"Meeting the legends", a dream coming true!

I have never done anything like this, it's a dream coming true and every fibre of me is expectant and filled with joy in await of this event. Few months ago the idea of organising this great event popped into my mind, I told myself I must do this before the year ends. The idea initially came out of this blog; why don't I organise an event to bring together the people I featured on the "Young Legends of Inspiration" segment of this blog, to talk about the wonderful initiatives the they have taken to inspire others to do more? I made my intentions known to "that man, that inspiration" and he thought it would be a wonderful initiative to carry out and offered to sponsor it! (I'm looking foward to more people and organisations sponsoring this in the subsequent editions.)  

Next step? I approached my first legend Ato Ulzen-Appiah and fortunately, he urged me on and agreed to be on the program. That encouragement injected a lot of #vim into me. Some I approached weren't positive but at the end of the day, I managed to get Naa Oyoo Quartey and Gabriel Obodai Torgbor-Ashong on the bill as well, they were really positive about this! With the help of an awesome team, everything has been put in place. This isn't going to be a one time event but will grow stronger into a yearly one. 

Still wondering who these legends are? Let me shortly introduce them.

Ato Ulzen-Appiah is an entrepreneur, manager and blogger. He hails from Elmina, grew up in Kumasi and lives in Accra. A notable alumni of Presec, he studied at MIT for his Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and had his Master's degree at Stanford in construction and engineering management. 

He currently works at Rancard as product manager building new revenue services off its platform, in charge of payments and content hosting.notable alumni of Presec

He's the director at the GhanaThink Foundation which mobilizes and organizes talent for the primary benefit of Ghana. GhanaThink, since its inception, has given birth to Kasahorow and Museke. It currently runs the Barcamp Ghanaprogram (37 events since 2008) from which the Junior Camp Ghana program was created (7 events since 2013). Through GhanaThink, he also initiated National Volunteer Day, which is now part of the Ghana Volunteer Program. More of him can be found here.

Naa Oyoo Quartey is a Ghanaian lifestyle blogger with an authentic and refreshing style of creative writing on lifestyle topics ranging from; movie reviews, events in Ghana, relationship topics, health topics, reviews of restaurants in Ghana, short stories, fashion events and tips, social media, wedding planning tips, social issues, etc. She won two awards at the Ghana Social Media awards for Best Lifestyle Blogger and Best Short Story, Creative Writing Blogger at the BloggingGhana awards in 2013. Her love for all things people, food, travel, health and innovation ensures the blog is relevant for every reader. Her hobby includes creating handmade accessories which is under the label Roots by Naa, writing and dashes of style photography. More about her can be found here.

Gabriel Obodai Torgbor-Ashong is a broadcast journalist at Metro Television and was the former SRC General secretary of the Ghana Institute of Journalism. His zeal and hardwork helped the SRC chalk notable successes during his administration. He loves working with and for children, hence volunteers at Curious Mind, a group which advocates the rights of young people. More about him can be found here.

More other awesome legends like Edward Amartey Tagoe of Nandi Mobile Ltd will be featured in the next edition of this.

This great event will he held at the lecture hall I of the Ghana Institute of Journalism on 14th November, 2014 at 3:30pm. This would have the legends come share on their various initiatives to inspire us to take action and do more!

You just can't miss this,come let's get inspired to take action!

You have a suggestion or want to sponsor? Kindly send a mail to yibelllajournal@gmail.com.

GOOD DIET, LUSCIOUS HAIR

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Ghanaian ladies lately seem to have gone back to the earlier days of their mothers and grandmothers when growing and keeping natural hair was the order of the day. Back then, it was the usual thing to keep virgin natural hair till permed hair became the new thing. Most ladies followed the perm trend, but the story is different now.

For sometime now, I have seen lots of young ladies in Ghana go through the big chop to start growing natural hair. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t keep outmoded styles from the past, but rather modern and very stylish ones. Trust me, I am always awed when I come across well kept and stylish natural hair.

After interacting with a few ladies to find out why they decided to go natural, I found some responses which summed up recurring sentiments:

•  “Perm chemicals are harmful in nature”
•  “Perm is so painful, I don’t know if it is worth it”
•  “Did you know perm leads to baldness?!”
•  “Natural hair is versatile. You can do numerous thing with natural hair that perm can’t do. I could have it wild and crazy one minute, then tame the next with a scarf or in a bun.”
•  “No pretensions. I think African ladies should know ourselves as we came into the world.”
•  “I think natural hair just has a genuine texture and look. Really interesting and authentic.”

Talking about well kept hair, let me quickly drop some maintenance tips in case you decide to switch too. Switching from perm to natural hair isn’t really difficult, it’s simple.

Natural Hair Maintenance.

