Vacation for a Workaholic

When you wake up thinking about your to-do-list, when you send emails to your colleagues on weekends (overriding the out-of-office message you have set up), when you watch an interview with your boss as entertainment, when you check your Linked In at 5 am on your first day of vacation, when you is actually I, these might be indicators of that I am a workaholic?

Hence: I am taking a summer break from everything, including the blog, and will be back at the end of August with a colourful Chale Wote report!

Until then, find me on Instagram —>

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Why I Attend Chale Wote Street Art Festival!

Spirit robot partIn August CHALE WOTE is coming! The street festival enters its fifth year with the awesomest theme ever: SPIRIT ROBOT! It just does something to my imagination: spirit! robot! 

The festival has been announced to run from Aug 18-21 with LABS @ CHALE WOTE on Aug 18-19. I understand that as the main, public part of the festival is the weekend 20-21 August, 2016. Location: Jamestown, Accra.

I will be going to the festival with my entire family. I am especially looking forward seeing the festival through my now five year old child’s eyes and seeing my teen relatives’ reactions. Personally, I am attending for the people, the art-meets-community, the fabulous fashion, the street food, and the general feeling of marvel.

Do you not also want to be part of the Chale Wote Spirit Robot?

Spirit Robot is described like this on the organiser Accra Dot Alt website:

 In 2016, we ramp up the energy of CHALE WOTE by building a universal TRANSmitter  – a singular architecture – that we call SPIRIT ROBOT. This immersive memory-tech presents a world within a world where life can be structured on different terms.

CHALE WOTE 2016 exists as an interconnected system of pan-African geometry shifting. SPIRIT ROBOT  is a sacred current that decodes worldly systems of racist capitalism, alienation and subjection. SPIRIT ROBOT mutates these frequencies as a way of creating new histories, art and knowledge.

Robot points to mechanical forces that restrict our right to be human – to feel and to express – and to be free. Robot signifies the machine – the myriad constraints that people of African descent on the continent and around the world confront on a daily basis with our very lives. SPIRIT ROBOT reprograms history by melding West African mythology, cosmogramming, and artistic practice in a radical unveiling of alternative African realities. Together we animate stolen dreams, deferred inventions, and lost science through an intercultural kinship. We reclaim memory maps about who we are and where we are going.

What we are speaking of is Spirit – a collective creative process that is human and metaphysical, potent, available and abundant. Spirit is on the move through a series of portals – doors of persistent return – that open up a blueprint for radical reconstruction of our realities and pan-African building.  It refers to the energetic abilities we employ to create a new encounter with reality that is entirely of our choosing and construction. Here we access liberating spaces of art and possibility, embedding our codes of connection in a live archive that we continue to build upon.

How do we create intentionally coded spaces – an algebra of minds – that can be grasped and shared? In 2016, we build bridges of possibilities between us, connecting our visions of reality with one another and the challenge to dig deeper. Stretching these projects together into a meta-network is an act of deep engagement with community, and an exercise in countering historical forms of hierarchyexclusionfracture and disharmony.

With SPIRIT ROBOT, we construct and amplify our own technologies to create a spectacular present where are we free .

See my earlier posts on Chale Wote Festival 2011, 2012, 2013 (no photos), 2014.

 

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Global Ghana: A Ghana Studies Association Conference in Cape Coast, July 6-9, 2016.

A Ghana Studies Association Conference in Cape Coast 6-9 July, 2016.

Here are the Twitter highlights from four days of all things Ghana!

Day 1.

It started on a bus taking us from Accra to green Cape Coast.

On our way to the Triennial Ghana Studies Association Conference in Cape Coast, Ghana! #GlobalGhana https://t.co/hHPFzxt1hu

On our way to the Triennial Ghana Studies Association Conference in Cape Coast, Ghana! #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/hHPFzxt1hu
On the way to Cape Coast for Ghana Studies Association conference #globalghana
We were housed in three different locations, on and around campus. There were mixed reviews…
Jangles Guesthouse Annex Cape Coast. Horrible. Isolated. Not a good start #globalghana
#globalghana we are in cape coast for 4 days. ?????
Excited to be at University of Cape Coast for @GhanaStudiesASAconference #globalghana
Oh no! Organizers just announced there is no WiFi at this ??? #GlobalGhana conference! ?
I of course made sure I had both phone and iPad “bundled up” well well, but I worry for the hashtag!! #GlobalGhana  https://twitter.com/joseph_nti/status/750669210280423428 …
Ghana studies conference. Cape Coast. #GlobalGhana
On the afternoon of the 6th, the conference panel sessions kicked off.

At the first ??? #GlobalGhana panel Kafui Tsekpo discusses& problematizes "bad leadership" in Ghana's 4th republic. https://t.co/gEYIsIriQi

At the first ??? #GlobalGhana panel Kafui Tsekpo discusses& problematizes “bad leadership” in Ghana’s 4th republic. pic.twitter.com/gEYIsIriQi
At Ghana Studies Association conference in Cape Coast. Excited for interdisciplinary learning and networking #globalghana
Did you know the first radio broadcast in Ghana happened on 31 July, 1935? Victoria Ellen Smith tells us about the relay ??? #GlobalGhana

These were the guys that made that first relay broadcast happen. ???#GlobalGhana https://t.co/DMvumUhiFN

These were the guys that made that first relay broadcast happen. ???#GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/DMvumUhiFN
The first broadcast was initiated by the Governor and was part of commonwealth strategy to “celebrate British culture”. ??? #GlobalGhana

In 1958, tables turned when Ghana set up a commission into "an external service for Radio Ghana". ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/mGoN4fPlMF

In 1958, tables turned when Ghana set up a commission into “an external service for Radio Ghana”. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/mGoN4fPlMF
My head is growing: Singing Net, Okyeame Magazine, Writer’s Showcase, Voices of Our Time – @writersPG @BloggingGhana roots!??? #GlobalGhana
Daniel Yaw Fiaveh on what it means to have a penis in Ghana in his paper “Hegemonic Penile Discourses and Continuities…” ??? #GlobalGhana
“Phallic competence” is important in constructing masculinity in Ghana, argues Fiaveh, but what that exactly mean in Ghana? ??? #GlobalGhana
I have no idea how to theorize the fact that men do not open up to talk about issues of phallic competence, says Fiaveh. ??? #GlobalGhana

