1.Avoid Excuses, Get It Done. Excuses are probably the most commonest stuff you can ever hear. "Due to this and that...", "I couldn't complete it because..." and a whole lot. They might save you from being blamed and getting disappointed in but the truth is excuses won't get you to your dreams. They will only help you procrastinate instead of actually getting done what needs to be done. Remember, "no efforts, no progress". Say goodbye to excuses and get those goals achieved! 2.Don't Give Up (Easily). No achievement is without hindrances and challenges. I guess you have heard nothing good comes easily too. Well, that's true. There isn't any assurance that great thing you look forward to doing, getting or achieving would come easy, but there is that certainty that with conscious efforts to be tough-skinned, determined, persistent and hard work, you would surely win. Don't give up, yes don't give up. You can make it! 3.Don't Neglect Your Passion(Talent). Find that thing that makes you tick, that thing that excites you which you can naturally do. Its not enough having it, its needs to mature. Nurture and grow your talent for it would lead you to your fulfilment. Look for materials available which will help you develop it. Search for people who share same passion as you and learn from them. Then you can become valuable to others! These 3 golden tips will surely help you on your way to becoming that champion you desire to be. Has any positive practice helped you too? Feel free to share!
Has there been a point in time in your life when you felt your chest heavy with matters you wished to get off but then not to a person? Have you ever "cursed" yourself for forgetting something you should have remembered for a very important moment?
1. A Bank Of Memories
Would you be able to remember what happened yesterday in 15years time? This thought used to scare me a whole lot, however, not any more. Keeping a diary has made keeping and reliving those special moments that shouldn't be forgotten very easy. How fun and nostalgic it will be digging back and sharing those great with your kids years and years later!
2. A Sweet Companion Wondering what could be sweet of a diary? It won't judge you!. No matter what experiences and choices you write in your diary, it will never tell you back what it thinks! You are at total liberty to truthfully record exactly as it is unlike trying to polish up when telling a person for the fear of being judged. You can pour it all out!
3. Better Decisions Once you are able to record your experiences as they come up, you will be able to make better decisions when you find yourself in similar situations. You don't need to get stressed thinking your brains out on what to do when there was a similar situation you conquered in the past!
4. Boosts Creativity
Practice makes man perfect indeed. This has been a true secret of mine.(no more a secret because I just told you). I have kept diaries since 2007 and it has only made me better at writing. I have watched my writing improve year after year and its been amazing. Writing regularly in your diary will go a long way to sharpen your writing skills.
Your diary shouldn't necessarily read "Dear Diary". C'mon, it could be a story, a sensational poem, a striking observation or an amazing artwork. Go wild!
5. Brings Joy
Everyone has got a "down" moment. Joy fills me up whenever I read about some happy moments from my diary when I'm sad. It works for me, I bet it will for you too!
Do you have any benefit keeping your diary has brought to you? Feel free to share.
There are several applications that exist in recent times with more being developed at a rapid pace. These apps which are mainly web and mobile phone applications can most commonly be found on platforms such as Google play store for Android and the app store for IOS. Mobile phone apps cover categories from such as games to health and finance to organisation. Nonetheless each app has its own relevance and plays diverse roles for the millions of users that troop the app stores.
With the sharp rise of mobile penetration in Ghana, many apps have been developed in and outside Ghana that are enhancing the quality of life in Ghana. These apps are enhancing the quality of life in areas such as communication, education, agriculture, finance, governance etc. This article will look at some of my personal favourites.
MPower (Finance)
MPower is a payment system that is built to work with any preferred wallet or bank account in Ghana to offer a safe and convenient payment experience. These wallets could be in the form of Airtel mobile money, MTN mobile money, Tigo cash, master card, speed banking or Visa electron to name but a few. This app offers online and mobile payment transactions to enable consumers and businesses send, spend and receive payments.
Money can be loaded from any preferred electronic wallet that operates in Ghana or bank account to MPower to shop online. Money can also be sent from a PC or mobile phone device to be transferred and from anyone in Ghana. Individuals and business owners just have to integrate MPower into a website, phone or store to start accepting payments.
It’s sometimes a hassle accessing one’s money but with MPower there is a payment system that helps offer a solution to this by giving Ghanaians the platform to perform many types of transactions with ease.
