a #vesselofchange initiative
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orn and bred on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois on January 7th,1964 she has always had the passion for solving world issues such as poverty, malnutrition, bad eating habits leading to obesity, and illiteracy. In the year 2010, she launched a campaign called LET’S MOVE! This campaign sought to help reduce obesity among children. It brought on board parents, educators and medical professionals to help curb obesity by providing kids with healthier choices of meals in school, engaging in activities that make them physically fit as well as having companies making and selling healthier foods for kids. Another project of hers in 2010, was to launch a campaign to help underprivileged children by providing them with either free meals or meals at really subsidised prices to enable the children to access food to aid in their physical and mental growth. Her love for kids compelled her to take up this initiative. Before becoming the first lady of the United States of America, she was a lawyer and also worked as a Chicago City administrator and community outreach worker. Working at the Chicago law firm gave her the chance to meet her handsome husband, former President Barack Obama after which they got married and now have two
beautiful daughters. Having a good fashion sense, she appeared twice on the cover of Vogue Magazine and made it on the cover of Vanity Fair’s best-dressed list. That did not end there, and during the inauguration for their second term of office, she and her daughters wowed the people with their stunning choice of clothes. She is indeed a woman of style and class. Being a woman who holds two Ivy League degrees, she decided to launch the Reach Higher Initiative. This campaign aimed at helping people to take charge of their future by further educating themselves past the high school level. Aside from this, she wanted the people to gain knowledge on financial aid, career opportunities and engage teachers to help students in any positive way they can so they do not have any excuse to skip school if they are willing to further their education. Also, she urges girls to break the glass ceiling that society has placed in the work environment. Though it is not an easy task, she believes that with hard work, love and faith, it is possible and achievable.Fashion Icon, child advocate, mother of two, former First Lady of the United States of America, Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mrs Michelle LaVaughn Obama.
INSPIRATION
How To Turn Your Dream Into Reality THE DERICK OMARI WAY
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.What is your Inspiration?
I started my work because I saw a problem. And I think that should be the primary goal of every start up – solving problems. In a world where 1 out of 7 are disabled, about 900 million of persons with disability do not have access to assistive technology like hearing aids, prosthetics, smartphones, etc. Assistive technologies are expensive and inaccessible to many persons with disability. Unfortunately 80% of persons with disability who are poor are from developing countries. This means the problem is beyond comprehension in our part of the world. For example in Ghana, there are about 5 million persons with disabilities.. You can imagine the contribution they can make if empowered. But they are left at the mercy of our unsafe roads where they beg to eat. As an entrepreneur, understanding the complexities of the problem is one major step towards getting the solution. But you see, knowing the problem very well and having the passion is not enough. The most important thing is to start something. You cannot make a difference until you create something tangible.
Written By Derick Omari
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. What you need to have to get there?
You don’t need an MBA, or a fancy suit and briefcase or be above average risk averse person to start something. All you need is an idea, a touch of confidence and a push I started my organisation in my second year in college at age 19. It was tough because I didn’t know anything but I knew I wanted to change the narrative. Even after school I was torn between working full time or getting a job and doing what I do on the side. This is the confidence bit I am talking about. You cannot take things off the ground if you are not confident. You have probably heard this.. many people die with ideas in their brain. My assertion is that about 70 % of them were not confident. I had to give up a lot to do be on my own. Being faced with family pressure, experience, paying employees, getting an office space, saving for the future and many other things.I was confused about it. I ended up using all my savings. and thus got quite stranded to the point where I could not afford to even cater for the transportation of my team but I held on, prayed and worked hard. You need courage and confidence to face the storms as a starter. Because there is the high chance you will not escape difficulties. Don’t let fear cripple you. Many of my friends never started the wonderful ideas they had in mind because they thought they were going to fail in their academics. Be bold, determined, courageous and be confident to let it start.
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. What is the cost?
