twenty fourth issue
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4.
6.
| Issue 24 May 2014
eveyrone has a voice #teamskies
The Ten Commandments of Public Speaking (Part I) Jonathan Adzokpe
13. The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
26.
Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
5 reasons that helped me bring the magazine this far
Almustafa M. Khalid
28. death lives next street 32. My travels, my pictures, my
Celia de la Hoz
memories, my words – forever. Ioana-Alexandra Tache
36. 38.
A destitute love
Pardon Gwara
The youth are taking action IHAV FOUNDATION
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Everyone
has a
Voice
Everyone has a voice
We would like to thank all our family and friends for the long 24 month support and all those who shared our obstacles throughout. We are more excited and committed than ever before to achieve our mission and give a voice to anyone willing to share, create and innovate. We have had crazy experiences, staff come and go and monthly issues being published late (hehe). But, our bonds are stronger than ever and our determination to be one of the biggest platforms is never bigger. We would also like to give a shoutout to our awesome mothers who gave birth to the awesomest team in the world. Thank you everyone and remember, with Independent Skies “Everyone has a voice�. #TeamSkies
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#teamskies
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The Ten Commandments of
Public Speakin
The Ten Commandments of Public Speaking (Part I)
| Jonathan Adzokpe
S
peaking in public was something I showed good promise of when I was a child. I vividly remember how courageous I was just in primary school when asked a question, or when asked for a contribution in class. I had other colleagues who were equally good academically, but for some reason, they will never opt to speak, even Jonathan Adzokpe if they knew the answer to a question. That deep seated desire to express myself in public has been at the centre of my career choices. I have chosen to be a teacher/speaker, and now a radio show host because of my natural inclination to speak in public.
ng (Part I)
On the contrary, while preparing for my radio talk show recently on a topic on public speaking, I was startled to know that a whopping 75% of people would rather die than speak in public. Why such a huge number? Upon further search, I realized there are very few practical guide on the subject of public speaking. While I know there are organisations like the Toastmasters who have trained many people to become public speaking gurus, I believe a very practical guide sourced from my years of teaching and speaking, and now hosting a radio talk show will be invaluable to us. Here are five of the commandments for the first part of this two-part series. Let’s go‌
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Know your material Now, knowing your material doesn’t mean you should try to memorise it and recite when you’re called upon. That is the most deadly approach to public speaking. Think for a moment how embarrassing it will be if you miss a line during your recital. Knowing your material implies, first of all, getting to know the topic you’re asked to speak on. Let’s say you were invited by a youth organization to speak, or you were asked to deliver a speech at school. The first thing you should concern yourself with is the topic to speak on. When you know the topic, then you can research on it appropriately. No one comes to listen to the same old things they know already. You’ve got to bring something new to the table, and the only way to do that is to research, read, and get used to your material. Here’s an advice from one of our enthusiastic readers on the issue of knowing your material; “Be passionate about speaking and make sure you are in love with what you are doing. Understand the message you are sending across and that way, you will communicate it much better.”
The Ten Commandments of Public Speaking (Part I) | Jonathan Adzokpe
2
Practise and rehearse your material out loud
When I first landed the job to be a radio talk show host, I was a bit nervous. Because even though I had been teaching and speaking, I thought radio was a different ball game. Even though they are quite related, one thing that led to my speedy rise as one of the top presenters on the radio network is my penchant to practise before going on air. Since I go on air every Saturday, I get my material ready by Thursday evening. So on Friday in the evening, I sit behind my console and speak for an hour as though I was on air. Guess what? I go on air and deliver without sweat. You can never be assured of master-class performance until you make practise a norm. No one gains mastery in a field they barely practise. You’ve got to know your material, and practise it. Thus when you go on stage, it just becomes a repeat of your practise. It becomes “cool chop.”
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While practising, visualise yourself actually giving the speech The mind is one of the most powerful organs we have as humans. Whatever you think, is what you see in reality. When you see a shabby presentation, it will sure translate in reality. When you see a well-prepared and carefully delivered presentation in your mind, you will get nothing short of that. A day or so before your speaking, begin visualing yourself giving the best of presentations you’ve ever given. I do this every morning before going on air. I see myself giving my introduction lines, interviewing my guests, and concluding with the show for the day. Amazingly, I experience nothing short of what I imagined. Use your imagination to your advantage. It costs nothing doing so!