As a witness to its achievements, MPower emerged as the most innovative new app of the year with the Top app award 2013
ESOKO (Agriculture)
Esoko began in 2005 as “Tradenet” and was renamed Esoko in 2009. The name is derived from “soko” which is Swahili for “market” and the “e” represents “electronic”. It is a Ghanaian innovation that uses a text messaging system and online platform to bridge the information gap faced by farmers within Africa. There are currently 6000 farmers using the Esoko platform across 16 countries in West Africa.
Due to high transportation costs, some farmers in rural areas have problems selling their crops at the local market centres. They are then left with the option of selling to other local sellers around them who most at times buy at low costs since these farmers have no idea of the current prices at the markets. Esoko seeks to provide solution to this by providing news of current prices of produce via SMS to farmers and keep them updated with current prices. This goes a long way to prevent them from being cheated once they decide to sell to other sellers around instead of going to the local markets.
In addition, Esoko sends weather forecasts and market trends to farmers to help them make informed decisions regarding what to plant at what times. Aside these, farming tips are also sent via SMS to educate them on good farming practices. This platform helps farmers stay informed with consistent and accurate knowledge of the supply chain they are part off.
Farmers who use Esoko have reported 10%-30% extra income annually. Esoko is therefore a great application that enhances lives of farmers and helps boost productivity in the agricultural sector of Ghana.
Esoko emerged as the winner of the agricultural app category of the Top apps award 2013
Easy Taxi
Easy Taxi is a taxi booking app in Ghana which helps people (passengers) to get connected to a taxi when they need it. Once the app is installed on your mobile device, a cab can be booked anytime and anywhere in Ghana. This app finds an ideal taxi for you when you tap the app button and confirm your location. Easy Taxi has a cool feature which allows you to see the identity of the driver and car as well as their location relative to your position.
There are times when finding the right cab to your destination can be frustrating and hectic, this is where Easy Taxi comes in, offering a convenient solution to that problem. Ghanaians have so far embraced and are patronizing it due to its safety nature and the fact that one can get back items left behind in Easy taxis with ease. You may also be in for a treat from Eaxy Taxi if you ever see a Roverman productions play by Uncle Ebo White (our proposed Nobel prize laureate)
Easy Taxi is available for Android, iOS Blackberry and on Windows phone devices.
Snoocode
Snoocode is a mobile application that solves the problem of poor address systems in developing countries like Ghana. It provides everyone in rural or urban areas with a unique geolocation based code which can be used to provide directions to any location in the country. In a robust and easy way, SnooCode uses a GPS enabled phone avoiding costly bureaucracy, even where there is no telephone infrastructure.
Snoocode allows you to obtain a private code that one can share with the general public (eg. restaurants, shops,laundries etc), send privately to friends and family( inviting them over), share with service providers ( food delivery, Ambulance, police etc) and navigate easily to these addresses using a smartphone.
Once you have your code, it serves as your address. You can also use your code when opening a bank account, by simply providing the code to the bank to serve as your address!.
One can easily find his way wherever to his or her destination in Ghana as long as he/she uses the unique snoocode generated by the app and available to the person. As such aggregating these codes can greatly improve logistics in everything from eCommerce to public health.
Snoocode has been selected as part of the 40 great apps from 178 UN-member countries by the World Summit Award-mobile Global Champion 2015.
Bibioo Expense Tracker
Bibioo is a simple smart expense tracker and manager which helps an individual to able track his/her expenses on a daily basis. With this, one would have to input his daily expenditure within various categories ranging from food, clothing, entertainment, airtime, automobile, fuel, groceries etc . Bibioo expense tracker has an inbuilt notification and transaction reminder. Bibioo keeps a summary of users transactions and alerts the user especially in situations where more than 80% of their budget is spent before a set time (14:00 hours) and also when they spend beyond the set budget.
This is a handy app which helps Ghanaians regulate spending, thanks to the ability to not only track your expenses but also what you spend on.
This is a selection of my personal favourites, will like to hear about your favourites.
There is no magic to being knowledgeable and resourceful in the mind. If you have ever wondered why that person knows so much or why that person seem to smart in a lot of ways, go no further- READING.