Be willing to pay the price to execute your idea Ideas are cheap and plentiful. The original pitch idea is such a small part of a business that it’s almost negligible. The real question is, how well will you execute? The most common excuse people give is: “There’s not enough time.” They claim they’d love to start a company, learn an instrument, write a book, or whatever, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Come on. Take Responsibility for your dream There’s always enough time if you spend it right. And don’t think you have to quit your day job, either. Hang onto it and start work on your project at night. Instead of watching TV or playing World of Warcraft, work on your idea. Instead of going to bed at ten, go to bed at eleven. I am not talking about all-nighters or sixteen-hour days– I am talking about squeezing out a few extra hours a week. That’s enough time to get something going. Once you do that, you’ll learn whether your excitement and interest is real or just a passing phase. If it doesn’t pan out, you just keep going to work every day like you’ve been doing all along. You didn’t risk or lose anything, other than a bit of time, so it’s no big deal. When you want something bad enough, you make the time–regardless of your other obligations. The truth is most people just don’t want it bad enough. Then they protect their ego with the excuse of time. Don’t let yourself off the hook with excuses. It’s entirely your responsibility to make your dreams come true. Besides, the perfect time never arrives. Focus on the what matters most When you start anything new, there are forces pulling you in a variety of directions. There’s the stuff you could do, the stuff you want to do, and the stuff you have to do. The stuff you have to do is where you should begin. The way to find that is to ask yourself this question: “If I took this away, would what I’m selling still exist?” A noodle (eg: in-
domie) stand isn’t one without indomie. You can take away the onions, garnishing etc. So figure out what part of the equation cannot be removed and focus all your energy on making it the best.
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. How do you get there with the right people on a shoestring budget?
You don’t need many people to start a team. It can be just one person. The most important thing is the person sees what you see. And should handle what you do better in your absence. You can discuss with and cater for only their transportation and meals in the beginning. So at least they are not burdened with cost which can affect their delivery. So anytime you meet or work with them you make sure you cover for that. Some of the tasks because of inadequate resources you have to learn them and do it yourself like social media, graphic design, website development, sometimes finance etc. Every recent starter at some point handled social media page. You have to always remind them of the vision. They need to be motivated at every point to hold on. Else you will loose them. You need to give them a reason to stay so they dont leave because you cannot pay them. That’s what I did. I had 3 Ashesi students.. one lady and 2 roommates whom I spoke to work with me full time. I couldn’t pay them at that time but these are some of the steps I took. Today we they are all committed to the fullest. We have done so much and everyone is on payroll. Things take time. Start small. don’t be in a hurry to expand.
BY Ahseye Alice is the night owl all her friends envy The only one that does what she does best She’s hardworking and dedicated And knows her men like the back of her hand Especially those with pockets full The big men spoil her with dinners and parties Taking her sight-seeing in other countries One good deed deserves another She’ll charm them later that night at hers With her hoots of pleasure, they fall in a trance These big men as mighty as bears The other men try their best to keep up Taking her out for drinks and little pleasures Alice allows them to entertain her Emptying their storehouses before Scolding them to go back to their wives After a night well spent wiggling and giggling Alice makes a living on her back Fancy woman with expensive tastes She speaks four languages fluently Her beguiled customers believing, Swearing she’s a foreign doll “Every job is a job”, she says “And the hand that doesn’t work doesn’t eat.”
Ahseye Stones
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hseye Stones is a jewellery line that transcends just local wrist beads. It was born out of a passion for creativity andahsa desire to share said creativity on the wrist, necks, waists and feet of people. It started in my secondary school days and peaked during my university years. It is my version of beads and my translation of culture and inspiration fused with passion. We don’t just string beads together, we carefully and purposefully arrange our beads combining textures, shapes, colours and backgrounds. We have plans of expanding and making room for more additions and space for expressions in the coming months.