The Ten Commandments of Public Speaking (Part I)
| Jonathan Adzokpe
4 Get to know your audience
My first conference speaking assignment was when I was a Teaching Assistant at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. I was invited by a group of students in a poetry group to speak on “What Keeps Me Going in Life.” Having known my material and practiced, I set out to the venue as early as I could. I was there well over an hour before the time for the program. I had the opportunity to speak to a few student participants before the time was due for me to speak. Because of my earlier encounter with some of my audience, I got to know what they were expecting for the night. So even though I had my material prepared in advance, I was able to better tailor my presentation to their expectation. It was a rousing clap after the presentation. You do yourself no good getting to the venue just a few minutes to when you’re supposed to speak. You’ll not only be under tension, you have little or no knowledge of the expectations of your audience. That might lead to a presentation without substance. Get to the venue on time. Speak to as many audiences as you can. It does not only give you an impression of what they expect, it calms you down. You maintain a relationship with your audience even before you mount the podium; and that is a recipe to successful delivery.
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Get the feel of the room you will speak in
Many conference rooms these days have new technology to enhance your public speaking experience. It will be in your favour to get acquainted with the presentation gadgets before the time is up. You wouldn’t want to mount the stage, with your audiences’ eyes widely fixed on you, and there you are without a clue of how to use the gadget to move to the next slide. Be professional. Act professionally! Get to the venue on time. You will not only be on top of your presentation, your audience will respect you for your professionalism.
The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
The three D’s
Discipline
diligence determination Michael Dale-Asiedu
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| Issue 24 May 2014
o begin and end, to start and complete, all but time defines. As earthly beings, time has been and forever will be our constant mode of assessment. As a little lad, the essence of time had been driven into my DNA so much that it came as no surprise when I crowned time as my motto in life, and later on, in my growing years. Time cuts across every sphere and facet of our daily routines. Time will certainly tell whether that dream will be realized, whether that career will be successful or contribute to the growing statistics of career failures. Time to me has the surest answer to all of life’s myriad questions.
However, in more recent years, I have come to accept the fact that time alone is not enough in making our mark in this earthly sojourn. I have come to appreciate values of faith and firm belief in dreams, tenacity and perseverance, right associations, positive networking and other significant values as requisite propellers of a moving life. Three indispensable values or virtues that cannot be done away with are what I call the three “D’s”, Discipline, Diligence and Determination. What is it with the three D’s?
The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
| Independent Skies Magazine
| Issue 24 May 2014
Luck
discipline
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The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
Carl Zuckmeyter posits that, “One half of life is luck, the other half is discipline, and that’s the important half. Discipline in this article is voluntarily adhering to specific tenets and precepts or codes of conduct to help you achieve a set target or goal. Discipline here is not induced by a second or third party; it is rather an intrinsic desire to say to yourself that this is what I want to do whether I feel like doing it or not in order to reach my destination. The destination can be marital or career success, improved academic grades, spiritual upliftment and other well thought out targets. For without discipline you wouldn’t know what to do with luck.
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
A growing number of people say they do not believe in luck, but however and whatever they call it, without the discipline to sail through, the brightest of chances could be missed thereby dashing potent dreams that could have arrived and materialized in a resounding manner. Whether it’s that car or college degree you want to acquire, you need the discipline to save an amount as and when necessary, consistently to be able to achieve that which you so much desire. Wishing is not enough, unless those fantasies are backed by a strict code of discipline in saving so you accumulate enough; there is no point if you are given a whole lifetime, or all the knowledge about college degrees and cars.
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When even you become so lucky and your dream car is presented to you in the cheapest of prices, because you did not have the guts of discipline to save. Luck will elude you making you forfeit your dream as it will be rolled on to a more prepared candidate. Discipline encompasses a greater bearing on life, to be able to lose weight and get that figure and physique you so much admire, you need discipline to go through you aerobics and dietary plan, to be able to stop that addiction that is derailing you so much, you need discipline to say no and stick to it no matter how inviting any temptation that may revert you back to your old state might be. You can have all the necessary knowledge at your fingertips added to time but without the grand master of discipline, forget it. What is knowledge if not applied? And what is time if not utilized properly?
discipline delgence determination,life,success
On the other hand, Discipline should be closely followed by Diligence in work or whatever endeavor you find yourself no matter how little or insignificant. Diligence connotes careful and persistent work or effort. “What we hope to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence� says Samuel Johnson. Whether you want to be the Picasso of our time or reach the height of great inventors and scientists, whether you aspire to be a successful businessman or you want to be one of the greatest architects, is it to be a distinct statesman? It is in doing little things well that your path of greatness is earmarked. You cannot aspire to be that great man when you despise little beginnings and carry out those little duties of yours haphazardly; simply put you cannot be the greatest chef when you chop the onions anyhow, because if it must be done, it must be done well.