Its a new year and a very smart resolution to make is to read more than you read last year. Well, I have it on my resolution list, it would pay of if you have it on yours too. With this in mind, here are five great books you should read this year.
1. Emotional Intelligence- Daniel Goleman
A brilliant book that offers insight into our "two minds"- the rational and the emotional and how the two together shape our destiny.
2. Outliers- Malcolm Gladwell
An amazing book that takes you on an intellectual journey through the world of the most successful, most famous and the best. This book will definitely transform your understanding of success.
3. 7 Habits of Highly Effective people- Stephen R Covey
Your life doesn't just happen, Its designed by you, your CHOICES! This book reveals principles that gives us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.
4. Acres of Diamond- Russell H. Conwell
Among many other insights, this book will challenge you to seek opportunities to find true wealth right in your own backyard without getting sidetracked by selfishness and greed.
5. Man's search for true meaning- Viktor E. Frankl
"We cannot avoid suffering but we can cope with it, find meaning in it and move forward with renewed purpose".
These are five great books on my list. Do you have other great ones you want to suggest? Feel free to comment!
"Hearing him say " I love you" to me especially during hard times in our relationship pumps some sort of emotional energy in me which refreshes me with a reassuring feeling that aside every storm he got my back", a lady friend told me.
" I really feel happy when I hear those sweet words from him especially when its done out of the blue" another revealed to me.
How you treat a person you love is important, it usually shows how you feel within.Though there are different ways through which "I love you" can be said, people still want to hear their loved one say " I love you" to them.
Saying "I love you" is usually a sweet thing to say to your partner in a relationship. Most people feel happy and appreciated when they hear these sweet words from their partners. However, some people do not get to hear these words from their partners at all.
Here are some reasons why you shouldn't underestimate these words:
Reaffirms commitment A relationship often has its ups and downs which sometimes causes partners to doubt their love for each other. Occasionally saying "I love you" to your partner brings a refreshing feeling to him or her which reassures him/her that in spite of the challenges, the love still abounds. Its romantic "Its so romantic when he suddenly pauses during a serious conversation we are having just to whisper "I love you" to me, a lady told me. Whispering these words to your partner create a romantic atmosphere which brings joy. Its humanly comforting Your partner might be facing personal issues not necessarily related to the relationship. saying a simple "I love you" may go a long way to comfort him or her. It boosts self esteem A person hearing that he/she is loved over and over again can help change how he sees himself/ herself. This can help bring some sort of self love if they were feeling unloved, undervalued or unappreciated. It could shoot out some positivity and self value within the individual instead of self underestimation. It brings joy Hearing your loved one say 'I love you" to you could bring smiles on your face which eventually grows into joy that stays with you the whole day! Imagine in between your hard and busy day, your partner calls just to say "I love you"!
All too soon 2014 is almost ended and this may be my last blog post for the year. Its been a very wonderful year for me (one of my best years actually!). I thought I should do this blog post how my year went with some lessons as well, and since it's a Super Wednesday, its the best time to do this.