Full house next door where Ghanaian emigrants are being discussed ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/BH5Cm8fSZQ

Full house next door where Ghanaian emigrants are being discussed ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/BH5Cm8fSZQ

David Peterson del Mar discusses letter exchanges between Ghana & US. A teacher shares outcomes. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/W1Lg1GcQQR

David Peterson del Mar discusses letter exchanges between Ghana & US. A teacher shares outcomes. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/W1Lg1GcQQR
Alison Okuda presents a paper on “The migrant’s experience in post-colonial Ghana”. A text by Kofi Awonoor illustrates it! ???? #GlobalGhana
Last paper day1: Rita Nketia on second-generation African-Canadian Identity. She opens by problematising “black immigrants” ??? #GlobalGhana
What is the transnational capacity of the second-generation? Nketia outlines her PHD research at the end of her talk. ??? #GlobalGhana
“Ghanaian parents abroad want to go home, but didn’t raise us to. In their minds, Ghana is where you go to die!” – Nketia ??? #GlobalGhana

Final session for the day @GhanaStudiesASA @aswadiaspora conference ??? #GlobalGhana is a roundtable on liberation. https://t.co/ZCYi5qIWy5

Final session for the day @GhanaStudiesASA @aswadiaspora conference ??? #GlobalGhana is a roundtable on liberation. pic.twitter.com/ZCYi5qIWy5
Did you know a group of African-Americans repatriated to Saltpond, Ghana in 1914-15? @ebonycoletu has done the research! ??? #GlobalGhana
So, @SankaraLives asks, why is anti imperialist liberation politics often so conservative? ??? #GlobalGhana
.@ato_quayson looks at the ethnopolitical diaspora and suggests we have to rethink liberation in the neoliberal era. ??? #GlobalGhana
.@ato_quayson‘s examples: “violently dispersed diasporas” (Somalis & South Africans), the new diaspora is economic. ??? #GlobalGhana
After the euphoria of breaking free, our politics did not take us very far in terms of liberation, suggests Amoah @Ashesi ??? #GlobalGhana
“Gender is not just women, it is also men! And also those who define differently” @ebonycoletu brings clarity to the convo #GlobalGhana???
“Why don’t we discuss this with Indiana & current events in the US to make the conversation less polarized?”-@SankaraLives ??? #GlobalGhana
What is freedom? Have we not focused too much on the political kingdom? How do we critique power? Forge inclusion? ??? #GlobalGhana
Discussions from conference panels continues online…
Good to be linked. Can you recommend any penis readings to my followers? I’ll recommend @adventurefrom #GlobalGhana  https://twitter.com/fiaveh/status/750752126381481984 …
You said Ghanaian women see it as they can “own” a penis (dildo?) – is that part of the penile economy? #GlobalGhana https://twitter.com/fiaveh/status/750752618763415552 …
Veteran anthropologist Gracia Clark adds that homophobia in Africa is an import “wholesale” from US ! ??? #GlobalGhana
Next speaker: “I hope I’ll not get into trouble for what I’m going to say” This liberation convo is now a homosexuality convo. #GlobalGhana
“Every phone has an African piece in it – cobalt!”, @ato_quaysonargues Africans are not proud enough, but have reason to be! #GlobalGhana
This ends today’s tweeting from??? #GlobalGhana. I’ll be back tomorrow. Thanks for reading and RTing – shoutout to @Nnedi!

Day 2.

Hoping to catch up with presentations on day 2 of GSA conference after our guests have settled in #GlobalGhana @GhanaStudiesASA
Waking up at Jangles Hotel Cape Coast: no running water, no breakfast. Perfect preparation for day of presentations #globalghana

 

2nd day underway at the Ghana Studies Association. Our 1st panel 2day is Society & Change in the North. #GlobalGhana https://t.co/RLxB294zsZ

2nd day underway at the Ghana Studies Association. Our 1st panel 2day is Society & Change in the North. #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/RLxB294zsZ
I’m in Room 1 listening to Melinda Adams discuss gender and political careers in Ghana. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/FHEcFINPjC
Did you know that 9 of 10 MPs in Ghana are men? ??? #GlobalGhana
Melinda Adams talking about how political parties make gender and gender makes political parties in Ghana. #GlobalGhana
“Recruitment is largely informal and it does not favor women, either they violate party or societal norms by engaging”. ??? #GlobalGhana

Day 2. Neoliberalism and Pan-Africanist Futures. #GlobalGhana https://t.co/vRYTMr6yd9

Day 2. Neoliberalism and Pan-Africanist Futures. #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/vRYTMr6yd9

Melinda Adams currently reading from her paper: "Gender and Political Careers in Ghana" #GlobalGhana https://t.co/6oYTnwpfKL

Melinda Adams currently reading from her paper: “Gender and Political Careers in Ghana” #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/6oYTnwpfKL
Did you know both @GhanaNPP and @OfficialNDCGh have a 50% reduced filing fee for women and other underrepresented groups? ??? #GlobalGhana
#GlobalGhana is now trending in Ghana, ranking 22
Running for office is still very expensive and candidates have to prove contributions to constituency and get signatures. ??? #GlobalGhana
Adams discusses the recent @GhanaNPP policy to protect the 16 seats held by women – which was withdrawn after criticism. ??? #GlobalGhana
In Rwanda 4 of 10 MPs are men, in the US, 8 of 10. See statistics for all countries here  http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm … ??? #GlobalGhana

Next Nana Akua Anyidoho discusses the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/GiieJv9cVH

