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For today’s blog post, my friend, Mimi decided to share something with my readers and I am confident you will pick a thing or two out of it…This life is one whole piece of puzzle and sometimes, reading a few words from someone who has been through whatever phase you are going through now or maybe not, could calm your nerves down….and realize it will be fine in the end!

 

 

 

 

”Its been weeks since I have been pondering over the adage “the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence” and instances that could best suit this adage.

 

Then it happened that three days ago, I visited a friend in the Volta regions capital Ho and she took me to visit a nice place where I took some nice picture; bright smiles, a lovely outfit with a friend’s iPhone which gave the pictures some extra glow. I posted them on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and the comments were more of; ‘You are chilling, Looking good, Eii where is this place‘ etc…

 

Someone close to me enquired further about how I was doing. I opened to her about how life after school wasn’t easy and other struggles I’m facing but her response took me by surprise… Her respond was: ‘Charlie but the pics you are posting don’t show you are tight o’.

 

And I believe most people had the same impression too and generally, people do when they see pictures of others on social media. Am I supposed to show the world that I’m facing challenges?” and even if I were to how many people actually care?”

 

My question is what does it take to snap a nice picture??

 

You in a cool outfit (sometimes even second-hand clothing), a nice pose, a camera or phone (in my own case I used a friends iPhone) and a nice location etc. And someone to take shots of you.

 

And these are not stuff that takes forever to come by. So why the impression that a person has it all once we see beautiful pictures of others on social media? You allow yourself to be intimidated by people and think otherwise when you only look on the surface of everything you see.

 

I have faced depression and have been frustrated because of a lot of issues at various stages of my life and I realized none of these solved my problems. By seeing myself through God’s eye I realized that my kind of joy was different. One which the world couldn’t give me and therefore cannot take from me….it is a kind of joy from above. So, I don’t expect people, friends to understand that I don’t have a job, I’m facing problems yet someway somehow, I get happy, visit beautiful places by no bad means, and still living a satisfactory life. Even during the storms, I find a way to be happy by God’s grace I take each day as it comes…living the moment. I feel some people just don’t want to see you happy.

 

I trust God and it’s enough.

 

So today, if you are facing a hard time, don’t coil in your shell, don’t give up on life! Someone invited you out? Please go, take pictures, if it makes u happy, post them, live the moment. Don’t be afraid to shine brightly. Sometimes the idea of it being you makes them mad but stay lit! Burn them if you may! Giving value to what you have, remaining content, trusting God and learning to appreciate your own fence makes it easier to rejoice amid the storms. The cloudy days are only but for a season. The sun will shine again but until it does you may decide to have joy and live while trusting God or wallow in self-pity and be cold. I prefer a double joy!

 

Basically, social media is nice. But I mean what at all is life?

 

If you don’t lose your identity in the process do what makes you happy!!”

 

Signed: Daughteroftheking👑

 

She could not have put it any better…I always say that in this life, challenges will always come…whether rich, poor, old, young, married, single…whatever state you find yourself in..But the true question…what will you choose to do in the midst of the challenges?..Will you take control of them and live your best life as if everything was perfect? Or continue to sulk, be sad over it…when life is still going on? YOLO (You Only Live Once)….WAKE UP AND LIVE!

 

Until I come your way again (lol I am sounding like all those Radio and TV presenters), do have a blissful weekend…God Bless You All. 

 

P.S If you would also like to be a guest writer/contributor please do send me an email via asumadugertrude@yahoo.com. 

 

It seems the ills are many but I might never finish if I don’t stop at a point. So this will be the last part of this topic.. (at least FOR NOW)…

 

 

 

 

So on the last blog post, I ended on the note that some people these days are very comfortable in practicing two-faced Christianity…so in church, they are all ‘holy’ but after church, it is a different ball game…..*sigh*. Well, I doubt that is ever going to end…because you know why? These people are praised and even used as examples for others to follow (lmao!). People will do everything in their power to be acknowledged when it comes to getting positions in the church; keep malice, gossiping, and all kinds…but then again I ask to what end? The danger is if you fail as a leader then imagine what happens to your followers…everything will just fall apart as the center can no longer hold.