I have undoubtedly become a much better person than I was last year, though I have already shared on some of these areas, I shall go a bit more into detail as I promised. Yibellla Journal I'm sure you have already guessed I was going to talk about this first. (and why wouldn't I talk about it anyway? I love it!). Yibellla Journal is my baby and my blog ,yes here (in case you didn't know). I have kept this blog since 2013 and within this year, I have written more richer, interesting and informative content which wrought great and positive feedback. Within 2014, I introduced three awesome segments here; Young Legends of Inspiration ,Super Wednesday and the Science segment where I feature scientific articles I write for ghscientific. People found these very useful and have helped increased readership on this blog as well. I am extremely glad about this because I love blogging and it makes me happy that I have been able to improve greatly here. I can proudly say the growth of this blog has inspired others to take on initiatives they are passionate about and guess what? They are doing great! With this I say, look for that thing that makes you tick, grow it and nurture it to it fullest and it will unbelievably bring to you some awesome things your way! Winner of ''I know a Ghanaian star writing contest"
Winning this competition is one of the biggest achievements of my life so far. I knew this was for me the very moment I saw the ad. This is not to say it was an easy deal, far from that perhaps you should ask Ato Ulzen-Appiah and Francis Addai the wahala I went through to get this. I was able to make it through to the top 5 and finally won. Winning this has made me an admiration in the eyes of others. I won't forget how awesomely I felt receiving congratulatory phone calls and messages from people who found this great. Within this period, I have had colleagues at school and other people approaching me to tell me how much I inspire them through what I do. With writing as my passion, I am extremely glad I have been able to make this achievement in my writing journey. I hope to have more winnings in the coming year. This task looked and proved herculean but through hardwork I was able to make the mark. With this I say work hard always because it definitely will pay! Meeting the Legends
Wow! this brings goose pimples all over my body any time I remember it. Within 2014, I had this great idea through which this brainchild of mine was born. So I said to myself, why don't I bring down some amazing people I know and have featured on the Young Legends of Inspiration segment down to my school, Ghana Institute of Journalism to come share to my colleagues and other students on their various initiative and inspire them as well? Then I put it action! With the help of a great team, this dream of mine became reality. This event was set for a day that wasn't really favourably for students to attend and it amazed me how great the turn out was! Over 60 people for a start! I had Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Naa Oyoo Quartey and Gabriel Obodai Torgbor- Ashong come share with them. They were just so great with their deliveries, the audience were inspired and loved them! It was so good that some people came asking me how much I had to pay them for the excellent sessions they mentored them in. They thought it would be damn expensive! But I kept on smiling and telling them they did it for free because they believed in this initiative and also also due to the of the good relationships I have with them. More on this can be found here. I am very grateful to them and to everyone who helped one way or the other to make this a success. In this coming year make it a point to network, make great contacts for you may never know who that saviour might be! The other cool things There have been great improvement in my reading habits, trust me I have read more than any other year! Insightful articles, great write-ups which has made me more knowledgeable! I also became a paid freelancer this year! I began writing stem related articles for GhScientific which is means more learning, improved writing and more experience! I also joined the Wikimedia Ghana User Group where we write and edit Ghanaian related content on Wikipedia. It has been a good learning experience working with Oral Ofori. That guy knows a lot! Aside many of which I can't even remember I have met great minds like Ama Atta-Aidoo, Jemila Abdulai, Manasseh Azure Awuni, Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, and a lot more which time will fail me to mention. These were the big deals of my 2014, I hope to do more and strike great achievements in 2015. God be my helper!. Do leave a comment, let me though what your thoughts are.
Autism (or Autism Spectrum Disorders) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the way a person views and interacts with the world around him. It is a wide spectrum disorder that challenges a person’s communication and interactive skills, which means that no two people with autism will show the exact same combination and degree of symptoms. Some may have mild symptoms whereas others will present severe symptoms. Although the condition occurs in both sexes, it is about 5 times more common among boys (1 in 42 boys) than among girls (1 in 189 girls).
Like most conditions that affect brain and behaviour, there is not an exact cause of autism, however autism risk factors can be narrowed down to genetic and/or prenatal causes.
GENETIC FACTORS: Genetic factors may be the most significant cause for autism spectrum disorders. The genetics of autism are complex and more than one gene may be involved in different individuals. Furthermore the genes may interact with each other or with environmental factors with differenct consequences and this could be the reason why the disorder has a wide spectrum. Several candidate genes have been located within which mutations increase the risk of autism and the study of these mutations remains an active research area.
PRENATAL ENVIRONMENT: The risk of autism is also associated with several prenatal risk factors which occur during pregnancy or delivery. Advanced age in either parent may increase gene mutations that lead to autism, use of psychiatric drugs by the mother during pregnancy, bleeding and diabetes could all contribute to the child been born autistic. Autism has also been linked to birth defect agents acting during the first eight weeks from conception, though these cases are rare.
With such a broad spectrum, the Autistic symptoms can only be identified in a person by looking at the various areas of life where a child with autism may behave differently. Some of these areas include:
SOCIAL SKILLS
People who have autism are socially clumsy. They have difficulty with social interaction and usually prefer to be alone to the extent of been uninterested in other people at all. The person with ASD might give the impression that he is talking at people, rather than with or to them because they hardly make any eye contact. In addition, autistic individuals are very likely to miss the subtle social cues used in everyday society. They are not the “people-kind” and seem to be in their own world mostly sometimes struggling with the playing and talking skills we have come to accept as a norm.