ahseye_stones_
Ahseye Stones
Ahseye Stones
Art is a way of life… Beads are an expression of that life. +233205873169
COVER STORY
Cover Story
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ackie Amissah - Nunoo is a young
lady on fire for the Lord. She is currently a student at Calvin College majoring in Public Health. She is so in love with Jesus and it’s safe to say that she is obsessed with Him. She has an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit and therein flows her wisdom and passion to write. She is the author of the Flamingfiregirl Devotional, I’m into You, Jesus and many more to come. Jackie sincerely loves people and loves winning souls for Christ which is why she founded the Flamingfiregirl Ministry. They hold annual all-girl conferences to set the hearts of young women ablaze for the Lord and to burn away ‘Luke warmness.’ Between writing, spreading the Gospel and studying at school, you’ll probably find Jackie in Church passionately serving, at home cooking, or out go-karts racing with her friends and family. “I founded the Flamingfiregirl Ministry during my quiet time one morning. The Lord had been teaching me a lot about Luke warmness and expressing how much He detested it. He instructed me to start an Instagram page with a vision of raising an army of ladies on fire for the Lord. God created us all in His very own image. We understand that our God is a consuming fire and if we have been created in this same image of fire, then Luke warmness is an abomination in the sight of the Lord. God detests Luke warmness so much that a day is coming when He will spit out anyone who is lukewarm out of His mouth. A few months after receiving the call from the Lord to start the Flamingfiregirl Ministry, the Lord led me to write the Flamingfiregirl Devotional, a 365-day all-
girls devotional. Obviously, I had no experience in writing. I was only a sophomore in college and I felt very incompetent. But, trust me when I tell you that God will equip you for any and everything He calls you to. Whether it’s a special skill you need, financial, emotional support, a loyal team – whatever the need be; God will greatly equip you. Writing a book was the very last thing on my mind, heart and plans but God always has an ultimate plan that will prevail. That can sound scary but we know that the plans God has for us are good so, we have peace in giving up our will in exchange for His. The best gift I have ever giving myself is giving myself wholly and unreservedly to the Lord. Fully surrendering to the Lord has kept me in God and on fire for my sweet Jesus. My second book, I’m into you, Jesus is a book on intimacy with the Lord. We’re living in very dangerous times and the only thing that will sustain us is our intimacy with Jesus. We literally need to dwell at the feet of Jesus. That’s where our safety is, our strength, security, and everything we need to survive in the last days. Everything we need is in Jesus, so we must make it a point to stay in Him and not just visit His presence occasionally.”
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We literally need to dwell at the feet of Jesus. That’s where our safety is, our strength, security, and everything we need to survive in the last days.
Cover Story Drumroll… My third book comes out next year and I’m extremely excited about it! The title of this book is, “Loving God Deeply – Loving THE ONE who is Love.” I’ve never had so much fun writing than I have with this book. It’s a topic that’s so dear to my heart. God is to be loved, deeply. God deserves more than our empty words; He desires to see our love in action. Love is something you do and this book will teach you how to love God the right way. Above all, the fuel for my passion in serving God wholeheartedly is my love for Him. When you truly love God, there’s fire in your heart and in your bones. This fire propels you to do great things for God in your best capacity. You don’t really care who stands against you, you’re willing to FIGHT; Fight the good fight till the very end. I am not the only one God has called and I will never be. God has called you too. He’s expecting you to fully surrender to Him and accept His call on your life. Slip out of the busyness of this world and seek the face of God. You need to get intimate with Jesus and learn how to love Him deeply. You need to make it to Heaven. If you don’t, everything you’ve ever worked for and everything you’ve ever achieved in this life will be pointless. God really wants you to make it to Heaven but don’t go there alone. Make sure you step out in your calling and make fruits out of your salvation.
Kaleidoscope of Emotions Blue is the colour of your love It fails to feel with a heart turned cold I’ve never seen anything like it Tell me what went South What was once alive is now dead Red is the colour of your car The one that sneaks in and out of brothels Your woman waits without a wink Harvesting and reaping all you didn’t sow Squandering and keeping none that is yours Yellow is the colour of your dress You’re so cold yet so in fashion The colour suits you, brightens up your face The men don’t need room for imagination What others cover you share heartedly with all White is the colour of your woman The one you dragged back home with you Knowing very well the disapproval you’d meet For your people hate her kind Only because they are ignorant and primitive Black is the colour of my hair It’s soft, wooly and untamed I wear it high like a crown Unfortunately I don’t always feel like a queen I’m told it looks too nappy and unacceptable
BY Ahseye
Tsui
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hen you think handmade awesomeness, think Tsui. We create handmade bags from scratch for the modern and forward woman. Each piece is designed to make you stand out and be confident knowing that you’re making a fashion statement. Tsui is the brand straight from the heart. It literally means heart/love or patience in the Ga language. Personally, when I get inspired or excited about new ideas, I get impatient and would want to quickly execute my plans. The name Tsui reminds me to stay calm while doing what I love - creating. The moment you think of getting a bag to make your outfit pop or to glam up your style, make sure you find Tsui. We’ll help you do the magic.