1. Keep your hair in braids for at least 2 months before the big chop. The big chop is cutting off the remains of the perm of your hair to stay natural.
2. Try to ignore comments from “unnatural” advisors, just do your thing.

After the big chop, you can observe the following tips to make your hair look great.

3. Co-wash your hair every week if you can. Co-washing is using conditioner to wash your hair.
4. Use conditioner instead of shampoo because shampoo strips your hair of moisture.
5. Use products with organic contents and avoid products with petro oil and mineral oils. Opt for products such as jojoba, coconut oil and almonds.
6. Minimize heat. Lots of heat applied to your hair may cause breakage. I can bet you wouldn’t want that.
7. Detangle your hair regularly. Be patient when detangling, washing, twisting, do it with care.
8. Use the right products! There are various brands so every natural needs to find the ones that works best for their hair.
9. Do protective styles like twists, cornrows or braids.

If you want great and very healthy hair, you ought to know how your hair works, grows and what to eat or not eat. Let’s get to know more about the science of hair now.

Hair is a very common component of the human body. It is a protein filament that grows from a skin organ called follicles and goes through three main stages when growing, namely: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen.

Anagen Stage

It is the primary phase of hair growth also known as the active stage and right now about 85% of your hair is at this stage. Hair can be in the Anagen stage for 3-6 years and in this stage hair grows approximately 4 inches per year. The longer your hair stays in this stage, the longer it will grow.

Catagen Stage.

Hair gets to the Catagen stage once the Anagen stage ends. This is also known as the maturation stage. Here, the lower part of the hair is destroyed, the follicles shrink and the hair gets pushed out of the skin in preparation for the last stage. This phase last about 2 weeks.

Telogen Stage.

This is the resting stage of hair growth and at any given time, about 10% of all hairs on your head are resting. At this stage, hair is capable of shedding.

Food Nutrients That Boosts Hair Growth

What you eat has a say in how your hair turns out or looks. Nutrients play an important role for hair growth and not all kind of foods support good and healthy hair growth. To boost hair growth and make hair luscious, look out for some of these nutrients in your diet:

Protein

Proteins are life’s basic building blocks allowing repair and replacement of hair. Inadequate protein in diet can slow the rate of new hair growth and cause your hair to be weak/ brittle. Some sources of protein are eggs, legumes and dairy products.

Zinc

Zinc is an important nutrient in relation to hair growth as it maintains function of the oil glands around  the hair follicles.  When zinc levels fall, hair loss, slow growth and dandruff follows.

Zinc can be found in oysters, lobster, crabs, sunflower seeds, skinless chicken and cashew.

B Vitamins (foliate, B6,B12)

These vitamins are vital in the creation of red blood cells which carry oxygen and nutrients to all body cells including those of the scalp, follicles and growing  hair.  Lack of these vitamins can cause shedding or slow growth as well as promote hair breakage.

Essential B vitamins can be found in bananas, tomatos, groundnut paste, watermelons, shrimps and strawberries.

Iron

Iron is one big thing in hair growth, helping a great deal in the overall growth and wellness of hair. Low levels or lack of iron can cause hair to fall out and lead to even baldness.

Iron can be derived from egg yolks, whole grains, chicken, dried fruits and beans.

If you ever wondered whether what you eat has an effect on the quality of your hair, well it does! Including these nutrients in your diet will go a long way of keeping your natural hair healthy, luscious and strong!

Five Tips to Help Prepare for That Interview

Taking a trip down memory lane, I can clearly recall and almost relive memories of interviews I have had in  the past.
I  had a couple of interviews even before hitting nineteen ranging from scholarship interviews, job interviews, etc. I will share some of these experiences later on.

Last week, I came across an article on interview tips by Jemila Abdulai which I found really insightful and useful. If only I knew some of those before my very first interview for scholarship when I was nineteen...
I wouldn't want anybody saying "if only they knew this earlier" as I am saying now, so I thought it would be thoughtful to hit on some these tips Jemila shared.

1. Research Research Research

Ignorance is really no excuse in an interview.  Find out a bit more about the company you are interviewing with, dig deeper into their affairs, what interests them, and top up your knowledge on them.  Well preparedness for a battle brings confidence and confidence on the job is a marvel to behold!

2. Structure your responses.

Structuring your responses in an interview goes a long way in providing accurate responses. Interview questions  could be tricky, make sure you listen carefully to note if the questions of the interviewer are two-in-one questions or not. A two part question should have a two part response.

Your tone shouldn't be too low or too high but just right.  It is mostly better to be sure you are heard by your interviewer than weren't heard.
Don't shy away from asking "can you hear me?"  when there is bad Internet connection in the case of a virtual interview.