EMPATHY
An autistic child may also find it very hard to be aware of and understand the feelings of other people. Unlike most people, autistic individuals have a weaker ability to instinctively empathize with others. In spite of this, their ability to take other people’s feelings into account can improve tremendously if they are frequently reminded of this. Nonetheless, empathy does not come natural to most.
REPETITIVE BEHAVIOURS
Routine is one thing an autistic individual can get comfortable with. Most love to go through doing the same things over and over again, for example drawing the same picture again and again, page after page or jumping from one end to another again and again.
DEVELOPMENT
Autistic children do not develop at a relatively harmonious rate. It is common to find that while cognitive skills may develop fast, language skills may trail behind or while language may develop rapidly, motor skills are lacking. Social skills of an autistic child will not develop at the same pace as other people.
SPEECH
The higher the severity of the autism, the more affected the person’s speaking skills. They will often repeat words they hear (echolalia) and this is one way they learn to engage effectively with the surrounding environment.
PHYSICAL CONTACT
Some kids with ASD do not like to be cuddled or touched. Not all autistic kids are like this though; some will greatly appreciate a hug from a relative and may actually find more comfort in this than most other children will. In this case only a parent, carer or sibling will know best. One thing is for sure though, isolating an autistic child is never a good idea.
SENSORY SENSITIVITY
Some autistic children find loud noises unpleasant and quite shocking, the same can happen with some smells and sudden changes in light intensity. This level of sensitivity can be reduced by warning a child of of what is to happen, he or she can then cope with it better than when it happens out of the blue.
AUTISM IN GHANA
In Ghana having a child with autism is viewed by most as a curse on the family, or worse still in certain places the mother is labeled a witch which may cause mother and child to be shunned by certain quarters of society. A lack of education in this area means that many are not seeking the necessary help that they need; instead they are hiding these children at home, locking them up in their rooms. Many children in mainstream schools who have autism but can somewhat express themselves suffer discrimination and teasing from peers.
AUTISM AWARENESS CARE AND TRAINING CENTRE
The Autism Awareness Care and Training centre [AACT] Accra seeks to fill in this much needed gap in education and service provision. The centre was set up by Mrs. Serwah Quaynor about 15 years ago when she returned to Ghana from the USA after her son had been diagnosed with autism at age 2. At her return, searching for autism services for her child proved difficult, thus she began autism awareness in Ghana.
“Nortey, my son, was sixteen years old with raging hormones, many challenging behaviors, ranging from self-injurious behaviours, aggression and insomnia, to mention a few. Sleep at night was a luxury (I was lucky if I got two (2) hours). What was I to do in a country where there were no services for children with autism? I felt like an outcast, dejected, alone, and petrified!” Mrs. Quaynor explains. Since then, through fifteen years of service, it has assisted hundreds of children and their families. The centre provides many services and encourages inclusion into mainstream education and society. AACT’s training focuses on behavior management (which is the core of the entire training programme), functional academics, music and art therapy, speech and occupational therapy and life skills training. Resources to train these children simply aren’t available here in Ghana, however, the centre is fortunate to receive speech/language and occupational therapy resources from international volunteers. They use local materials like the dry seed of the flamboyant tree as music shakers and Djembes drums for drumming to teach music and dance.
The centre has been successful in spite of challenges such as unavailability and insufficient resources. They currently work with close to forty autistic people, ranging from preschoolers to young adults (Find out more about the centre here).
TIPS FOR RELATING WITH AN AUTISTIC CHILD
Routines are easier to work with so establish them early and change them rarely.
In the first moment you want to teach a new behavior you must use consistency and continuity or you will fail.
Isolating an autistic child is never a good idea and only enforces their condition.
Praise positive behaviour no matter how minute
Involve them visually and physically, the more animated and fun the better
Most of all be patient and know that there are other parents out there who could help you with any and all challenges
FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM
With all this been said, there are many historical figures who are believed to have had varying degrees of Autism and have also been extremely gifted and talented. These include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [Composer], Sir Isaac Newton [Physicist], Albert Einstein[ Scientist], Michelangelo [Artist, Architect, Engineer, and Donna Williams [artist, sculptor, composer and screenwriter]
