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Joycelyn with some OLAF beneficiaries Joycelyn Siaw , Founder of One Life Aid Foundation shares how her circumstances inspired her to become a philanthropist. Running a non-profit organization is a passion I have nurtured while growing up. It is something I love to do with all my heart. At the core of what I do is a personal inspiration that I put in a quote: “Helping others make a difference in their lives is how we make a difference in our own lives.”   This is what drives me to look out for the less privileged children, women and youths in the rural communities in my country in the area of education and health. Aside this, is my passion to write books and songs. I come from a humble beginning. My mother left me at the age of three years and relocated to another place. My family didn’t have everything but we were happy as my Grandfather did his best to cater for our educational needs. He always inspired me to learn hard and would always give me a bottle of coca cola a

The National Insurance Commission (NIC) has confirmed that the takeover of UT Bank by GCB would as announced by the Bank of Ghana on Monday 14 August 2017, does not affect UT Life insurance as it is owned and controlled by Leapfrog Investment. According to the commission, the acquisition of UT Life by Leapfrog was finalised in December 2015 with Leapfrog having around 84% stake in the business. The Commission stated that although the Insurance Act requires that all insurance and reinsurance companies meet a minimum capital requirement of GH¢15 million, UT Life Insurance is currently capitalized in excess of GH¢30 million with a capital adequacy ratio of 329%. In an interview, the Deputy Commissioner of Insurance , Mr. Simon. Nero Davor was emphatic that UT Life Insurance has a very strong financial position and would in no way be affected by the takeover. “The two companies, UT Bank and UT Life Insurance have separate ownership, in fact in our books at the NIC, Leapfrog is

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo – Addo has paid glowing tribute to the late Paapa Yankson describing him as a pillar of the Ghanaian music industry and an icon who has served the nation very well. This was at a meeting with a delegation led by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Catherine Abelema Afeku comprising Paapa Yankson’s family members and the leadership of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA). President Akufo – Addo assured the delegation of the state’s support in the funeral to ensure that Paapa Yankson receives the fitting funeral he deserves. He indicated that the funeral should be held at the forecourt of the State House. The President also expressed his condolences to the wife and family of the late highlife legend. Madam Afeku briefed the President on the purpose of the visit and the head of Odomna Ebusua, Nana Akom Ogyeanda I informed the President that the final funeral rites are scheduled for October 21 and 22, 2017. Nana Kwame Ampadu in his st

Zylofone Media has announced that it will collaborate with the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) on a number of projects for the development of the music industry in Ghana. The Head of Communications of Zylofone Media, Samuel Baah Atuobi aka Sammy Flex said this when the leadership of the MUSIGA paid a courtesy call on the media organisation. According to Sammy Flex, the projects are Kumi Guitar and the Legends annual concert and a series of educational programs for players in the music industry. He indicated that these are some of the projects which Zylofone Media intends to use to engage key industry players like MUSIGA. With regards to welfare issues, Sammy Flex expressed the preparedness of Zylofone to engage MUSIGA in practical ways of supporting the Union’s Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund (AMWeF). The President of MUSIGA congratulated the C.E.O of Zylofone Media Nana Appiah Mensah for his bold initiative and investments in the creative arts in general and the music i

Diversity of arts and music of our origin is what keeps us together and last Saturday, 19 August, 2017, the “Atuu Festival of Arts;" also known as 'AFA', was launched under the theme: Different shades of culture - The beauty in our oneness. Atuu Festival of Arts is a programme organised by the Joint Committee of Collective Management Organisations (JCCMOs), and owned by the copy right owners of Ghana, is managed by representatives of the three collective management in the country namely - the Reprographic Rights Organisation of Ghana (CopyGhana), Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) and Audiovisual Rights Society of Ghana (ARSOG). The launch, which took place at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra, was a precursor to the main event. Also, in the coming year, AFA will be a biennial festival of arts where local creative arts practitioners can enhance their abilities through exchange of ideas and creation of a dynamic and vibrant platform for their arts. Acti

