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Entrepreneur Who Quit Law School Starts Biggest Charcoal Factory in Ghana

In Africa, many parents often hope their children will grow up to be doctors, engineers, lawyers or bankers. Only a few parents support their children’s entrepreneurial skills or their desire to work in the creatives. Sulley Amin Abubakar, now the owner of the “biggest charcoal producing company in Ghana and probably West Africa,” started off as a law student. The promising Ghanaian entrepreneur was in his final year of law school when he quit and started his own business, Zaacoal, a company that produces quality and affordable environmentally friendly charcoal for households and industries. On his commute to school, Abubakar saw many coconut vendors and wondered how they dispose of their waste. Usually, there are no proper channels to dispose of coconut husks, despite many coconut vendors on every street corner. He took a trip to the beaches one day and saw how there were many coconut husks littered all over the place.

His desire to venture into mass charcoal production was ignited, however, when he saw a kenkey street vendor make fire with coconut husk instead of the usual charcoal or firewood.

His curiosity was at its all-time peak about this time and he traveled to the northern parts of Ghana to learn more about charcoal production. With his newly acquired knowledge, Amin began experimenting with the idea of making charcoal from coconut waste in his home.

With his final year of school hanging in the balance, Abubakar used his school fees to fund his new venture. He tried making charcoal from the husk using a tomato tin and now he owns his own factory producing stainless environmentally friendly charcoal.

His family at this point did not know he had dropped out of school, only finding out after he had set up his factory. Since then, they have been his greatest supporters and he now works with almost 12 people at the factory.

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CLA Aims to Issue 100th Cannabis License by End of 2021 Fiscal Year

The Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) says it aims to issue its 100th license before the end of the 2020/2021 fiscal year. Felicia Bailey, CLA director of research development and communications, said during a JIS Think Tank event on Aug. 27 that the authority is focused on achieving this goal through a reduction in the application processing time. “The CLA started the 2020/2021 financial year with a renewed vision to be the global benchmark for excellence in the medical cannabis industry,” Bailey said. “Our mission is to effectively regulate the legal handling of ganja and hemp and issue licenses, permits and authorization to enable the development of a sustainable medical cannabis industry in Jamaica.” The authority has issued 67 ganja licenses to local companies and individuals since its establishment in 2015. In addition, there are 21 applicants at the “license granted” stage of the process.

Bailey noted that the CLA’s Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for processing time is now six months, which is a reduction compared to the more than eight-month period that previously existed.

“The CLA continues to try to review and process applications in a timely manner to meet this KPI. After reviewing the process and making changes, some applications are now being processed within three months,” she said.

Bailey noted that the authority’s revised application processing time of six months is among the shortest periods across the world, including countries such as the United States, Canada, Columbia and Australia. WI THE WASHINGTON INFORMER / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM

Eight Ways to Embrace Self-Care

Submitted by AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia

Care has been foremost in the minds of many this year. How can we best take care of ourselves and those we love when our health may be at greater risk?

To care for our loved ones, we first need to take care of ourselves. Self-care is when we pay attention to the needs of our own body and emotions. It means we take care of our own physical and emotional health. Self-care can help us adapt to changes and recover from setbacks. It can help us weather the stormy times and enjoy the brighter ones.1

Self-care often falls to the bottom of the list for caregivers. Yet the better we feel and function, the better we can care for others. WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH 1 1. Keep active every day. All activity counts. Even dancing around the kitchen to the radio, taking the stairs, and jogging in place may help our bodies stay healthy. Daily exercise naturally helps our bodies relieve stress. Schedule some time to move as a routine part of your day. Remember to talk to a health care provider before starting an exercise program. 2. Eat well. Get plenty of whole grains and fresh veggies and fruit in your diet. This may help lower your risk for chronic diseases. Eating right can also help improve your mood and energy level. 3. Get the sleep you need. Many adults need seven to nine hours a night. To make the most of your rest times, stay away from computers, TVs, and smartphones before bed.

4. Try some techniques to re

duce stress. If you need a timeout, try five minutes of deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or meditation. These may help relieve hard feelings and help you stay more relaxed day to day. 5. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Ultimately, these may worsen your stress.

WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH 1 1. Focus on the good. Let yourself notice any positive moments during the day. Even the small ones count, like a kind word or a sunny day. Try to pause each day or week to jot down one good thing you saw. 2. Accept your feelings. It’s OK to feel some frustration or sadness. You may find yourself thinking that you shouldn’t feel these things. Instead, try to just notice and respect your feelings. You can help reduce your stress by not labeling them as good or bad. 3. Look for support. If you’re a caregiver, this is key. We may think that we can or should be able to do it all ourselves, but this is untrue. Knowing you’re not alone is also a powerful boost. Support can come from community resources, family, friends, and professionals. Many resources are available online. Join a support group or talk to a counselor or friend. If you or your loved one is an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia (DC) enrollee, we can help. Please call Enrollee Services at 1-800- 408-7511 (TTY 1-800-570-1190).

Sources: 1. “Taking Care of Yourself,” National Alliance on Mental Illness, https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Family-Members-and-Caregivers/Taking-Careof-Yourself. 2.“Stress and Coping,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/ managing-stress-anxiety.html?CDC_AA_ refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov- %2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Fmanaging-stress-anxiety.html.

All images are used under license for illustrative purposes only. Any individual depicted is a model

Managing Health Stress #BestMe

For some people, managing feelings of fear or news on social media. Hearing about trouanxiety may be the hardest part of challenging bling events too often can add to our stress. times. It’s normal to feel uneasy about uncer• Give yourself time to relax. Try to do sometainty. However, we may help ourselves and thing you like each day. others by adopting ways of coping. • Connect with others, even online. Talk

You may notice one or more of these signs of with people you trust about how you feel. stress:2 • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals • Worrying about your health or the health of • Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate those you love • Get the sleep you need • Changes in how you sleep or eat • Keep your body active • Difficulty sleeping or focusing • Avoid alcohol and drugs • Worsening of chronic or mental health con ditions • Using more alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs If you or someone you love is overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety, there are resources available to help:

If you notice any of these signs, try some of these ways to cope:2 • Give yourself a break. Limit how often you watch, read, or listen to the news. This includes • Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 • If you are an AmeriHealth Caritas DC enrollee, call Enrollee Services at 1-800- 408-7511 (TTY 1-800-570-1190)

Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amerihealthdc. / Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amerihealthcaritasdc. / Find us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amerihealthcaritasdc.

#BestMe Rewards Program I got a gift card for getting my annual physical. You can too.

You can get a $25 gift card if you: • Are an AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia member • Are 12 – 21 years old • Get an annual physical exam

Visit www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com/giftcard to learn more. Note: A member cannot get more than $50 in incentives each year.

www.amerihealthcaritasdc.com

AmeriHealth Caritas District of Columbia complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, at no cost, are available to you. Call 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 or 1-800-570-1190). Spanish: ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 o 1-800-570-1190). Amharic: ማሳሰቢያ፡ አማርኛ መናገር የሚችሉ ከሆነ፣ ከከፍያ ነጻ የሆነ የቋንቋ ድጋፍ አገልግሎት ይቀርብልዎታል፡፡ በስልክ ቁጥር 1-800-408-7511 (TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 ወይም 1-800-570-1190) ይደውሉ. -1-408-8007511ملحوظة: إذا كنت تتحدث اللغة العربية، فإن خدمات المساعدة اللغوية تتوافر لك باان. اتصل برقم Arabi : c .(1-800-570-1190 أو TTY/TDD: 202-216-9885 والبكم الصم هاتف قمر(

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