The brand straight from the heart... +233205873169
Priscilla Opoku Asante CEO, Live The Life Empire
Success Story
THINK YOUR WAY OUT
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or many exquisite reasons, we stand the chance as youthful people to make a positive impact on people in terms of influence and affluence and this led to the birth of Live the Life Empire (LTL Empire). We are a youthful organization who believe in our vision as a five sense charm and to engage in business entrepreneurship and social responsibility projects. For the past four years, we have been very successful in all our endeavours to the envy of many. Our main aim is to create platforms for talent exhibition, global employment and to grant aids to the less privileged people in the society (philanthropy). The LTL mission statement which says: “ To combine creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurship for an effectually youthful global amalgamation” and our motto: “Think Your Way Out” have urged us on to do some incredible projects such as My Love Gospel Concert (Talent Exposé and Fundraiser for New Life Nungua Children’s Home) in partnership with A-Jhay Charity Foundation at the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church Auditorium, Madina-New Road in 2015. In 2016, we embarked on a social me-
dia project dubbed ‘Talent Ride’ with two editions in two different countries, China and USA to empower talented people to unleash their creative side. In the same year, we were staunched for matchless greatness as we organized The Stardom Mandate Talk of Empowerment at Early Bird School, Taifa to empower the youth to yearn for stardom in their future career . We reached out to the less privileged people in the society with an initiative tagged, Orphanage Touch Base (fundraiser for HVMI Children’s Home, Haatso). We got invited in April 2018 as a business firm representative for a business presentation on mind-set at Start Young Africa Inauguration, Ayeduase, Kumasi. In the year 2017, we began a business journey and Writers’ Lodge today caters for her clients’ CVs, business proposals, letters, write-up editing, books review etc. Our business plans are set and there is more to come. It is Live the Life Empire to the world and we can only break free, think our way out as youthful people and live the life we have been called to.
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To combine creativity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurship for an effectually youthful global amalgamation."
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
WHY LOVE? “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” — Maya Angelou There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” — George Sand “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” — Rumi “Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.” — Lao Tzu “You know it’s love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you’re not part of their happiness.” — Julia Roberts “At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” — Plato “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever.” — Alfred Tennyson “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller “Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” — Oscar Wilde “The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.” — Henry Miller
“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha “You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” — Dr. Seuss “Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.” — Khalil Gibran “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” — Alfred Lord Tennyson “Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” — Vincent Van Gogh “The art of love is largely the art of persistence.” — Albert Ellis “If you would be loved, love, and be loveable.” — Benjamin Franklin “When you adopt the viewpoint that there is nothing that exists that is not part of you, that there is no one who exists who is not part of you, that any judgment you make is self-judgment, that any criticism you level is self-criticism, you will wisely extend to yourself an unconditional love that will be the light of the world.” – Harry Palmer “Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” — Euripides “Love does not dominate; it cultivates.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
BUSINESS GROWTH Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. – Benjamin Franklin For me, the most fun is change or growth. There are definitely elements of both that I like. Launching a business is kind of like a motorboat: You can go very quickly and turn fast. – Tony Hsieh There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder. – Ronald Reagan, Actor and 40th President of the United States Companies that grow for the sake of growth or that expand into areas outside their core business strategy often stumble. On the other hand, companies that build scale for the benefit of their customers and shareholders more often succeed over time. – Jamie Dimon, President and CEO of JPMorgan Chase Growth comes out of a healthy competitive atmosphere, not trying to choose a particular path forward. – Edward Felten, Princeton University Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs Turnaround or growth, it’s getting your people focused on the goal that is still the job of leadership. – Anne M. Mulcahy, Former Chairperson and CEO Xerox Corporation Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together. – James Cash Penney, Founder of JCPenney
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. ¬Sun Tzu, The Art of war In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity ¬Sun-Tzu, A Arte da Guerra You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out. ¬Steve Jobs What would you do if you weren’t afraid? ¬Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be ‘meetings. ¬Dave Barry Rejection is an opportunity for your selection. ¬Bernard Branson The best way to predict your future is to create it ¬Peter Drucker Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. --Warren Buffett When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. ¬sun tzu, The Art of War Knowledge is power is time is money. ¬Robert Thier, Storm and Silence (Storm and Silence, #1) I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life. ¬Warren Buffett
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AFRICAN PRINT ACCESSORIES Necklaces, earrings, bangles are a nice complement to probably a simple plain dress. You could also have hair accessories made from Ankara fabrics. These can be bought at local stores or using online shops. Alternatively you could go online and research DIY tutorials to make them yourself. For guys accessories such as bowties, suspenders and even belts can be used to add that African touch to your corporate outfit.
