Growing up in a Ga home taught me some valuable cooking lessons: how to pound fufu on my own, how to use an iron cauldron to prepare banku, how to prepare all the various kinds of Ghanaian soups, how to create balls of Kenkey and make Fisherman’s soup. Most of these dishes were prepared using traditional methods and utensils over hot coals which gave each dish a unique taste which no other cooking method can compete against.
Did you ever exchange stickers in school? Just so you could stick them at the back of the jotter and feel like the coolest kid on the block? Well I did but like everyone else I grew out of them for like forever until about a year ago, thanks to Viber! So whats up (no pun intended) with all the instant messaging apps going gaga over stickers? Emoji-drained? Or feeding of lazy typists hunger for quick messages. After going through my iphone IM apps here are four of them with either the best or ‘stickiest’ stickers.
Ethical Fashion Initiative, a project sponsored by the Swiss Government and managed by ITC (International Trade Centre) organised a fashion pop-up shop featuring local Ghanaian fashion designers. The event held over a three day period put up on display intriguing ethnic and western fashion; the kind which makes a statement whilst walking down the streets of Osu or lounging by the poolside at Movenpick Hotel.
I passed by after work to engage with the designers to find out more on what they had to offer the fashion industry in Ghana and if there were any treasures to be found.
Designer labels such as Ameyo, MultiBella, Alinafe, Enaj Bijou, Nuna Couture, Sambalakewear were amongst the few I caught up with.
Its been a year now since I created my Flipboard magazines #Fashion (previously Fashionista) , Home & You (Lifestyle Magazine) , Lens (Photography) and Hair Stylin’ and within that year to now one of the questions I kept asking myself was, ‘Who exactly was following my magazine?’ Its was as though I was getting a large viewership and reflips but who were these people? Searching for content was a tad tough like badly cooked ‘wele’ in okro stew as it usually involved typing in the search field and having to go through several accounts either on Twitter, Facebook, etc trying to pin-point the right article.
Natural lifestylers never had it so good as they did during Natural Beauty Bazaar (#NBBGH14) held recently at the Dubois Center in Accra. As searing as the sun was that day so also was the vast display of organic foods, natural hair and skin products, African handicrafts and jewelry all jumbled in nicely with several hair talks with the coily pro’s. From shea butter products for men and women to coconut laden magic skin and hair creams, the day was filled with a rich array of products any natural lifestyler would dream of.
The naming of a business or your startup goes beyond finding one which is catchy, sounds great in the ear or communicates your product and service. I believe there are some steps many founders and sole-proprietors are overlooking as they crack their brains on whether to choose from using their names for the business or picking something modern and trendy. These steps range from physical checks at Registrar General and conducting a digital search as well.
Did you know that no matter where you travel to beyond the shores of the former Gold Coast, you need to carry your yellow card with you before getting to the Kotoka International Airport? It doesn’t matter if you are going to UK or China. Having travelled just a few months ago in September without this card, I was the least amused to see this new procedure in place. Here is how I know.
I often get asked that question and I think it's often a question people want to know theanswer to because women are looking to someone as an inspiration for how long they can remain ‘natural’. I’ve been natural nearly half my life. I’ve grown it, cut it, grown it again. Had breakage from braiding. Breakage from dryness. Grow again. Cut again. For me, going natural had nothing to do with any 'movement' or going 'back to my roots'. It was really a decision made because it was expensive to keep relaxing my hair and I had an incident where thesalon left the relaxer on too long and I ended up with burned scalp that turned into an infection. Believe it or not I continued...
This is how shopping is often conducted in Ghana: The buyer picks a taxi or sits in his vehicle, drives through horrendous traffic, looks left and right wondering if the name of the shop sent to them was right, finally parks by the roadside and walks from shop to shop comparing prices and quality. Another scenario would be to drive to a popular market like Makola, struggle with hundreds of other shoppers in a bid to get to the shop of choice whilst having to swerve loads carried by porters and cars which often join the melee. After the buyer buys the products, they pay for a porter to carry the goods from point of purchase to perhaps a vehicle which exposes the goods to damage or theft. Now that is a lot of sweat!
Then to help solve this problem of shopping difficulties comes Jumia. Jumia, the leading online retailing company was first launched in 2012 and boasts of presence in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda and Cameroon. Now Jumia is in Ghana and it promises to bring some order where shopping chaos reigns.
What answer will you give when randomly interviewed about the state of the Ghanaian economy? Awful? Really gross? Could be better? Well, here is one guy whose response to this all important question is simply rib-cracking hilarious and I am strongly suspecting him to be a Ga man. (Oh! My people!)
This year's event started out with a training day with industry leaders in fashion and finance in Ghana, talking about the gracious Nora Bannerman (Sleek Garment) , Mr Charles Mensah (Financial Consultant), Lawyer Nana Asante Bediatuo and Eugenia Tachie-Menson (Vlisco Ambassador 2014) to train fashion designers and entrepreneurs in how to build a sustainable fashion brand. Day 2 had a panel discussion with fashion bloggers, designers and fashion photographers such as Rodney Quarcoo. The music performance by Nana Yaa during the show was splendid and one which kept me from nodding off during the show. Excellent voice from Pat Thomas's daughter.
Dr. Myles Munroe touched my life when I was still learning and empowering myself as a woman through his books which line my bookshelf; Understanding The Purpose and Power of Men, The Purpose and Power of Love & Marriage, Principles and Power of Vision, Understanding Your Potential (Kindle Version) I have gained in-depth and priceless relational knowledge.
A great tree has fallen but its roots reach depths far deeper into generations of upcoming future leaders and out of this tree shall more trees grow. His life and work was truly inspirational and I believe his light shone to the world as a man who wasnt afraid to show his position on issues plaguing today's world.
Here are a few of his quotes on leadership and relationship from his speaking events and books which I hope will inspire you.
