34, SINGLE & BROKE

 

Sometime this week, I bumped into an old friend. He looked frail and haggard. This was not how he looked when I last saw him. Something was wrong. We had a long chat and at the peak of our conversation  was the fact that he had lost his job. He was a poultry farm manager and was incensed at what had happened to him. A role he managed for just three months after more than a year of searching for a job. 

He told me  his boss couldn't keep up with the rising cost of chicken feed, particularly maize, not to mention other equally expensive ingredient against the declining demand for eggs. To rub salt into his wound, his girlfriend had jilted him. I couldn't but empathize with him.  Poor chap. That reminded me of a line in one of Sarkodie's rap" sika nni wo bɔtɔ mu a, wo ti tesɛ oguan ti". To wit, if you have no money, your head looks like that of a sheep. 

The level of unemployment has become alarming. Young girls are giving themselves to men their

grandfather's age to survive on the daily. Young men are living on hand outs from friends who are struggling themselves and yet each day, we see, hear and read reports of reckless spending by the elite. Why?  This isn't what we bargained for. One strike action by workers here or there, Crime rates are high and all "someone" could say is that "it is only in heaven there is no crime". I fear for my unborn children and  those after. I wonder what country we shall bequeath to them. 

In the mean time, since there are no crimes in heaven, let's drink all the beer to wash down our pains here on earth. Cheers.🍺

Mi Smile Foundation, a not for profit organization based in Accra has donated packs of sanitary items to pupils at Akuffokrom, a small community on the fringes of Nsawam in the Eastern region. The move was in commemoration of “World Menstrual Hygiene day” observed on 28^th May each year. however, the foundation will carry out similar activities through out the year into the ensuing year.

 

The Menstrual hygiene day is to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management.

 
Speaking at the ceremony, an executive of My Smile Foundation, Pearl Amo-Adu said, “ it is an utter misfortune for any woman regardless of their age not to be able to take good care of themselves at that time of the month. It is in this regard that, MiSmile foundation gave several packs of sanitary pads and other related items to girls of Akuffokrom M/A school to make their stay in school comfortable whilst educating the young girls on proper menstrual hygiene.

Receiving the items, the assembly member of the town, Hon. Christian K.K. Asare was grateful for the kind gesture stating that, it will go a long way to promote the interest of the girls in school as they will not have any more excuses not to attain classes. 

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

At a point in our lives, we shall pass on. However, how it happens will either leave those we leave behind in a sorry state than sad. How we got here as a country still beats my mind. The sheer lawlessness  scares me to the bone. We are not safe. 

Last week, a friend of mine and her colleagues were attacked by an armed young man in her car after work. But for the bravery of my friend, her colleague seated at the front would have sustained severe injuries. I cannot put my thoughts together well because it is getting frustrating each day. If there is anything to be done to nib it, it should be done now!!! that is, if it hasn't got out of hand. At a point I believe people will take things into their own hands. I cannot imagine all of us going about our daily activities  with one deadly weapon or the other in the name of self- defense. It will spiral into something else

There have been dozens of such cases but a few have been reported. The killing of the young police officer leave a lot of questions on my mind. If the people paid and equipped from the public purse to sustain what is left of the peace and security of the citizens are being slaughtered in broad day light, then your guess is as good as mine as to what may happen to the ordinary citizens. 

Just a few hours ago, there was a video of some young lads brandishing side arms and other sophisticated arms on social media. The question is "how the f**k did we get here"?

To those in whose hands the safety of the country lies, don't wait until it gets out of hand. There are many young people walking the streets hungry. A weapon in the hands of such might spell doom. Crime does not discriminate. This is a call to all to put our shoulders to the wheel. 😞😞

NOTES AND CONCRETE BLOCKS

It is said that the making a great person is usually unknown and the road to the top could be lonely and fraught with many challenges. In spite of these, many have achieved greatness in their respective chosen field. The story of Nana Quophy is no different.