Next Nana Akua Anyidoho discusses the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/GiieJv9cVH
Strategies for implementation: 1. Collaboration within existing structures, 2. Public awareness, 3. Training. – Anyidoho ??? #GlobalGhana
I wonder how these strategies can be transferred to implementation of other laws? ??? #GlobalGhana
Anyidoho concludes by asking if it is inevitable that CSOs are weaker in an implementation phase (vs law passing phase). ??? #GlobalGhana
“Growing up in a typical village in Ghana in the 80s, I saw my mother doing all domestic work.” – Hubert Asiedu ??? #GlobalGhana
“The main purpose is to investigate men’s perception of unpaid work and what they actually do.” – Asiedu ??? #GlobalGhana
Hubert Asiedu’s presentation is ??? “My lifelong project is on modern men!” ??? #GlobalGhana
All set for the keynote luncheon – Ato Quayson: “Genealogies of Cosmopolitanism: Accra’s Oxford Street” #GlobalGhana@GhanaStudiesASA
Asiedu’s typology of men: 1. Traditional, 2. Transitional, 3. Modern ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/8XPWk7Rg8O
Many men say they are willing to do domestic unpaid work, but only “undercover” or when people are not around. – Asiedu ??? #GlobalGhana

Asiedu concludes that while many women go into paid work, the reverse is not true. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/0Ki0XeH32O

Asiedu concludes that while many women go into paid work, the reverse is not true. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/0Ki0XeH32O

Listening to "Transition to Modern Men: Exploring Men's Involvement in Unpaid Work" by Hubert Asiedu #globalghana https://t.co/DI9UY6I3AX

Listening to “Transition to Modern Men: Exploring Men’s Involvement in Unpaid Work” by Hubert Asiedu #globalghana pic.twitter.com/DI9UY6I3AX
Hubert Asiedu talking about “Transition to Modern Man: Exploring Men’s Involvement in Unpaid Work” #GlobalGhana
There is a strong cultural expectation for women to do unpaid work in certain parts of Ghana -Hubert Asiedu #GlobalGhana
Hubert Asiedu talking abt 3 typologies of men in Ghana: 1. Traditional men 2.Transitional men 3. Modern Men #GlobalGhana
I asked about literature on patriarchal societies & winner takes all majoritarian democracies. Adams said systems matter! ??? #GlobalGhana

This interesting gender panel was hosted by @Fiaveh ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/CfFOCw73Lu

This interesting gender panel was hosted by @Fiaveh ??? #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/CfFOCw73Lu

2nd panels of the day: Discourse on Gender & Social Roles II / Neoliberalism & Pan-Africanist Futures. #GlobalGhana https://t.co/hQWiVIoUQK

2nd panels of the day: Discourse on Gender & Social Roles II / Neoliberalism & Pan-Africanist Futures. #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/hQWiVIoUQK

Nana Akua Anyidoho presents:"Civil Society Actors and the Implementation of the Domestic Violence Act". #GlobalGhana https://t.co/CKGiQsPiMi

Nana Akua Anyidoho presents:”Civil Society Actors and the Implementation of the Domestic Violence Act”. #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/CKGiQsPiMi
Asiedu Hubert’s conclusions about men in Ghana. #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/zTVkLpojYD
Asiedu Hubert’s conclusions about men in Ghana. #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/zTVkLpojYD
EXTRA SESSION at ??? #GlobalGhana! Topic: Ghana Elections 2016. Time: 5.45pm Venue: Room 2 Sasakawa Conference. EXTRA SESSION! ???
EXTRA SESSION at ??? #GlobalGhana! Topic: Ghana Elections 2016. Time: 5.45pm Venue: Room 2 Sasakawa Conference. EXTRA SESSION! ???

The keynote speech by @ato_quayson will be a completely new lecture premiering for @GhanaStudiesASA ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/CAbW0V76zA

The keynote speech by @ato_quayson will be a completely new lecture premiering for @GhanaStudiesASA ??? #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/CAbW0V76zA
A scene from earlier this week opens @ato_quayson‘s talk. ??? #GlobalGhana

Keynote speech by Prof. Ato Quayson Genealogies of Cosmopolitanism:Accra's Oxford Street. #globalghana https://t.co/3knFI91BDD

Keynote speech by Prof. Ato Quayson Genealogies of Cosmopolitanism:Accra’s Oxford Street. #globalghana pic.twitter.com/3knFI91BDD
Prof. Ato Quayson talking on the history of Oxford Street, Osu, Accra in his own poignant and at times hilarious way #globalghana
Prof @ato_quayson took some students on a tour of Jamestown &was asked for “something small”.He reflects on what happened ??? #GlobalGhana
.@ato_quayson on as a Fanti being able to pass for Ga &adds “abroad I’m taken for a Nigerian”, why he doesn’t know. Laughter. #GlobalGhana
The topic of cosmopolitanisms is a continuation @ato_quayson‘s celebrated book Oxford Street, Accra  https://www.dukeupress.edu/Oxford-Street-Accra/ …??? #GlobalGhana
Did you know that before the Accra earthquake 1939, the city had no structural plan? (Source: @ato_quayson) ??? #globalghana
I’d love to hear @ato_quayson on @AccraWeDey podcast! More people should hear what he has to say about Accra! ???#globalghana
The papers also all pointed to a dynamic gender situation in politics, policy and homes! ??? #GlobalGhana  https://twitter.com/fiaveh/status/751048862962450432 …
@Fiaveh All’s well now. Relocated to my own town, Elmina. With plenty of fresh fish for breakfast + the lively harbour as sight #globalghana
Q&A for @ato_quayson on the 1939 town planning process, the term “obruni” and race. ??? #GlobalGhana
Interesting response on the 1939 earthquake and the British empire crisis management. In 1944, a town plan was presented. ??? #GlobalGhana
In 1954, a “very compete have town plan” was presented complete with “green wedges and maps”. ??? #GlobalGhana
Later city plans, says @ato_quayson did not reference earlier plans: “There was a lack of ‘sankofa-ism’!” ??? #GlobalGhana
That sounds better! Maybe post a photo from Elmina harbor here tomorrow? ??? #GlobalGhana  https://twitter.com/micheldoortmont/status/751056189572706304 …