The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
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The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
You can always be excited about the deft touches and scintillating runs of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but you cannot ignore the painstaking hard work and efforts (diligence) they put in their training every now and then. Usain Bolt makes sprint look so effortless but you cannot, in anyway, whatsoever, underestimate the amount of time he spends in training. The same can be inferred from world greats such as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. You go to the business field and you talk about the diligence with which world greats such as Larry Page, Warren Buffet, Sir Richard Branson, Aliko Dangote go about their businesses. In every facet of human life, those who have excelled extraordinarily have been those who have done the ordinary things in an unusual way, that little extra makes all the difference, that little extra separates the boys from the men, that little extra separates those who really mean what they are about from day dreamers and a lot of wannabes.
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
It is said that the height that great men achieved did not come by sudden flight but they, whilst their colleagues slept, toiled and worked in the night. Sleep, they say is sweet to the laboring man. So says John Bunyan too, but many world greats were able to deny themselves of this immediate comfort, and strive on with their dreams and convictions diligently till they reached diverse global pinnacles of recognition and admiration. Vince Lombardi caps it so beautifully by saying, “Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price. Hard work has never broken any bone in the human body; it has only made them stronger. Proverbs 22:29 to me sums it up more perfectly,” sees thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before men of low estate. Moreover, anything in life worth having is worth working for. You cannot expect to have something and pray that it will fall from heaven like “manna”.
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The next ingredient highly required of an onward life is determination. You have to possess the firmness of purpose and resoluteness to press on irrespective of the seeming odds. The path to success is to take massive, determined action. Once your mind is made up in any endeavor, there is no retreating, you can only go one way and that is forward. A truly determined individual would not surrender to the naysayers and destructive critics. The fear of failing is even afraid to bug him because his determination to succeed far outweighs his frail prowess to withhold him.
Again, if you are bold and determined, it is said that mighty forces will come to your aid. Thus boldness and determination has pure genius. Where absolute determination and enthusiasm for a particular course exists failure can never dismantle the flag of success. A truly determined individual sees failures as learning stops that help him to be extra vigilant and guide him in making more informed decisions with regards to his way forward. You look back in history and you cannot help but marvel at the sheer determination brazenly demonstrated by countless individuals, from Henry Ford to Thomas Edison. These were all people who were not perturbed by life’s difficulties; they braced the odds and challenged the conventional nature of their time with the determination to make a mark and reach their desired destinations.
The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
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The three D’s - Discipline, diligence and determination
Success therefore will be one’s ability to move from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. Determination will take you where knowledge alone will not be able to. It takes a strong fish to swim against the tides; even a dead one is capable of floating in it. Again when you have removed failure as an option, you can only but succeed. There are no secrets to success; it is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance and determination. The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. That is where true determination comes in. One man with courage and determination is like thousands in the majority. People who are afraid to fail can never experience the joys of success.
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Michael Dale-Asiedu (Ghana)
Margaret Thatcher opines that, “One only gets to the top rung on the ladder by steadily climbing up one at a time, and suddenly, all sorts of powers, all sorts of abilities which you thought never belonged to you suddenly become within your own possibility and you think, ‘Well! I’ll have a go, too.’” Crowning of the three D’s of Discipline, Diligence and Determination must be our surest bet of a motto of our lives because I have come to accept and realize the fact that, after it’s all said and done, it is how well we are disciplined, diligent and determined that counts. Without these key ingredients all other things in life are compliments.
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5 Reasons That Helped Me 1. Reminding myself of others: By that I mean, when I face a difficult phase in life and I do not feel like doing anything, or even losing hope in the world and think that our mission statement is almost impossible to achieve I remind myself of the people that need our help, and those people that live far worse than we can imagine. We live in a world were people need help in War Zones, poor countries, countries that were struck by natural disasters and even capitalistic developed nations. Trust me, that should cheer you up.
2. My team is my family: Now, I have never told any of them this, but I really do love them all. Wether they are good friends of mine that joined the team, or just someone that found us or we found them on the world wide web, they all hold a special place in my heart, and that makes the bond stronger which really improves the communication process and makes our goals happen.
3. Turn to family an
In the hardest of times and friends that will pu obstacles, I remember we had no material to did very very little slee asking around and en to write something, ev people and we did pu but, throughout that w ing up many times. Fo my mum about this tro said was “I will be look the issue� and I couldn the need to make my f proud for all their supp
5 reasons that helped me bring the magazine this far | Almustafa M. Khalid
e Bring The
nd friends:
s, it is your family ush you through the r one of the months publish at all and I ep for 7 days straight ncouraging people ventually I did find ublish our issue… week, I thought of givortunately, I had told ouble and all she king forward to read n’t help but think of family and friends port.
