part 1.
After a fortnight attending the Accra youth summit, i spent another
resourceful day at the maiden edition of the iLead SUMMIT 2013 organised by the
International Youth Council, Ghana Chapter. iLEAD an acronym for Innovations,
Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development was much
attended by tertiary student and i think i was the only non-tertiary
participant and also held at the Ghana Telecom University College.
Speakers were; Esi Yankah of Africa Mentors Network, Franklin Cudjoe of
Imani Ghana, Pierre Brunache Jr of African Fertilizer and Agribusiness
partnership, Mr. Anis Haffar of Gate Institute, Daniel Batidam of
African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption and Rahul Sapra of
Fine Pack Ltd made great impacts into us the participants, follow me as i unfold the
told at the summit in this series.
Organise on the theme: The African Cheetah; Leading the Next
Generation of Africa Renaissance was commenced by a key note address by
the National Director, National Youth Authority, Ghana, Mrs Sedinam
Tamakloe which commended the organisers and assured them of her support. Talking to
us she made us know of the new era that we are moving into.
As African cheetah we can turn the continent around. We need to take our rightful
place. We have the knowledge, energy and zeal that describes
the cheetah. She made notice that Ghana has the largest youth population on the
continent, and we must lead the innovation everywhere we find
ourselves, be it, governance, business, home etc. Giving examples of
some key innovations of from the Alexander Bell’s Telephone to the
smartphone of modern days, Telegrams to emails and the social media
Which she challenged us that most contribution were from young people
just like us we are. For Africa to have a place we must learn to
innovate. And also how to do it matters and everyone can do it. Bill
Gate was not an university graduate before he founded Microsoft.
Innovation is for everyday life and we can make it happen, she
concluded. Speakers took turns as Esi Yankah, a very young lady and
indeed a youth, thrilled the participants with her message speaking on
the theme: WATCH ME DO IT.
Before starting she told us she enjoys speaking to peers to move them to
greater heights which really inspired that i can and will make it. She
warned us against setting unrealistic goals and having unrealistic
mentors. Believing in herself is what makes her dreams manifest. We need
to be confident and not afraid of failure. She also likes taking risks
and said one thing that most of us youths lack is taking action. We must
look beyond money as our problem solver. She said to achieve goals you
need to meet may people who will tell you;
1. You can’t do it.
2. it is not possible.
3. Or through their actions tell you, you can’t do it.
4. Or help you- doubt your ability.
Sharing her personal story, she pursued visual arts at Wesley girls SHS
and moved to study Business Administrations in marketing in the US. In
this situation of finding herself among different people, being an
African doesn’t discourage her for contesting for several positions in
another man’s land. She contested the Class secretary, class president,
president of international students in her university in the US and won
all of them, yes that is an African woman. She didn’t keep silent
mentioning the fact that she is beautiful and intelligent. Yes, an
African woman witter brain. After her masters again in integrated
marketing communications consultant from Emerson College in Boston, USA,
she moved back to Ghana with the passion of mentoring other young
people which she started shortly after working as a consultant for her
day. Then realisation of her dreams started… Keep tune to this dial for
more.(part two.)
AKPAH PRINCE
akpahprince.wordpress.com