The ??? #GlobalGhana conference is generously hosted by University of Cape Coast on its lush campus! https://t.co/E5t76QyLOO

The ??? #GlobalGhana conference is generously hosted by University of Cape Coast on its lush campus! pic.twitter.com/E5t76QyLOO

.@DetroittoAccra @waynestate discusses vehicles,drivers& "paralyzing immobility" on our roads ???. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/kbHL2tzlCp

.@DetroittoAccra @waynestate discusses vehicles,drivers& “paralyzing immobility” on our roads ???. ??? #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/kbHL2tzlCp
“Driving in postcolonial Ghana is characterized by low profitability and a nostalgia for “our time” – @DetroittoAccra ???#GlobalGhana
Late on day 2, the hashtag #GlobalGhana trended on Twitter, suggesting it was one of the most used hashtags in Ghana for some time.
TT GHANA 15:13 1.#DearFutureWife 2.#PhilandoCastile3.#GlobalGhana 4.#Hallelujah 5.America 6.#LIVETKO 7.Pogba 8.Portugal 9.Nima 10.Trump

W. Donkoh reveals a gap in the literature on female migrants fr Northern Gh:"Not all are kayayees!"??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/coMxJm3vMQ

W. Donkoh reveals a gap in the literature on female migrants fr Northern Gh:”Not all are kayayees!”??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/coMxJm3vMQ
Gracia Clark talks about the Second Hand Clothing Trade, transitioning fr “obruni wawu” to “force”! ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/Q68uz1mhSp
Second hand clothing trade steps: containers to Tema, sold by container to Kumasi, broken into bales and sold to traders. ??? #GlobalGhana

Ghana Studies matriarch Gracia Clark speaks on the layers of the secondhand clothing industry #globalghana https://t.co/Mo9p9H3KUJ

Ghana Studies matriarch Gracia Clark speaks on the layers of the secondhand clothing industry #globalghana pic.twitter.com/Mo9p9H3KUJ

Gracia Clark: second-hand clothing as a system of unequal exchange negotiated thru strategic agency #globalghana https://t.co/wlbpGOXRye

Gracia Clark: second-hand clothing as a system of unequal exchange negotiated thru strategic agency #globalghana pic.twitter.com/wlbpGOXRye
Clark suggests second hand clothing has expanded fueled by a change in perception in Ghana. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/E5e9HeZpJy
Second hand traders noticed the recession in US/Europe and told Clark clothes came worn out to Ghana! ??? #GlobalGhana indeed!

Kadari Taylor-Watson of @LifeAtPurdue discusses "the other face of Africa" using this @Vlisco ad. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/cPx1unbZ2R

Kadari Taylor-Watson of @LifeAtPurdue discusses “the other face of Africa” using this @Vlisco ad. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/cPx1unbZ2R

What about the snail?TaylorWatson argues that it is symbolic of changing,improving or modernizing. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/aGOMGKbzDK

What about the snail?TaylorWatson argues that it is symbolic of changing,improving or modernizing. ??? #GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/aGOMGKbzDK
What is the agency of Africans vs wax print producers? Taylor-Watson says renaming cloth, designing &styling it is agency. ??? #GlobalGhana
” Three typologies of men in Ghana: 1. Traditional men 2.Transitional men 3. Modern Men ” – Hubert Asiedu #GlobalGhana
China is to increase import of goods from Ghana over $6.5 billion #GlobalGhana Ghana has become the fastest growing economy in the world
Just realized Kadari Taylor-Watson is on Twitter as @Afroscholar! ??? #GlobalGhana
Q&A brings up @Uber_Ghana@DetroittoAccra says U caters to an “afropolitan” group who have credit cards and smartphones…??? #GlobalGhana
.@jesseshipley mentions @Accradotalt‘s ChaleWote festival & how it initially was bigger on social media than on the ground. ???#GlobalGhana
“Isn’t social media amazing?” Q for @DetroittoAccra turns the convo to the female taxi drivers we know from social media. ???#GlobalGhana
#GlobalGhana was still trending.
TT GHANA 18:53 1.#DearFutureWife 2.#PhilandoCastile3.#GlobalGhana 4.#Hallelujah 5.America 6.#LIVETKO 7.Pogba 8.Portugal 9.Nima 10.Trump

Day 3.

@Kuukuwa_ @kzshabazz @TebogoDitshego we just talking about this at the Ghana Studies Assoc. Conference yesterday.#globalghana
@Kuukuwa_ @kzshabazz @TebogoDitshego we just talking about this at the Ghana Studies Assoc. Conference yesterday.#globalghana

Ato Quayson during yesterday’s keynote “Genealogies of Cosmopolitanism: Accra’s Oxford Street” #GlobalGhana https://t.co/OX7NS5PmMZ

Ato Quayson during yesterday’s keynote “Genealogies of Cosmopolitanism: Accra’s Oxford Street” #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/OX7NS5PmMZ
Victoria Ellen Smith talks to us about the Adu Boahen Memorial Library being set up at the history department, Uni of Gh. ??? #GlobalGhana
President Nana Akua Anyidoho: @GhanaStudiesASA has 87 members in 14 countries. ??? #GlobalGhana
Do you want to be a member of @GhanaStudiesASA? Just fill the form (and pay the dues) ??  http://ghanastudies.com/announcements/membership/ … ??? #GlobalGhana

Roundtable on on the Politics and Practice of Study Abroad in Ghana. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/1zMcb8oxzV

Roundtable on on the Politics and Practice of Study Abroad in Ghana. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/1zMcb8oxzV
Dennis Laumann got a career & family from study abroad in Gh:”study abroad is a family business, study abroad is my life!” ??? #GlobalGhana

Film maker (Trevor Getz) meets critics (led by Jesse Shipley) session on the film/app about Abina. ??? #GlobalGhana https://t.co/GSSkNv2arE

Film maker (Trevor Getz) meets critics (led by Jesse Shipley) session on the film/app about Abina. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/GSSkNv2arE
“Abina & the important men” was first a comic book, now film, app &1,5 week curriculum on slavery.  http://Abina.org  ??? #GlobalGhana
Some Ghana scholars might take an interest in the conversation on depression led by @sistaclinik. ???#GlobalGhana  https://twitter.com/sistaclinik/status/751381939270086656 …
For Ghana scholars wanting to write on the 2016 elections, please email me khadu@ashesi.edu.gh to join the ??? #GlobalGhanaworking group!

