BloggingGhana has been at the forefront of social media and citizen journalism in Ghana since it's inception in 2009 by a group of 8 friends. Now, the organization has hundreds of active members who contribute to news, information on Ghana, Africa, from the ground up.
After five years of meeting and working in cafes, auditoriums, schools, and so on, BloGH is finally coming home. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to BloGHome. With the launch of its #MoreStories fundraising drive, BloGH hopes to raise $10,000 to furnish its newly procured office in Accra (see below).
Per it's Indiegogo fundraising page, BloGHome will include a training area for training students, civil society, government actors and organizations on using social media to engage and advocate for change. It will also serve as a "safe space" for bloggers and other Ghanaians to meet, brainstorm and work on social-impact projects.
Why Contribute?
Well, first off, you get great perks ;)
BloGH has proven - time and again - that social media can have more impact beyond likes, pluses, and loves - and contribute positively to development.
Take the organization's widely acclaimed Ghana Decides project which provided information on Ghana's 2012 presidential election and post-election events like the Supreme Court case. Many international media like the BBC, Al-Jazeera drew on information shared on Ghana Decides' social media platforms and Ghanaians all over the world followed the historic election closely with the hashtag #GhanaDecides.
And then there's BlogCamp - an annual event which provides training and insights on social media for business, media, entrepreneurs and recognizes Ghanaian netizens using social media and the web in innovative ways. The inaugural BlogCamp in 2012 drew an audience of over 1000 participants and BlogCamp 2014 slated for April 12, 2014 is bound to be as exciting, if not more.
The organization's upcoming Inform Ghana project seeks to digitize and improve presentation of important information for journalists, civil society on areas such as education, health and governance.
Perhaps, the most unspoken, yet profound impact BloGH has had is the creation of a virtual and physical community of media professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, bloggers, information seekers and consumers, content creators (the list in endless). This ecosystem facilitates knowledge sharing, idea generation, and collaboration. It helps promote information access and enables Ghanaians to tell their stories themselves. It also helps companies, CSOs, tailor their communication strategies to reach a wider audience, clients, consumers, and in so doing contributes to Ghana's economy.
As a proud BloGH member, I can attest to the support, camaraderie that the BloGH community provides. It is a powerful network of highly talented individuals, leaders who are - quite simply - passionate about Ghana and Africa. In many ways, BloGH is a family, a home away from home. A much needed dose of fresh air.
The late Komla Dumor of BBC World News - one of Ghana's finest media professionals - dedicated his life to telling Africa's stories in a balanced way, to unearthing the nuanced truths about being African, to proving that - in his words - "An African can be a global journalist too". We believe that too.
The next crop of excellent African global journalists, social entrepreneurs, policymakers could be born at BloGHome. You, dear reader, could contribute to exactly that.
Did I mention the great perks? :)
How to contribute?
1. Invest in BloGH financially:
- Support the #MoreStories Indiegogo Fundraising Drive
- Contribute through bank transfer: Guaranty Trust Bank A/C #216 1024603 140
2. Donate office equipment:
- Contact BloGH's Treasurer: +233 026.146.9710
Thanks in advance for your support in building a better-informed Ghana!
Awesome! Keep it up. ...
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