4. Take a break: Yes, I mean it. People who know me, do know that Independent Skies Magazine is my life and I work about 8 hours a day trying to improve it (I am not getting paid, and I have a busy lecture schedule from 9:30-18:00) But, sometimes it is good to have some space from something to be able to miss it and come back with greater ideas and more energy to grow your business, rather than sticking to your daily routine.
This Far 5. Love it or leave it: Always ask yourself the question of “do I love what I am doing?” and trust me, if you manage to say “YES” loud, clear and from the bottom of your heart, you will run and enjoy what you do for a long time, until you are a littile sceptical and ask yourself the same question again. If the answer is a big fat “NO” however, then quit slowly without breaking everything down on your way, keep it running and leave the business to someone who can take care of it. I have this mentality because I believe if you do not whole heartedly love doing what you do, it won’t get you much further.
Almustafa M. Khalid Founder & CEO Independent Skies Magazine
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DEATH LIVES NEXT STREET
death lives next street | Celia de la Hoz
What if death was living in the next street? I know, you have never considered it but‌ What if it actually happened? Imagine waking up every single day and finding death walking his dog. Imagine passing by his house and seeing death making breakfast. Imagine going to school and finding out that death is your new classmate. Imagine then reviewing for exams with death or going to the cinema together. What if you even find him in a club late night? Maybe you will approach him and buy a drink. Imagine that you ask for death’s number and decide to have a date. Consider the idea of falling in love with death. Imagine yourself devotedly in love with death. Think about getting to know death’s family. You might even propose to him. What about creating a family together? Imagine your kids and moving to a bigger house. Imagine also growing old and finally, dying together. http://www.project1231.com
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Do you really think this is not possible? Do you really think that you have never seen death? Or even that you have never experienced it? http://www.project1231.com
death lives next street | Celia de la Hoz
Maybe you should keep your eyes wide open.
I am death
. But, not
only me. You are death too. There is not a single day in which we do not die. We are constantly walking through final death. We even experience this last phase of death in our closest relatives or friends. We can perceive it in our country. We can see it in the face of injustice around the world. Death lives with us. We share the same universe, country and also DNA. We cannot fight against it. We do not have the means to kill death. However, we should do our best to get the most out of OUR lives and those who’s lives are important to us.
P.S
REMEMBER: Death lives next street. So, dont let it control you.
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M
emories – you create them, you remember them, and then you relive them again and again and again. Therefore, make sure you create some memories that are worth remembering and reliving. Whether you are alone or surrounded by other people, at the beach or in the mountains, in the city or at the countryside, try to make the best out of it. Capture every good moment and try to make it live forever. Places, people, cultures, religions, they are all worth
| Issue 24 May 2014
My travels, my pictures, my m
My travels, my pictures, my memories, my words – forever. | Ioana-Alexandra Tache
memories, my words - forever. Ioana-Alexandra Tache
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGnrT0F-Igs
remembering. This is why, wherever you are you should try to live, but at the same time, capture the moment and make it last forever. ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ – an old saying is suggesting; also, memories are worth a thousand words, if not millions. So, why not capture a memory in a picture and let it be priceless? As long as you can, go travel and see the world. Thousands of pictures, million memories – an experience that you would always remember.
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To put it in a nutshell, enjoy your life as it lasts, but make sure that when it’s over you have a smile on your face, remembering all the moments that led you there. One can only die happy, if he has lived happy. It might sound utopian, it might even be utopian (being given the world we live in), but it is possible – to some degree. How I see it: one can be aware of the world around him/her not necessarily by being
physically present in one place, but also by reading or hearing stories about it.
Personally, I like discovering what the world has to offer by travelling. I love travelling for the cultural experience. I travel as much as I can, whenever I have the possibility. With every new travel, I feel like I become better, not only because I discover new places, but also because I meet new people, with many different cultural backgrounds. It adds up to my personal development and it also helps me see the world from different perspectives. For these reasons, I would definitely enjoy sharing and promoting this feeling to other people, because I think we should all be aware of the reality
My travels, my pictures, my memories, my words – forever. | Ioana-Alexandra Tache
surrounding us, even if we don’t necessarily get to be physically present somewhere. Even if for the time being I did not travel the entire world (maybe not even 1% of it all), I still believe that what I have already discovered has taught me a lot and it is worth sharing with those who are interested. With a bit of help (mainly visual) from others that share the same view with me, I will try to tell the story of my travelling experience.