3. Look presentable and be yourself

Whether a virtual or one - on- one interview, take that extra time to make sure you look presentable at least. 
Being yourself whiles trying to be cautious in an interview is important. Even though your cover letter and CV talks about you,  an interview helps the company to get to know you better.
It's a way of they getting acquainted with you and knowing more of you, aside the things stated in your cover letter and CV.
Don't forget to wear a smile often when necessary during the interview, it could help do the magic!

4. Follow up and say thank you

It shows thoughtfulness to follow up with an e-mail to your employer to say thank you.
Not only does it show thoughtfulness but keeps you in their thoughts and mind.

5.Ask Questions if possible.

Asking a question during an interview doesn't mean you are bugging the employer, it rather helps to clear and flush out doubts you may have concerning the job and this may go a long way to prevent future misunderstandings.

I didn't know some of these tips shared above earlier but I'm glad I do now.
Kindly share, you might never know who badly needs this to make that mark! ☺

I Know a Ghanaian Star Prize giving Lunch

Winning Konnect Africa's "I know a Ghanaian Star" writing competition is a  big achievement for me and a great step in my writing journey.  It feels awesome when your effort pays, trust me.  It is not completely about the prize but about the experience and fulfilment.  I have blogged about it already but this is to bring life and evidence to complete the whole story.

August 9,2014 was the day scheduled for the Prize giving Lunch which was to take place at Buka Restaurant located in Osu, Accra. This long awaited Saturday finally arrived and it was so awesome. It was a colourful,  fun filled and wonderful.  It's one of those days which you don,t need to mark in your best days column in your diary but you simply and naturally remember it for the rest of your life.

The organisers safely arrived by 7 am in Accra from Nigeria for the event. By12:30 noon, the organisers,  winners and a special guest were all gathered at Buka Restaurant in Osu. Buka is a beautiful African restaurant.  Their building,  interior,exterior and everything portrays Africa. Only African dishes are available and served, so in case you are craving for Ampesi, fufu, akpl3 and fetri detsi,  Buka is the right place to head to.
 
We had an awesome time connecting with  each other,  learning, eating and receiving our prices!

Young Legends of Inspiration- Regina Agyare

A lot of people believe in great things but it is actually a few people who take the initiative to do the great things they believe in.  I heard her story and got inspired. This young lady had a dream, took daring decisions and bold steps even though a bit risky.

Regina Agyare is a young social entrepreneur who is passionate and loves Technology. She has been in the technology industry for 8 years and has worked in varying positions as

Product Manager for Internet Applications at Rancard Solutions, Product Manager for E-business

Applications and Management and Information Systems Supervisor at various companies.With the dream of changing the African single story through technology, she has taken great initiatives so there could be more positive stories coming from Africa.

She attended Ashesi University where she studied Computer Science. She found herself working in a bank after completing school where she worked very hard to develop a lot of their web applications and set up that department. She was unfortunately denied promotion because She was a 

 female and young. She felt devastated and resigned from the job and got employed at another bank. There, she had a good salary, bonuses, she could get special recommendations and afford a great life but she felt unfulfilled because that did not match her dreams. With an alarm of making a change ringing in her head all the time, she obeyed and resigned.

She then moved on to start a company, Soronko Solutions which has a mission of using basic technology to drive human potential and a vision of developing the next generation of critical thinkers and innovators in STEM. The company also leverages on developing innovative technology solutions across different channels such as Web, Mobile, POS and ATM to solve problems. She is currently helping small and medium scale enterprises in Ghana create visibility and grow their businesses with technology.

In her high school days, she had a dream of becoming a rocket scientist, she couldn't further with that because the educational system wasn't structured in a way which could help her make this dream a reality. So then brooded on these questions; “how can I create a better environment for young children like me who would want to build rockets?” “How can they be fostered and nurtured to think about Africa’s problems?” “How can they become critical thinkers and problems solvers?”

These thoughts drove her to the rural areas where she had different sessions with children on Science and Technology games which required critical thinking. During those sessions, she found out that the boys were aggressive and the girls always stood back watching. 

There again, she thought about how she could get girls to take part in creating technology to have the female perspective. Then a brilliant brainchild was born.

She set up “Tech needs Girls”, a mentorship program which trains girls between(6-19) how to code, build mobile applications and websites. She invites other females who are either computer scientists or engineers to have coding classes with the girls every Saturday. These girls are now designing web applications which is really amazing!

Her hardwork paid off!  Below are some awesome opportunities and achievements of hers;

      •Her story was published in the Lean In for Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg COO of Facebook.

•She is an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow,Global Shaper of the Accra hub of the World Economic Forum, Vital Voices Fellow,Change Leader with Tigo Reach For Change and YALI Washington Fellow 2014 and will meet Obama and Michelle.