 

The fact that in Ghana, from the President to the common citizen, about 75% of them are Christians…yet there is STILL a lot of sin in the land and all sorts going on in a Christian country. Most policemen who take bribes are Christians, most lecturers who coerce young girls to sleep with them, lest they fail are Christians, even the headmistress who admits students who did not make it to the school is probably a deaconess or leader in her local church but what do I know? We have normalized sin to the extent that we still try to justify it with misquotations wrong interpretations of the Bible.

 

Let me be specific… One thing I find amusing with regard to the generation of today is when it comes to the topic of celibacy…I watched a popular Youtube Show, BKChat London, some time ago and on one of the episodes, they were having a discussion about celibacy…and one of the guys was like ‘Celi what? What word is that?’ I was not surprised because though most of us call ourselves Christians we tend to pick and choose what favors us…Most male Christians will say…’I need to test the car before buying it’…Uhmm since when did women turn into cars…May God save this generation! I have seen quite a number of YouTube channels with some young couples who were able to withstand the pressures and waited until marriage to have sex…Proud! I am not saying if you were not celibate before marriage or choose not to be celibate you are a bad person. Not at all. That is your life and business… I am just appreciating those who have been able to stay faithful even when they are ‘mocked’ for being celibate before marriage. 

 

One issue I would like to touch on too is the issue of tithing. In recent times, this has generated a lot of controversies with lots of teachings as to whether one should pay or not. Personally, I hate having religious debates because I believe it is foolishness. When it comes to Christianity what does the Bible say about tithing? What is your interpretation of it as led by the Holy Spirit? Hence, are you instructed to pay or not? If so, how much? End of the story! There is no need to be going round in circles about something that has been clearly instructed in the Bible…You will just be ranting and ranting but to what end?

 

Let me just chip this in here, I sometimes get it why people decide to do that… (let me shake some table now..I am in my house come and beat me!).

 

So, in my own church, The Church of Pentecost, It is alleged that a certain Apostle after his tenure of office ended as the National Head in the UK, was given £150,000 and a car as well for a job well done…First of all, I believe in appreciation…but at the end of the day, when it gets overboard then it becomes a problem…Why should such an amount of money be given to just one person when there are probably people in the church struggling to make ends meet? And if you ask me, this man was well taken care of when he was in office, paid and all so are we saying that amount of money is his reward for the ‘work of God’ he came to do…Then meaning he has no reward in heaven since we feel such a huge amount will equate to the work he has been called by God to do…SMH!

 

Due to the emergence of all these kinds of news…I have heard some people murmur they are NOT going to pay tithes again…because this NONSENSE must STOP! Will I blame them? No! Because everyone is entitled to however they want to feel but at the end of the day, it is only God who will judge us all.

 

There are many things I have not touched but with the little I have covered so far, I believe that there is still a lot of work to be done and it needs to start with ourselves. Let us stop giving excuses for our immoral ways and turn back to the Creator because he is merciful and will show Grace upon us. None is perfect..but we cannot continue to live in sin because GRACE abounds. 

 

Dear Pastors and Church Leaders, understand that you have been assigned people to lead to Christ so every decision you make should be biblically inclined and not for personal and selfish gains because, at the end of the day, you will be accountable for each and every one of your members’ soul. Do not preach virtue and practice vice and use your congregation as cash cows to enrich yourselves through fake prophecies, false teachings etc.

 

Dear Member, You need to be as vigilant as the snake.,,for we are in the last days…You need to test every Spirit like the word of God says…for the devil goes around roaring like a lion seeking for whom to devour…

 

I hope you enjoyed this ‘mini-series’ and thanks for staying tuned. Have a blissful week ahead! 