I also recommend ??? #GlobalGhana folks to follow @GhanaDecides for updates on the elections https://t.co/96wbm0cyov https://t.co/oJBe2xBjMY

I also recommend ??? #GlobalGhana folks to follow @GhanaDecides for updates on the elections  http://ghanadecides.com  pic.twitter.com/oJBe2xBjMY
News interlinking with GSA conf. #GlobalGhana RT @S_de_Oliveira: How China’s trawlers are emptying Guinea’s oceans  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36734578 …
Getz is receiving praise for translating his research into accessible formats like the graphic novel & the app. ??? #GlobalGhana
Perhaps @letiarts could help “translate” Abina to a Ghanaian audience and maybe even a game? ??? #GlobalGhana

GSA Film Makers Meet Critics -Trevor Getz's film: Abina and the Important Men #GlobalGhana https://t.co/9FkgqRHr4o

GSA Film Makers Meet Critics -Trevor Getz’s film: Abina and the Important Men #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/9FkgqRHr4o

Day 4.

Good morning from ??? #GlobalGhana's last day. Photo from @Ashesi-led Roundtable on Private Postgraduate Education. https://t.co/CWEjKmqvyF

Good morning from ??? #GlobalGhana‘s last day. Photo from @Ashesi-led Roundtable on Private Postgraduate Education. pic.twitter.com/CWEjKmqvyF
Abosede George uses “Brazilian” architecture in Lagos & Accra to discuss migrants and identity. ??? #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/UaMCYCfBBq
Hermann Wilhelm von Hesse makes an argument on the evolving social space among female slave owners. ???#GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/AnXJWQZV7H

Faculty, alumni and students represent @IUBloomington at the @GhanaStudiesASA conference #globalghana https://t.co/mPplXrTc6s

Faculty, alumni and students represent @IUBloomington at the @GhanaStudiesASA conference #globalghana pic.twitter.com/mPplXrTc6s

Observing the political speeches at Bakatue festival Elmina with vice-president and others #elections #GlobalGhana https://t.co/2asrkugyeG

Observing the political speeches at Bakatue festival Elmina with vice-president and others #elections #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/2asrkugyeG

Esther Yeboah Danso-Wiredu talks about self governance in Accra's Old Fadama area (Sodom&Gomorrah).???#GlobalGhana https://t.co/ApdqO9dm2R

Esther Yeboah Danso-Wiredu talks about self governance in Accra’s Old Fadama area (Sodom&Gomorrah).???#GlobalGhanapic.twitter.com/ApdqO9dm2R
In Old Fadama,buildings are mostly wood.Each room can host as many as 10 people. “I want to talk about how people survive”. ???#GlobalGhana
The institutions present in Old Fadama are non-state: NGOs, ethnic chiefs and community groups, says Yeboah Danso-Wiredu. ???#GlobalGhana
Next talk is also on Old Fadama.Paul Stacey asks qs on property governance in state absence:How is it regulated?Legitimized????#GlobalGhana
Stacey talks about individual initiatives like Adam’s toll bridge, a similar project described here  http://www.thebigroundtable.com/stories/the-bridge-to-sodom-and-gomorrah/ …???#GlobalGhana
Comment: It is not true the state is absent in Old Fadama, tax is collected and there is an assembly with assembly men! ???#GlobalGhana
Reply:Tax is NOT collected in Old Fadama after a dispute with AMA some time back. Yes, assembly man, but no public services! ???#GlobalGhana
A heated convo on if there is a police station or not in Old Fadama ensues. ???#GlobalGhana
Thank you ??? #GlobalGhana now towards Accra!
All set for the closing reception of GSA’s 2016 triennial conference at the University of Cape Coast #GlobalGhana
It’s been so great to hear so many great papers and see so many good friends at the @GhanaStudiesASA #globalghana conference!
Really enjoyed the #GlobalGhana conference in Cape Coast! Audience, field trip, and entertainment pic.twitter.com/wONVluLMUL
Images of Elmina Slave Castle: entrance, Catholic chapel, courtyard, & view of the town #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/KcrDSYaRM3
Elmina’s colorful buildings & security towers (guarded by Asafo companies) and King Nana Kobina Gyan I #GlobalGhana pic.twitter.com/rCNhkNgJkr
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Update: #DayatDVLA

In April, I went to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority in Tema and wrote a report about my visit and my issues. This week, I returned.

I was hoping to meet the boss Mr Lamptey to follow up on my concerns and suggestions. At my last visit I wrote a complaint letter where in brief I had written:

Operations of DVLA is very difficult to understand for customers…It would be helpful if there were:

  • a central reception
  • signs and step-by-step instructions
  • personel wore uniforms or at least name tags
  • fees were clearly pasted on the wall (online only vehicle licensing fees are available, not drivers’ licensing fees).

However, Mr Lamptey had been transferred and in his place Mr Osei-Bio sat. I told him my errand and he calmly and kindly responded to my concerns. My thank you email to him captures the highlights of our conversation:

Dear Mr Osei-Bio,

Thank you for seeing me today and listening to my complaints. I was happy to hear you are revisiting the issue of improved customer information to starve the market for “connection men”. It was also good to hear that at the end of next month, new card printing machines will be in and the long waiting time for licenses will be a thing of the past.

Please see my blogpost on the April visit here:
https://kajsaha.com/2016/04/my-visit-at-dvla-and-the-issue-of-speaking-up/

Again, thank you for your time and your patience in hearing one of your customers out
Best wishes,
/Kajsa

I promptly got a response:

My dear thanks for your concern as our customer .We have some challenges with our printing machines but we are acquiring new ones so hopefully your next visit you will see improvement.

I now feel like I have adopted DVLA Tema and I will not let go until I see improvement. Are you willing to adopt a government agency today?