AFRICAN PRINT BAGS Complementing your outfit with an Ankara bag is a perfect way of adding style and definitely color to you look. The options you can get with African print bags are endless. There are totes, pouches, clutches and even back packs made of African print to beautifully complement your style and taste.
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HOW TO AN AFR TOUCH T YOUR O
AFRICAN PRINT SHOES These instantly add sophistication to your outfit. Whether corporate shoes, sneakers, flats, slippers, sandals etc you can have them made with African print. Another alternative is taking shoes of your choice to a shoe designer to get them covered with African print for you.
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O ADD RICAN TO OUTFITS.
CUTE LITTLE POCKETS AND PATTERNS
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Complementing your outfit with an Ankara bag is a perfect way of adding style and definitely color to you look. The options you can get with African print bags are endless. There are totes, pouches, clutches and even back packs made of African print to beautifully complement your style and taste.
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AUTHENTIC AFRICAN BEADS African beads have often been used to make beautiful jewelry such and necklaces, bracelets and rings. These are always known to make a statement! Mainly because of the variety of sizes, shapes and absolutely stunning colors they come in. They bring all the boldness into an outfit. It’s the perfect item for creating color coordinated styles for those who would love to match their jewelry to their shoes or belts or any other accessory
KENTE Kente is always in vogue and makes a statement of authentic African style whenever it is worn. A kente sash/tie on otherwise ordinary suit has worked wonders. Ladies have used it to give life to many dresses.
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BUSINESS STORY
M
r Segbefia Felix, also known as Fassy, was born in Accra on July 30th. He hails from Anyako, in Volta region (no.9) to be precise, a proud Ghanaian. He is a product of St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast. Felix is currently at the University of Ghana, Legon pursuing a Bsc. in Information Technology (IT). Realising his passion for creativity & style, birthed out his talent and he is now a freelance model and the CEO of “The Circle Agency“. The dawn of the new age (The Circle agency) begun in July 2017. They are into the exhibition of Ghanaian talents through Photography Modeling, Ushering, Branding, Concept Creation & Model Management.This Agency aims at impacting positive values on the youth, exploring their passion for creativity, style and the use of nature to further encourage patronage of locally made products from Ghana to the world. The Circle Agency believes in becoming more influential in the world of trendy fashion and Felix is a perfect futuristic person you can call also call “Game Changer”, due to his ito his generation and those to come.
@the_circle_agency
BUSINESS STORY
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une 3rd 2015, a date associated with all the horrors of death and agony as at least 225 people died from flooding at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, Ghana. Among the fatalities was a friend who happened to be waiting to meet him there.
• Opened & choked main drainage systems in the capital city • Excessive plastic waste production (i.e. over 22,000 tons with only 2% recycled) • No effective recycling plant in the country • Improper collection of waste
This occurrence left him devastated and in complete shock for many months. All aspects of his life had come to a halt with university grades declining at a rate risking him to graduate as a software engineer.“Strength through Vulnerability” is the mantra he decided to hold unto. Amidst the tragedy, he sought out the cause of the flooding and took up the challenge of solving it. He identified four main causes of the flooding:
Identifying these pressing causes led to the birth of the app, COLIBA which he built through previous knowledge and skill as a software developer. COLIBA was created to aid in waste collection across the country. It links various waste management companies to homes and industries to efficiently collect segregated waste. This great feat gained the necessary recognition from various stakeholders such as the British Council, Netherlands High Commission, Co
BUSINESS STORY
ca-Cola and many others. The COLIBA app got him an honorary degree for his graduation at the Ghana Technology University College. Today, COLIBA is not just an app, but a waste management company with employees and efficient logistics and recycling plant running in two countries (Ghana and Ivory Coast) and also with greater prospects of spreading across the continent, Africa. All through the various sponsored business conferences, he has attended. COLIBA has recycled over 700tons of plastics, created 8 direct jobs all in Ghana through office staff workers and over 108 indirect jobs all in Ghana. It currently employs over 231 workers in the Ivory Coast as well and serving over 15000 households. The brain behind all this is the 24-yearold Mr Prince Kwame Agbata. Growing up in the start-up slums of Fadama with virtually nothing to being a promising icon of change on the African continent. Possessing such ingenuity he travels the world as a fellow to many organizations and foundations aimed at sustaining the environment and building string business start-ups. Prince is a 2018 Global laureate fellow in the US, an Acumen Fellow, 2017 winner of eco-hero awards by Samsung in Korea and top 60 changemakers in west Africa by Coca Cola west Africa. He doubles as an avid speaker for many
business and environmental protection conferences. It is worth noting that his efforts have now made waste management lucrative to the youth giving signals of a great prospect for an eco-friendly Africa in Some years to come. With a shift in focus from a potential software developer for Google Ghana to a waste management personnel, He continues to exploit the challenging aspects of our environment and climate, helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “ COLIBA is not just any ordinary recycling company. It’s green tech which leveraged on mobile, web and SMS technology to enable households and institutions Star recycling, Request recycling services and get paid ( green business ) for their waste. The overall vision is to build Africa’s first smart blockchain around waste recovery and recycling as COLIBA is building partnerships with industry to roll out blockchain integration in its technology and recycling processes. Though tragedies breed so much sorrow, there can always be positives. Such is that demonstrated by Mr Prince Kwame Agbata towards creating an eco-friendly Africa void of plastic waste pollution.