 

The building engineer, born Godfred Cobbah is riding on the waves of music to hit the spot light though he says he has plans for the engineer in him. In 2017, he cut his teeth in music with two singles titled “ADIEPENA and “LOVI”, a collaboration with B2S studios until he had to start all over on his own. “ Its a lonely and uncomfortable road but I had to take it” he said.

 

His latest single is “ I LOVE YOU” which features Black Ashante is gaining grounds and becoming popular on the play list of music lovers. Nana Quophy is in line to be in the league of musicians from Ashaiman like Stonebwoy, Galaxy and a host of other. His latest project “APOLOGY” will soon be on all digital music platforms.

THIRTEEN YEAR OLD INNOVATES PUBLIC WASH ROOM

Getting access to a decent public wash room in Accra is very rare. The few available are scattered and mostly not hygienic. In view of this, a thirteen year old student has modelled an innovative wash room to serve this purpose.

Livingstone Ohene, who is the brain behind the model said her innovation is an improvement on the existing form of public wash room, introducing more privacy under hygienic conditions . “ its very disgusting using public wash rooms as you are most likely to chance on someone or their waste”. she said, adding that, her model will help stop the indiscriminate urination in low income areas.

Miss Ohene, a student of Mercy’s School in Bubuashie in Accra had the idea during a creative arts lesson where they were asked to identify a common problem in their community and design a solution to it.  

 

 

 

A CASE AGAINST COVID-19

I’m not an expert in this field but I surely do understand and know what it feels like to be “depressed” at a time like this. Without being told, I recognize many persons are going through diverse range of stress. A handful are managing it well and many are not. Businesses which hitherto were standing tall have been brought down to their knee, laying off workers leaving only a few who are either slashing salaries into halves or crawling just to stay afloat, leaving only a couple operating at full capacity.

Like a wrecking ball, it came uninvited, sneaking up on us smashing and sniffing out life from everything in its way. This guess cared not about who was rich, poor, young or old. Neither was it thoughtful of the strong nor weak, noble or dishonorable.

It covered the world in its unwanted warmth like a blanket, darkening the path of those who were brave to wrestle it but to no avail. Like a inglorious judge, Covid-19 judged the world without first hearing its case.

In spite of the above, it is important that we marshal efforts to fight it like an insurgent gaining

grounds on our turf. We certainly do not lack the know how but we have become complacent, cross examining ourselves rather than the pandemic. We have to be a little more kinder to ourselves and selfish in protecting others by observing all safety measures, otherwise, it is long lonely path.  

 

 

 

TWICE MARRIED

Marriage is a good thing or that is what we have been told, therefore like everything good, there should be little or no stress attached.

In the last few weeks, I attended all together six marriage ceremonies. Six? Yes six. Whilst there, one word that resonated in my mind after I had left those places, was “ENGAGEMENT”. I sort to find the meaning of engagement in the context of the subject under review and in Ghana, it means “Traditional Marriage ceremony” albeit the actual definition is “an official agreement to get married”.

In days past, marriage processes or procedure were quite simple, devoid of all the pageantry. It used to be a "colourful" ceremony, depending on where it was being done, of just family and a few friends as witnesses. The prospective families do all the underground fact finding. Both families agree at a meeting and a date is set where the woman is given into marriage if all they sort to find checked out.

However, modernization and a lot of add-ons have morphed this modest yet important all inclusive ceremony into what has been termed “ENGAGEMENT” which as stated earlier is a formal agreement between the man and woman to get married and not a ceremony. At these so called engagements, marriage vows are exchanged in the presence of both families and a priest or pastor as well. What I don’t quite understand is why vows are exchanged AGAIN when the couple go to sign in church as required and recognized by law or in most cases, dress up for a whole day’s activity in the name of wedding. Is it to affirm the love the couple have for each other or they second guess themselves after the initial vows are taken?

Perhaps, as a people who are conscious of tradition and hold it to the highest esteem, I think we must have a rethink about this subject and realign our interest. By any means, any one should marry when they feel like it, but once.