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Ashesi in Swiss Newspaper NZZ

Screenshot 2016-06-29 15.56.32

 

Earlier in the spring, I was asked to write about Ashesi University for a Swiss newspaper, NZZ. Under the theme “The Other Africa”, I wrote about teaching ethics in Ghana illustrated by my own experiences and that of students and an alumn.

My Ashesi article under the headline “Hauptfach: Ethik von Kajsa Hallberg Adu” was recently published in the newspaper in a special issue on Africa in the excellent company of write-ups by Ghanaian-Afropolitan novelist Taiye Selasi, correspondent extraordinaire Alex Perry, and an article on smartphones in Africa by literary scholar Mohomodou Houssouba.

Find an English version of my article below:

Major: Ethics

(my original heading was “The Rough Road to Educating Ethical Leaders in Africa” alas…)

On the red, dusty road an hour from Ghana’s bustling capital of Accra, children play and goats scoff around for something to eat. I drive through the village; expertly avoiding the potholes, pass the police barrier, the water well, and the primary school before I make a sharp turn to climb the lush, green hill. Up there, I wave a greeting to the woman selling pineapples before I pull into the 100-acre well-manicured campus. I teach at a non-religious, private liberal arts college called Ashesi University College, located in the town of Berekuso in Ghana’s Eastern region. I work in an institution that has the, perhaps lofty, mission of educating a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders in Africa.

Ashesi, as it is called for short, means “beginning” in local language Twi and is known for pushing the bar of private higher education in Africa, especially in terms of ethics and liberal arts. Perhaps others might also know of Ashesi as its founder and president is a very hands-on and influential leader. Dr. Patrick Awuah has been on the management listings of the world like Forbes 2015 World’s 50 Best Leaders, Fast Company where he was listed as number 87 of 100 Most Creative in Business 2010, and last year Dr. Awuah received the MacArthur “Genius Grant”. He can often be seen in the campus cafeteria having lunch with students and colleagues. In my view, Ashesi ought to be more known for is its recent pledge to run an engineering program for 50/50 men and women, something many top universities across the globe have not been able to do.

Since I was first introduced to the liberal arts institution in a 2007 TED video with Dr. Awuah and subsequently started to work there in 2009, much has happened in terms of growth and reach, but the focus on ethics, entrepreneurship, and leadership remains. The university college has doubled in size to 600 students of which 47% are women, 53% men. Ashesi has grown to have four undergraduate programs: engineering, business administration, management information systems, and computer science. While a majority of students come from Ghana, the institution aims to be pan-African with 21% of students from outside the country. The decision to make admissions gender-balanced was a pioneering move that impacts daily life at the university and underlines that women and men have an equal role to play in problem solving on all levels.

Africa is still the continent with the lowest level of university enrollment, at about 6% of the population compared to a 26% world average, according to UNESCO. What this means is that extremely few Africans ever get a chance to go to university. And those who do are destined to become leaders in society. With this analysis Ashesi University College has aimed to bring scholarships to deserving students, quality education to those who can afford, and making sure the future leaders of the continent are both ethical and entrepreneurial. But educating ethical leaders in a corrupt environment marred with inequality is a challenge. Ghana and its neighbors repeatedly scores high in corruption listings such as Afrobarometer or Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index and a recent particularly shocking corruption scandal exposed judges in Ghana’s legal system accepting cash bribes to skew verdicts. Related is the hierarchal structure of the society that will make many visitors raise an eyebrow at Dr. Awuah’s presence in the cafeteria queue. At other Ghanaian universities, the leadership would go to lunch in separate senior clubs with air conditioning, service at the table, and not feeling they missed out at all from not talking to students.

In this context, it makes sense that Ashesi’s approach to teaching ethics is hydra headed and importantly stretches over the four years of the undergraduate program. In essence the Ashesi way teaches you to see yourself as the beginning of an ethical society. Second-year student Sihle Magagula summarizes the method as “continuous reflection on your actions and their outcome”. In the freshman year, ethics is taught in a course called Giving Voice to Values, developed by business lecturer Dr. Mary Gentile of American liberal arts institution Babson College. This curriculum is very practical as it assumes we all know what is wrong from right and focuses on giving tools for speaking up. Local examples include values conflicts where your supportive uncle both gives you a job and asks you do act unethically. There are also ethics components in other Ashesi courses, from Design to Communication, and in the four-year leadership seminar. For instance, in designing a solution it is ethical to involve the beneficiaries of your solution on all levels of development. In ethical communication, giving credit to your sources is key. In the final year leadership seminar, which aims to develop students’ social consciousness, students do service learning in the community. Student Mawuli Adjei says of the experience that “this might seem obvious, but directly interacting with a problem’s stakeholders rather than just reading about them compels me to empathize and personalize the problems that I am solving”. Hence, ethics at Ashesi ultimately about being more than a shiny ivory tower: we see ourselves as a part of the town of Berekuso and some collaborative efforts include a football field, a literacy program for adults, and adding value to the most common cash crop in the area, the pineapple. All these programs are student-led.

Another aspect of Ashesi’s ethics instruction is the Ashesi Honor Code that allows students to take exams without proctoring. The Honor Code is signed on by one year-group at a time after extensive deliberation and agreeing by voting. The model has received keen interest from the surrounding society. In 2009, the National Accreditation Board threatened to stop Ashesi’s operations over the Honor Code, but was persuaded by letters from students, parents, faculty and staff of the benefits of practicing ethics in university through unproctored exams. Recently the Honor Code system has been piloted at another university in Ghana and adopted at lower level schools.

Alumnus Anna Amegatcher of Ashesi’s class of 2014 now works as a market researcher and business analyst in Accra. She agrees ethics was part of every course at Ashesi: “It is not necessarily explicitly said, but from day one ethics like the honor code or ethics like when we came to Berekuso having shared kitchens, ethics was always sounding. I think at a point it was sounding more with students than even with the administration, which was good. It became a part of the student body. The message was there.” The kitchen comment relates to trusting others to not steal your foodstuffs. However, a recent series of thefts on campus – of electronic devices and other items – has startled the university and seen us take steps to reinforce the practice of ethics. How can we make sure our campus is inclusive? How can we make sure ethics is lived and not just spoken? The sense of urgency around these efforts shows the Ashesi level of engagement with ethics is a visible, constant struggle, and an ongoing conversation.