Ioana-Alexandra Tache https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UGnrT0F-Igs YouTube Video © Kien Lam Photography – http://whereandwander.com
Until next time, open your eyes and your ears to what the world has to tell you.
*Disclaimer: Being aware that not everyone shares the same beliefs with me or the same possibilities, my writings will try to portray the positive aspects of the world we live in (from my perspective) and hopefully, inspire the ones that read them.
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A destitute love...
Ia mean
Ig
w
Pardon Gwara (Zimbabwe)
b
t
A destitute love | Pardon Gwara
am well past the stage of writing poetry ningless verses that spell the void in me trying to console myself from the sad and inevitable reality the promise of what is to come and the memories of what is lost I have seen flowers wilt have watched rivers dry have heard beautiful songs end the sun set each day the love shrunk each minute
I rode high on this train guess I arrived when I still wanted to go the journeys are so short when a wave of euphoria is around you but the crashes the crashes are so severe because of the momentum in the waves I see it in the air the way a farmer drought in the clouds the barrenness of our love and the bitterness of truth
And to think I loved you I wonder why it happens the same way bats wonder why morning comes when the sunshine burns their wings exiling them to their dark caves and now I do not write poetry anymore or conceal my feelings in words I just see it in the air a destitute love
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T
his is the response of determined change agents to the call for African youth to stand up and be the change they want to see in their continent. This statement alone can give you an idea of the exciting challenges that lie ahead. Let me introduce these change agents. IHAV Foundation is a youth organization which seeks to inspire and challenge youth across Africa to envision change and ACT on it. This they do in an attempt to support youth development through capacity building and employment generation. The formation of the organization is a story of vision, determination, action, and faith. Christabel
| Issue 24 May 2014
Ofori, the Executive Director, came up with the idea of starting up the organization in Ghana after she had the privilege of being selected as one of the outstanding participants of the South American Business Forum, in Argentina. One afternoon, during a road trip along some villages in Ghana, the idea to start IHAV hit her hard, as she observed the deplorable conditions the people in these regions lived in. She noticed their low quality of life, and yet the massive chunk of natural resources readily available. She couldn’t sleep as she was lost deep in thought on how African youth like her can stand up and take charge of their communities’ wealth.
IHAV FOUNDATION
The youth are taking actio
IHAV FOUNDATION The youth are taking action
N
on
The vision is audacious, the task is big, but one ACT at a time, we will give Africa a facelift and be the light in our so-called dark continent. - IHAV Foundation
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She shared her ide a few friends and m to start the organiz Ghana. IHAV has since its inception in Octob grown and expand reach many young who are contributi the vision of IHAV over the globe, sho strong commitmen towards something are all passionate a improving our livel and lifting Africa. T are currently 14 Ex and 30 volunteers from 12 countries in including Kenya, N South Africa, Rwan Uganda, Tanzania Zimbabwe.
The organization h become an informa sharing hub, throug Connect with the new breed of African leaders today. They also require support and funding to continue to put their vision in action. Find out more on www.ihavfoundation.org or email ihavafrica@gmail.com.
eas with managed zation in
ber 2012, ded to g people, ing to from all owing nt g we about; lihoods There xecutives working n Africa Nigeria, nda, and
has ation gh
IHAV FOUNDATION The youth are taking action
blogs, group discussions, publications and annual conferences, for sharing ideas and developing new projects and business startups, and implementing these projects within planned time scales. One may be tempted to compare IHAV with other almost similar organizations and conclude that this is just one of those “talk-shop” organizations. No, IHAV is different. What makes this organization unique is the fact that it is planned, coordinated and entirely integrated by young Africans between ages 18-28 years. Through regional collaborations and team work, the youth break cultural diversity and political barriers to tackle issues common to
communities around the motherland. That’s the sound of empowerment! Every effort is made to ensure that proposed business ideas are implemented and have their progress monitored and appropriate changes applied on the way. The Foundation organizes an annual project conference in Ghana, where over a hundred African visionaries network and dialogue on social entrepreneurship opportunities and employment creation. The conference is the platform for knowledge sharing, networking, cross investments and partnerships with organizations, individuals, and governments who have
various agendas for African youth development. Success of the conference can be traced in a number of African countries. Previous participants have drawn up proposals for implementation in their respective countries with the knowledge they got from the conference. Testimonials can also be read from the foundation’s website and blog. This year the conference stretches from July 30th to the 2nd of August in Accra, Ghana under the theme: Creating an Agribusiness revolution with Africa’s youth. Application period for participation spans from 24th February to 24th May 2014.
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