 

In my previous blog post, I ended on the note that due to the tag of Christianity many Africans especially wear, they are either being lazy or refusing to use their brains in thinking about ways to make life better or more fulfilling for themselves. Hence, you hear the popular phrase ‘God will provide‘….(smh). This phrase has been misconstrued as far as I am concerned especially in the Biblical context in which it was used.

 

 

 

 

 

Abraham, the Father of many nations used this phrase AFTER, he took a HUGE risk of sacrificing his ONLY son; a son he bore at a very old age to the LORD upon his instructions. Ignorant Isaac asked his dad after seeing everything for the sacrifice except the animal and asked about it to which Abraham replied ‘God will provide‘. So in this case, even Abraham, at a point in his life,  upon all the PROMISES God gave him had to take a RISK which in turn made God see the kind of faith and person he was and made him Father of Many Nations.

 

Let us come to Christianity today…People are told in churches to sow seeds, come for revivals, prayer surgeries among others…I mean they are doing everything ‘biblically correct‘ hence they should be doing very well but it turns out that for some reason, they have been stuck in the same place for almost their whole lives…and oh the same Pastor or another Pastor is quick to blame their predicament on a witch in their families or even on some occasions blame their mothers for their failures in life…And I wonder like seriously?

 

This same person might have lots of business ideas or opportunities lying right in front of them and probably needs to take A LEAP OF FAITH or like in Abraham’s case one huge risk which is the way to their breakthrough but nah…they will rather be in church from Monday to Sunday praying and casting out all sorts of demons that don’t even exist so that they can be successful in life or have access to all the wealth God has promised them in the Bible…It is of no wonder that there are all sorts of churches in every corner you pass in Ghana especially with all sort of doctrines trying to ‘win souls’ for their booming business. Yes, I said it…Most churches these days are nothing but for-profit businesses. No wonder we see and hear some of these ‘Men of God’ having luxurious cars, mansions, private jets and living big when the majority of their congregation are living from hand to mouth…How pathetic!

 

I could go and on and on about all these ills going on in churches these days that either nobody is addressing or we have gotten so used to it and think it is normal…This means we are in DEEP WATERS! Is this how Jesus will come back to meet his bride, the church?

 

Why aren’t churches preaching the message of salvation nowadays? It should not be about prosperity, financials gains, winning at all the time which I know most people want to hear. Yes, times are hard and sometimes going to church to hear messages such as ‘God will take care of you‘, ‘Exercise Patience and Have Faith in the Lord‘ is good for the soul but that is not what all that it is when it comes to being a Christian. It is even interesting to know that there could be many people in the church who might not be saved but probably have no idea…I mean they come to church every Sunday, pay ‘FAT‘ tithes and contribute a lot to church activities but in the eyes of God aren’s saved… This is when you are in the good books of the Pastor as such even if you are misbehaving or committing all kinds of sins, you are pardoned because after all IF the church sponsor leaves, what will the fate of the church be? So, Trust is in a man instead of God.

 

The spiritual element in Christianity these days is lost and been replaced with so much carnality. Everything is approached from the human perspective and seeking to please the fleshly desires first before the spiritual implications are even considered. I have heard a Church leader say, ‘Even if you don’t come to church the whole year, and you come to church on the last day of the year and pay your tithes, you are STILL considered as a member of the church?’ Uhmmm if we all decided to do that all year round, will there still be a church? That is why it is very important for everyone to guard their heart because these ‘Men of God’ are nothing but just vessels used by God for His work but they are human at the same time…they may say certain things that you KNOW for a fact that isn’t the Spirit talking…meaning you should not swallow everything your Pastor tells you HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.