In her office in Accra, alumnus Anna Amegatcher suggests her ethics training is central to her carrying out her job: “It has just kept me conscious. It has become a part of me, like issues of ethics is a part of me. You just can’t take it out of me. Fortunately, it had been nurtured in me even before Ashesi, but I got to appreciate an organization was valuing it as something core to them.”

The goal of educating ethical entrepreneurial leaders in Africa might seem lofty, but is there really any other way? Having taught at Ashesi University College for six years has been personally challenging in many ways, not least because of a commute on an unfinished road winding through the Ghanaian countryside, as well as mitigating Ashesi’s high ethical standards in a surrounding society that might not always appreciate you speaking up. But there is the rewarding side as well. I work with young people who are excited to learn and take on challenges. Additionally, I have been privileged to see our alumni little by little effect change in Ghana and beyond. Importantly, Ashesi also pushes the envelope by introducing a “new normal” or new benchmarks for businesses and universities in the region, the continent, and the world.

 

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Mobex16 and some thoughts on how event organisers in Ghana can better engage with social media influencers

On Tuesday, I went to the tech fair Mobex16 in the Accra International Conference Center. I had only planned to swiftly stop by, but ended up staying all morning. Networking was great!

However, this blogpost is on some other observations I made in relation to Mobex16. I came with my phone, ready to tweet, and laughingly told a friend that I have been here for 8 min and already posted 3 tweets. I was on fire!

I tweeted about the registration and started taking photos for Instagram. I am a promoter of all things Ghana, especially tech stuff, and I was happy to share the experience with my now 9000+ followers on Twitter and 600+ followers on Instagram.

At this stage, I needed to charge my computer (as I really had plans of working out of an office) and with heavy tweeting during the opening and the president’s speech, my phone as well. Now there were no electrical sockets in the seminar room. I looked around and asked an usher. I tweeted about that.

After realising that no woman was to appear on the stage for the first two programs on the agenda or the entirety of my morning visit – the info I took from a information that was passed out to visitors, I tweeted about that.

Revisiting my Twitter timeline, I was likely inspired by Omojuwa (recently named Africa’s best Twitter profile) and his tweet on female leadership:

After I had left the seminar hall in search for power, I browsed the exhibit. Noticing that many Mobex16 stands did not really have a plan to engage with social media influencers, I talked to some exhibitors and tweeted about that.

You get my drift, I was engaging with the program, capturing both highlights and lowlights.  Tweeting and Instagramming. Now some did not like that:

…and my personal favorite:

I get it, I have been an event organiser and its not necessarily fun to hear about someone’s negative experience when you have been working 24/7 to even make the thing happen, but I do listen and think to myself “how can I improve?” I also try to be mindful of that whoever takes the time to write to complain, cares a whole lot more than the people that just “come to eat”. (Caveat: I am not sure what the relationship between the people behind the sour tweets above is to the event discussed).

A few months back, Poetra Asantewa  in an AccraWeDey-podcast said some very useful things about critique and how there is little room for it in the Ghanaian creative space. We just need to change that, so in the name of constructive critique, I’ll list some ideas for even better social media engagement for Ghanaian events below.

Tips for event organisers how to better engage with social media influencers:

  • Communicate a (usable, not too long, not too generic) hashtag and remind people in every room, space and on everything printed.
  • Create a physical space for social media influencers with sockets (most importantly, but perhaps also), coffee, desks with chairs and additional info on your program.
  • Think through what is in it for the (professional) social media influencer, can you pay for live-tweeting & blogging, or provide lunch, pay T&T, organise gifts from sponsors? Every post about your event is potentially valuable to you, how can you make the relationship with influencers sustainable?
  • Retweet/ share their praise. People on their way to the venue will want to see photos and reviews from the venue.
  • Corteusly respond to any critique as fast as possible. (Yes, that includes saying thank you to someone who is finding fault with your event!)

Something like this:

What would you add to the list?

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Mzznaki Reps Ghana Well-Well!

Ghanaian bride-to-be Mzznaki Tetteh is getting married later this month, but the attention has already started. After Mzznaki and her fiancé Kojo Amoah posted their pre-wedding photos online, the pictures have gone viral and sparked conversation.

mzznaki_Instagram
Mzznaki-Tetteh-and-Prince-Kojo-Amoah-2

The response on Mzznaki’s instagram has been lauded as classy.

 

“She is one of the best people I have met and I am so happy to take her to the altar”, says Kojo in an interview.

engagement-pic

After the nurse and her engineer fiancé got international attention: Dailymail Uk, Yahoo.com (a nice article on fatshamin online), Today.com, Metro.uk and even Swedish Elle!Screenshot 2016-06-09 00.37.55

 

Yesterday, Mzznaki came on TV and spoke to Joy News to a quite rude Israel Lareya. She told her story and on a direct question on how much she weighs (!), she kept her cool and answered “hundred-and-sexy!” (Do yourself a favour and please turn off before creepy Lareya asks about her lingerie!!)

On her instagram profile, now followed by 36 000 people, Mzznaki describes herself as “A nurse, A sweet girl who loves fashion, A student, An achiever”. I think she can now add to her list:

“A social media sensation and A confident and widely admired ambassador of Ghana”.

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My Flash Presentation and Workshop at Conference #DakarFutures2016

I’m spending a couple of days in Dakar for the “Innovation, Transformation, and sustainable futures in Africa”– conference organized by American Anthropological Association, African Studies Association, Codesria and WARA-WARC. The hashtag for the conference is virtual reality. I am giving one flash presentation (five minutes, 15 PowerPoint slides) and on Saturday a three hour workshop. My collaborators Dr Gordon Adomdza, Design professor at Ashesi, and Mr Kabiru Seidu, Ashesi alumni involved in VR with his company NubianVR, could not make it, so I have a big job to do!