•Finalist for the African Digital Woman of the Year,awarded Women of Courage Award for Technology and Tech Needs Girls was awarded in the Ghana CSR Diary Awards

•Had the Crown Princess of Sweden come to the Slum to visit Tech Needs Girls and was invited to speak at Harvard University and TEDxLabone.

•She is on the project advisory board to help advice the UN Committee for the Rights of a Child update the Convention for the Rights of the Child for a Digital Age.  

If you have a dream, just go ahead and work it out!

Super Wednesday- The Contest

Whiles going through my Google+ notifications, I came across this;

cool opportunity, I thought. I took time to know what it actually entailed; subject,requirements, conditions etc. We were supposed to write about someone who is M.A.D (making a difference) in our society or country.The prizes were so cool too.

  Not a bad topic at all I thought, smiling to myself. I instantly put on my thinking cap and decided on who to write about. I didn't need to let my thinking wheels travel too far. With the Young Legends of Inspiration segment on my blog in mind, I decided to write about the first legend  +Ato Ulzen-Appiah, of course with his permission which he granted! I was really glad he did, it was an honour.
I started working at it right away.I gathered all facts and information I needed and with a spice of my creativity, this article was born; http://www.konnectafrica.net/ato-ulzen-appiah-is-a-ghanaian-star/
It was quite a herculean task which took days but I finally submitted it.

On 24th May 2013, I received good news; my entry made it to the top five, it was however not uhuru! I was to make people read my story, get inspired and like it via the facebook button and the highest number of likes would be declared as winner!  Hmmm...another round. I did my best and with the unwavering help of some awesome people, I managed to get over 600 people to read, get inspired and like my story.
Checking my progress with the number of likes was now the first thing I did when I woke up and the last thing I did before retiring to bed.
I won't forget how fast my heart would beat when my opponents were trying to catch up with me especially during the last days to the deadline. I wanted to win; If I would win anything, I wanted it to be concerning writing because I am highly passionate about writing.

During the waiting period, I really thought the days were very slow but the deadline finally came and I received great and joyous news; I WON!, I WON the "I know a Ghanaian Star writing competition"!!!

http://www.konnectafrica.net/winnersiknowaghanaianstar/

My joy knew no bounds, I fulfilled knowing that I have made one big progress in my writing journey. My joy isn't really about the prize but with the fact that I have been able to achieve something with my writing ability and made progress on this  amazing writing journey of mine. Hardwork really pays, I believe and this has proved it. Let's put away procrastination and laziness and be inspired to work hard in all areas of our endeavours. Remember,"Less Talk, More Action".

I am particularly grateful to all those who helped and encouraged me to get this far. What would I have done without you all?  Thank you so much!

Super Wednesday- Etornam

I believe I have come a long way ever since I started writing in 2007 during my first year at OLA Girls Senior High School. At the beginning, I had no mentor, my only inspiration was the fact that my first story "Just a dream" got published in "The Mirror", a weekly newspaper in Ghana. That raised my spirits and motivated me to do more writing. I didn't really think I was good before that happened.

Just about that time, national service personnels were posted to come teach at my school, and Etornam was one of them. He was assigned to teach Literature. Though I wasn't in the General Arts class, I started hearing about this new, cute and good Literature teacher in the dorms, bath houses, on working plots, classrooms and every possible gathering places, Literature students could not keep quiet about how good he was at teaching Literature. Soon, there were rantings about him everywhere.Though I was curious to know who he was, that wasn't my on my agenda.

Time flew and getting to the end of first year, Etornam and I crossed paths though I can't clearly remember how. As time went by, I realised the need for someone to help me build my writing skills so I approached Etornam and requested to be my writing coach which he gladly accepted. It was one big previledge;  because he knew and helped me a lot.He gave me several writing assignments,helped me build my vocabulary, edited my works,I can say he believed in my writing ability more than I did as at then. He inspired me a lot and pushed me to do more.
He pushed in me the awareness that people needed to read my pieces. He saw in me what I couldn't see and helped a great deal to develop it.I won't forget how he would say "Mabel, don't ever stop writing". He worked with me as though he was going to be paid. He was ever ready to help me out, any time, anywhere. Even when I thought I had written something useless, Etornam would see good in that and help me mould it into something really useful.

The academic year came to an end and the national service personnels had also completed their term of service, my coach had to leave. This was bad news for me, the thought of Etornam leaving always broke my heart. Who could take his place? He was a priceless gift to me who helped me out a great deal.
I gradually built the courage to accept the fact that his departure from OLA was inevitable. Even though he left, he still stayed in touch.

It was with his inspiration I started this blog. My passion for writing grew as a results of him.With his words ringing in my mind, I am always reminded I shouldn't stop writing. This day, I appreciate you for being what you were to me. Each day, when I take a pen to write or go through my blog, I remember I started with you and would have probably not reach here without you. Thank you Etornam

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