 

Fortunately, your Pastor is NOT God so don’t make him ONE. For every doctrine given, use your own intuition and the help of the Holy Spirit to do what works best for you…It is even interesting that some women behave all ‘holy‘ kneeling down to greet their pastors but to their own husbands will have their hands almost in their eyes and will treat them with GROSS disrespect. Thus, practicing two-faced Christianity…but to what end? Is it God you are fooling or yourself? Doesn’t he see everything even when it is done in DARKNESS…Who is the judge at the end of the day…your Pastor or God?

 

For it is written, on the last day, whatever was done in secret will be brought to light…

 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it…Stay tuned for the last part in the next few days. Have an amazing weekend!

 

If you have any interesting topic you want to write about or want to be a guest contributor/writer please send message me on here or email me at asumaugertrude@yahoo.com. 

 

About three years ago, even before I started blogging, I read a blog post by Lydia Forson, who is a Ghanaian actress I admire among the few. I love her for her work as an actress, but my love for her tripled because of the boldness she exudes especially in talking about issues that people will rather discuss behind closed doors for fear of being ridiculed or trolled on social media. The particular blog post touched on a subject about religion, a topic area when talked about many people become butthurt and will defend their religious practices or in this case their church conduct till their last breath.

So, she touched on this topic area, ‘In Love with Church But Not in Love with God’. She touched on many interesting topic areas which really got me thinking and I would like to talk about another aspect of Christianity in Africa with the focus on Ghana on the topic ‘Christianity Today, What is Happening?’ I am going to do this in probably two or three parts so stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

So according to popular knowledge, almost every African country is a Christian country or better still majority of the population in most African countries are Christians as such following the teachings of the Holy Bible. As such, many churches meet on Sunday to worship God together with some church meetings/programmes throughout the week. Which is great.

 

My father likes debates and most times he insists that Christianity did not in any way benefit Africa or in this case Ghana in any way. Oh wow! I exclaim…How? Then he says, well when the slave masters came, they came with wine and all sorts of ‘European goodies’ for our leaders and then in exchange we were introduced to Christianity among other things. This does not mean that we were not worshipping God before they came but we did so traditionally through smaller gods according to History. That is fair enough. At that time too, he adds, there was not too much sin in the world than we have now and then people were not all that ‘spiritual’ and over spiritualize everything. Interesting!

 

Now, after Christianity came, there was the introduction of missionary schools which championed a good education system infused with the religious aspect of practising Christianity especially at the secondary school levels, one of the schools which I attended, a great school in all ramifications; producing great women of integrity and value.

 

However, sometimes when I look at Ghana, I wonder if we are indeed a Christian country. We have all sorts of gibberish going on all in the name of Christianity and I just shake my head really hard! I have heard all sorts of stories of some Pastors duping members, sleeping with women all in the name of miracles, Pastors enriching themselves at the expense of their poor members whose monies obviously have contributed to those lifestyles, Churches establishing universities which are NOT affordable for majority of the people in the church, some Pastors doing and saying all kinds of ridiculous things all in the name of doing the ‘work of God‘.

 

I have heard a Pastor say he can’t give a car to his poor congregant because they cant handle it when this same pastor is widely known for giving cars to some public figures who are NOT his members..I was taken aback…like excuse me Sir…they don’t need to drive the car..they can sell it or use it as a taxi business or whatever to earn a living…But what do I know?

 

You see, Christianity these days has become a joke in all honesty and I wonder to what end? I tend to disagree with my dad but on these occasions, I kind of agree with him. I feel there will be less drama especially in the traditional way of worshipping compared to what we have now.

 

And you see most Ghanaians and even Africans are just gullible! In Economics, there is the concept of Demand and Supply. If there is a high supply of all these so-called Men of God and there is nobody patronizing them, do you really think they will still be portraying their nonsense? There is a particular Pastor in Ghana who is known for doing and saying all sorts and in the end, he has such a huge following and I wonder, are they blind? Can’t they see that all this is just a sham? I mean how on earth do you tell me you saw Jesus in a dream, He turned into a lion and you turned into a dog or whatever and you entered someone’s room to deliver her bla bla bla…You see IF I was an unbeliever, I will laugh out loud and wonder what kind of nonsense you are into.