Here are the blurbs.

 

Flash Presentation: Re-thinking “Education under Trees”File 10-01-2016, 6 44 03 PM

 

Where do you teach? In a classroom? Or a larger lecture hall, perhaps? Is it a place where you feel inspired? Your students feel inspired? Let me ask you: Is it an African space? Where you feel connected to the continent? Or is it mostly practical?

At the same time as “education under trees” or education without resources is being challenged in the African political space, the “education that never happens under trees” or does not relate to the physical world outside the campus must be problematized. Many schools and universities lock themselves away on beautiful campuses, while the purpose of any learning institution is to have a positive impact on the surrounding society. In addition, many classrooms are designed almost like stages for professors, instead of empowering students. Therefore, I feel static classrooms must be challenged and convenient, economically sustainable alternatives must arise.

In this flash presentation, I want to share innovation, transformation and sustainable futures of the African lecture hall and classroom.

 

Workshop: Learning Engagement in the Age of Social Media and Emerging Virtual Reality

IMG_0948This is a workshop on engaging, simple, and efficient use of Virtual Reality and Social Media in the classroom.

Recent developments of information technology offer new ways of teaching with small or no additional investments. With the use of Internet infrastructure already available on campuses around the continent and students’ own smart or feature phones, this workshop will show you how to bring social media and virtual reality into your syllabus. While there are many real world examples or experiences that could be made available to students, some experiences take time to acquire or do not occur at the most appropriate time in the learning cycle to achieve the desired learning goals. As a result, we explore opportunities to simulate real world examples and experiences through the design and development of virtual reality content with relevant social media integration to achieve learning goals.

 

The workshop will be a unique meeting between educators and will hone their different experiences and backgrounds. Based on teaching interests discussed in the first session, participants will be placed in groups that will work together on brainstorming a VR material to be produced. Alongside, practical tips on how to get started with VR and social media will be shared. Participants are encouraged to contribute. A tangible outcome and takeaway can be a crowd-sourced and active toolkit for learning engagement in the age of social media and emerging virtual reality.

 

…and finally here I am hanging out with a Senegalese rapper who speaks Swedish! Maxi Krezy!

 

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How Bloggers Prepare for #BloGHAwards16

bloGHAwards16You know you are a blogger going for BloggingGhana’s #BloGHAwards16 gala if…

…you spend more time on setting up your browsing bundle (and back-up!) than on what to wear.

…you save a winning tweet instead of preparing a thank you speech.

…you double check the hashtag (Yup, it’s #BloGHAwards16) instead of your hair before leaving the house.

…you write a blogpost about the upcoming awards instead of finding a date.

…you plan to come early to save a good seat to take Instagram-able photos from instead of setting out to arrive fashionably late.

…you tweet at your friends asking if they will attend instead of calling them.

…you are reading this to the end on a handheld device!

See you tonight!

Last chance to get your Ego-ticket for the Social Media Awards!

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The PhD journey: the Viva

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PhD Viva. Photo: Jeffrey Paller

On Thursday 28th April in the morning, I did a 40 minute presentation of my dissertation “On a course to migrate? Migration aspirations among University Students in Ghana” and took questions for another 40 minutes or so. After a brief adjournment by the examiners, the verdict was in: I had passed.

Now there are some formal steps left, like making corrections in the final documents, and trying out a silly hat, but if they run smoothly, I am looking forward to graduation on July 23rd. This year!

The feeling at this point is one of great happiness and relief, pride and exhaustion. Happy to have completed well. On the day, I got into the presentation and just flowed, despite being nervous – almost cripplingly so –  the weeks and days leading up to the presentation. ( I did a mock viva two weeks earlier that I think I did not do well in, so I’d say I know the difference between flow and just making it thru). On the day, the questioning part also went well, save a few stumbling answers to unexpected questions.

I am grateful for all the people that have been supporting me in this transformative journey over the last 5 years. I am proud of myself for making it over all the hurdles and trying tasks. I am exhausted and try to be kind to myself.

I did it.

group
With colleagues and supporters in the graduate seminar room just after my presentation.
med dorcas
Relieved and happy after the viva with my student Dorcas who came to support me!
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TEDxAccra: Re-Think. 3 things I look forward to

Screenshot 2016-04-22 12.41.39

This whole week I have been hearing the build up buzz on TEDxAccra. With events every night culminating in Saturday 23rd all day at the National Theathre (Ego tickets here, although many categories are SOLD OUT!) ,the organising team has succeeded in taking over social media. I have seen the #TEDxACCRA2016 trending for days!

I have sadly been to busy to go to any pre-events (another exciting one on Women’s contributions to Economy tonight), but will be spending my Saturday at the main event. Specifically, I am looking forward to:

  1. Hearing Lucy Quist, CEO of main sponsor Airtel. She is a leadership supernova in Ghana, but manages to also be approachable and informative.
  2. Being introduced to other amazing speakers and getting to know their work which I’ll then share with my followers. (Follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram @kajsaha)
  3. The networking. I love to be among young change-makers and doers!

Hope to see you tomorrow!

PS. If you can’t come, you can stream it live!

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Female Awesomeness Promoters: Obaasema TV and Jill of All Trades

It’s not every day one becomes thoroughly impressed. But when I saw the work of Obaasema TV and Jill of All Trades JoAT, I fell immediately. They promote and highlight female leaders in the creative space in Ghana and do it so well.

Below, two videos on women who I am privileged to know, Multi entrepreneur Kuorkor Dzani and Environmental engineer Akua Akyaa Nkrumah. Follow their promoters and get awed by the talent, range, and raw awesomeness of sisters in Ghana!

Obaasema Magazine & Obaasema TV

Facebook /obaasema

Twitter @Obaasemamag

Instagram @Obaasemamagazine

YouTube /OBAASEMATV

 

Jill of All Trades

Twitter @joat_africa

Facebook 

Instagram @joat_africa

YouTube

 

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