Circumspecte

I believe deeply that Ghanaians and Africans can make the necessary changes for development. Yes, there are obstacles. Yes, we have day-to-day responsibilities. Yes, times can be tough. But that's not the entire story. We also have stepping stones, passion, inspiring moments, and above all, we have EACH OTHER. In Ghana's case especially, having each other and keeping the peace is probably the biggest factor in how far we have come so far. Yet, if the events (revolutions) this year are any indication, our peace is not guaranteed , particularly when it is sitting on a minefield of inequalities. Enter Northern Ghana. Northern Ghana has probably been exhausted on here, so I won't take that route. If you want to know what my thoughts are regarding why development in the region is in the best interest of ALL Ghanaians, click here . Instead, I'd like to send you a personal invitation to take a step in helping initiate sustainable change in Northern Ghana for Ghana: BarC...

With a participant during the AYGC 2011 Last month I was invited to participate in the 2011 African Youth and Governance Conference as a panelist for the African Youth Economic Forum which took place on August 10, 2011 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. The conference was attended by over a 100 participants from all over Africa and the forum focused on Education; ICT; Natural Resources & Environment; Employment & Entrepreneurship; and Agriculture as key catalysts for sustaining growth and prosperity in Africa.  All in all, the experience was very powerful and more than ever, it is evident that Africa's youth are poised for action and tired of the rhetoric and 'talk shops' that our current leaders are all too fond of. Case in point: the Ghanaian deputy minister of youth and employment was literally rooted in one spot as participants fired questions at him about HOW exactly government is working to solve the youth unemployment situation. Point blank they told hi...

Trick of fate, and this could be YOU The Simple Things There are many things we sometimes take for granted. Forget about the money, the fashionable clothes, the sleek cars, the latest tech gadget and the three-story houses. Think basic: a warm, nutritious meal, a dry shelter, knowing how to count from 1 to 10, having someone you can turn to in times of need, and being offered a chance to improve and get to know yourself.  Day of the African Child South Africa's fight against apartheid is one which is well-documented and acknowledged by many. One striking feature of that struggle is the role played by black school children in Soweto who took to the streets in 1976 in order to protest against the poor quality of their education and to demand the right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young boys and girls were killed by security forces and many more perished in the subsequent weeks to the march. The Day of the African Child , which falls on June 16 every year, wa...

Thought I was done blogging for the day -- until I came across this BBC photo feature on Ghana's market girls or "kayayo". When I was back in Ghana, I would occasionally go to the Madina market in Accra with my mum and I remember seeing them every time. I often wondered why they weren't in school, why they were doing what they do and why they didn't bargain how much money was paid them. My mum would lament about their situations and each time she patronized their service she would ask them how come they were doing what they did. Unlike my mum, most patrons of the Kayayo's services are not as considerate and don't think twice about having them carry things twice their weight! This is a very sensitive topic to me, because the way I see it, a twist of fate, and I could have been one. I've been meaning to blog on this issue, but somehow it escaped me. Not about to let that opportunity slip by again. Alors, voila. Here's a youtube slideshow (by the s...