COLIBA
www.coliba.com.gh
INSPIRATION
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etting out as a child, she identified her ardent desire for leadership. From picking up the book, “How to be a Leader” on the shelves of the Logos Hope Ship, to being outspoken among her 12-year-old peers in primary school, there was no doubt the signs were already inscribed on the wall but the trajectory was in the unknown. She began her primary school from Andy Memorial and continued to Queensland where she began to discover herself better. Finding herself in a much more competitive environment coupled with being surrounded by purposeful teachers and a relentless mother whose efforts were bent to see her with the best at all cost, got her succeeding and fave her admission to the Holy Child School in Cape Coast. She read General Arts to satisfy her unflinching desire to be a lawyer following the family tradition. Nevertheless, she switched to studying General Science with a change in priorities due to her
passions. Unfortunately, this didn’t go as planned since her intentions to be the best at the programme of choice backfired due to her low grades at school. In spite of this, she gained admission to the University of Ghana, Legon and pursued what the school offered; Food Science and Technology. With the desire to put all the failures behind her, she gave her best at the programme. Once again, her efforts seemed to prove futile as she failed the Physics course. This shuttered her hopes and aspirations so she decided to take a gap year from school. Profoundly reflecting on that year, she says “2012 was indeed a tough and trying year for me.” Having experienced failure at its extreme, she could not but be thankful for reading Materials Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The determination to succeed was so high, that it took less time for her efforts at her academics start to improve. Passionate about talking and being heard, she took to Model United Na-
tion Conferences while in Junior High School but had a break till the university. Ghana International Model United Nations(GIMUN) was the springboard leading her into the world of diplomacy. Being the best delegate in her community in 2015, she went on to hold other prestigious positions during various conferences around the world. They were: President of the General Assembly(PGA) for the 2017 edition of GIMUN, first committee chair for the International Criminal court of Justice. She also participated in three editions of both the Harvard World and National Model United Nations conferences. Her leadership is evident as she has been the catalyst in revamping the then defunct United nations students Association on the KNUST campus raising it to a prestigious status by pioneering various projects aimed at solving social problems in the metropolis which contribute to achieving SDG’S 1,2,3, 5 and 7.
She explains that capacity building involves cooperation with various youth council around the African and Europe continent to harness and sharpen their potentials by offering them with Technical training and expert advice. These are done through workshops and expertise training summits. These youth are then tracked in their various fields of expertise to ensure their potentials are utilized to the betterment of their societies, countries and continent at large. Despite major challenges such as the absence of National Youth Council in some countries, the unfavourable political environment in most African countries and inadequate funds available , she is determined to continue making an impact and build a better continent with huge potentials.
Her major project and biggest task so far was to engineer the capacity building program for youth in these continents and ensure their prosperity, security and fairness.
Miss Eleanor Eunice Klinogo remains determined to bettering the life of youths across the continents through the instruments of the Commonwealth and associate organisations.
The bigger vision she says is, “to see young people have a place and voice; not just a place and voice but also be heard and actively engaged in the decision making processes that affect them and subseTurning 26 on January 28th, 2018 she as- quent generations.” sumed the role of Commonwealth Youth She says with confidence, that she mostly finds herself not having any idea about Council Representative for Africa and most of what she does, but she sticks with Europe. Her reach has been broadened the belief that she’d rather turn up and fail hence, corresponding wide access to than not turn up at all. youth across the world.