanaian musicians have emerged from Tema: Sarkodie, King Promise, R2Bees, or nearby Ashaiman: Stonebwoy. They all make #MusicWeDeyFeel. What about community health services - mobile services? Health can be delivered in communities around Tema, or public health education if you may. Did you know that almost a third (31.2%) of all dwelling units in the Metropolis are compound houses?

“If communities can change, neighbours”- Diana Setsofia Agbenyo at #bctema

It is important for members of a community to support businesses within it. Neighbourhoods can also grow particular businesses. Community 1 is the Central Business District for Tema. Several businesses can work out of this. We always party after Barcamps in Ghana - we call them after-parties. A couple of years after having Barcamp Tema at the Rotary Centre, we could not find places to party in Tema for the duration of the night (which meant multiple places) - making us end in clubs in Accra. One year, 2018 I think, we decided we should party only in Tema - no matte what. We succeeded. A couple of communities in Tema can be the ones for entertainment, lifestyle, family outings, etc. Think of new communities, like Community 25, it is ripe for delivery services to all the estates in there.

“If you have rich friends, pitch your business idea to them. That's one of the means to secure funds for your #business." - Lovelyn #bcTema

I recognized the Barcamp Tema team members present at the virtual meeting, Benjamin Adadevoh (team lead) and Peter Asare-Nyarko (resources lead). Peter talks a lot about financial literacy, and the ESI Principle - Earn, Save, Invest. I expanded this to talk about: Earn everywhere, Save in great places, Invest in community avenues.

Once you have entreprising communities built, where the members support each other, buy from each other, etc, wealth will be created for many. In wrapping up, I made these points - Entrepreneurs investing in others, Musicians investing in labels, Businesses in communities, Franchising in communities.

I was honoured to have been invited by the Rotary Club of Tema. Engage them on Twitter and Instagram.

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