High Commissioner Andrew Barnes presenting Yumvita prizes to the debators of the motion: 'Leaders are born not made.' Readers and Leaders, a non-governmental organisation that promotes literacy and leadership in children, has launched the maiden edition of the 'Young Ruler Magazine', an informative magazine towards developing leadership potentials in children. The 32-paged magazine features diverse content, including current affairs, leadership skills, motivational stories written by people and other related materials that would inspire and help develop leadership skills in children. The magazine was launched by the President of Osei-Kusi Foundation, Dr Kofi Osei-Kusi, who was also the Chairperson for the occasion. He lauded the organisers for the initiative, adding that it will go a long way to not only encourage young people to study hard, but also to unearth the next generation of leaders in the country.    Jennifer Burckson, the Editor-in-Chief of th

Right Consult and General Suppliers Limited, a fire management systems company, in collaboration with a South African fire system manufacturing company, Brigit Group of Companies, has held its first stakeholders conference in Accra. The goal of the two-day event is to educate and elaborate on how stakeholders can install and manage fire systems. Speaking to the Managing Director of Right Consult, Godwin Kofi Akuamoah, stated that not attention is given to fire management issues in this country seriously, a fact that is also not helped by the absence of qualified personnel. “There is a question mark on the Ghanaian mentality on fire issues. The question is whether we have the right people in place to be able to even advise the companies as to what systems should be put in place to control fire outbreaks.” With education, training and getting people to know what to do, there is going to be a vast improvement in the way we approach firefighting,” he said. Under th

The office of the Musicians Union of Ghana is to be relocated in the wake of the Marine Drive Project which is due to begin over the next few weeks. This was disclosed by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Nana Bright Oduro during an interaction with the leadership of the Union in Accra. According to Nana Oduro, with the commencement of the project, all offices in the earmarked area are to be relocated for the project. He indicated that over the next six months, the first batch of affected offices will be relocated while the Union would be relocated within the year. The Marine Drive Project is designed to develop the entire beach from from the Christianborg Castle in Osu to the Baden Powell Memorial Hall which means all the buildings in the area will be cleared to make way for the project. Briefing the leadership of the Union, Dr Joel Sonne, Director of Projects at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture said the project dates back to the

from left to right: MzVee, Kwami Eugene, Bice Osei Kuffour (Obour), Sherifa Gunu and Nero X One of Ghana’s iconic forest, Atiwa, which has been depleted as a result of both man-made and natural disasters, is on the verge of being mugged.  And the exercise is spearheaded by a group of musicians including President of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA); Bice Osei Kuffour. Atiwa forest,  located in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region has been quite irreversibly degraded and plantations are being totally destroyed by these rapacious swarms of illegal gold diggers, fortune hunters and their Ghanaian surrogates, collaborators and connivers! Mr. Osei Kuffour (Obour) is joined on the project by other professional musicians who have resolved to rescue the forest from going down. The campaign to save the forest is met by Arocha Ghana, Family Tree Entertainment and G

It was 3:15pm in Accra inside Kotoka International Airport Terminal 1 and I was getting ready to board TAP Portugal flight to Lisbon, Portugal via  São Tomé and Principe . São Tomé and Principe is an African island in the Atlantic Ocean with a population of about 192,000 people. Crime rate is generally low. You can see and feel the rich vegetation, virgin waters with safe beaches -- ideal for scuba diving. The major language spoken is Portuguese. Some residents understand and could speak Spanish and sometimes French too.  It is the second least populated African country after Seychelles , as well as the smallest Portuguese -speaking country. São Tomé township and its environs are simply charmed by all assortment of typical old-fashioned restaurants that offers fresh seafood and other local dishes from their rich plantations. Townside of São Tomé One of the typical wooden houses in São Tomé. Most of the structures in town are made of wood. They create a stron

The long-awaited show that is hitting “Shaka Zulu” at Junction Mall, Nungua barrier, comes off this Saturday, 25 th March, 2017 with the star man; Chief Jamiu Adisa, the Afro-Fuji musician. Chief Jamiu, the Nigerian born - Ghana based musician with his Lacasera Music Band is  ready to shake the club of Shaka Zulu, and promises guests with fine tunes to light-up, night-long pleasure that will make them tap feet, and dance till their bones get weak. There will be several artistes on the bill and together with renowned footballers, actors/actresses and more. The programme, expected to start by 7:30pm till you drop, will be a live band performance event with Jamiu; the main artiste, who has been playing Afro-Fuji music right from Nigeria to Cameroon, and Ghana for years, before forming the Lacasera Band in the year 2013, despite performing for 18-years now. Live band performance is gradually taking over the music scene in the country, like  “Burger-highlife” and Fuji tune