 

And because some people wear this Christian TAG so highly, they seem to forget to USE their BRAINS and think Christianity is some sort of magic and God is a magician whereby you DO NOTHING and GET EVERYTHING. I quite remember when I was writing my final exams for High School in Ghana, there was a Pastor who was selling ‘anointed pens‘ and of course the masses jumped on the bandwagon to purchase it….of course, it will make them pass their exams. The danger is because of how GREAT the marketing skills of these pastors are, the gullible students will either REFUSE to study at all or not give the exam their best shot because it is an anointed pen from ‘A MAN OF GOD’.

 

Then who will you now blame when you fail that exams or course? God? For not helping you? God was nowhere in that equation! This is a combination of sheer stupidity and refusing to be practical that it is only in dedicating ample time to your books towards that exams and THEN praying for his grace and favor during the exams and afterward which might guarantee you success in that exam….

 

I will just pause here for today and continue in the coming days. I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Please stay tuned for more. Have an amazing week ahead.

 

Please reach out to me via email at asumadugertrude@yahoo.com if you would like to be a guest writer or contributor. Looking forward to them. 

 

 

In today’s post, I would like to share something very concise and I am confident that this would not be the first time you would have heard about this but I would like to challenge you further.

 

 

In today’s world, most of us are concerned about working, earning money, spending it and enjoying or living our lives to the fullest. That is fantastic…amazing! But honestly, you have not truly lived until one person can mention you and say…’Because of this person, I was able to achieve this, or that’…

 

You don’t need to have a HUGE platform to make a difference; over a million followers on social media, a president of a society, a minister, a celebrity or whatever…You can start from within; people within your network…Ask yourself, what can I do in my own little way to make their lives better or make a positive contribution to their lives.

 

It all needs to start with YOU. In my own case, I have discovered what I can do to make the world a better place starting from those within my circle and I am loving it. I will share one with you. When I was in university, I was part of a mentoring scheme and got one of the best mentors EVER! I learned a lot from him and in the process, I got the opportunity to be a mentor to 1st-year students in my faculty whereby I went ahead to win a ‘Mentor Award’ at an Awards ceremony in university. Graduating from university, I wanted someone who could mentor me but bruh! It wasn’t easy! I did not find one till now. However, from the knowledge and experience, I gathered from previous years, I wanted an opportunity to also help other young people or better put mentor them in discovering their purpose and achieving their dreams in life. So, I started my blog which I believe is my voice to people out there, also, whenever I get the opportunity to talk to friends and other people especially if they are going through an issue, I make sure I leave them with something to ponder on in other to arrive at a decision. Earlier this year, as part of my goals I wanted to create a network whereby I could mentor young people but I was wondering how I could get people to be a part of it.

 

Through my friend, Brenda, who is doing an amazing work of helping young people gain access to exclusive programmes, conferences, helping them with CVs, Cover Letters, scholarships among others…Initially, I wanted to do this too for a fee but then I remembered what I wrote down earlier this year to help other people become a better version of themselves and discover their purpose (with no monetary value attached)…as such I made a call for people who wanted to be part of this network…and to my surprise, I now have almost 300 young people I am starting with…I am still in awe!

 

It is fulfilling personally to know you are adding value to someone’s life and I believe this network (Purpose Unleashed Network) will do amazing and this is just the beginning! So to whoever is reading this, you may feel you have nothing to offer but trust me we all have something to offer. You may feel it is ‘nothing big’ but it is these LITTLE things that make the BIG difference.

 

We ALL have a role to play. Make your own difference. Don’t just EXIST. Before you DIE, LIVE. You haven’t lived till you make a DIFFERENCE. It is not about Social Media Hype. Even if it is one person, that’s all that matters. #gertrudesays.

 

Trust you enjoyed today’s blogpost and it got you thinking. Stay tuned for another blog post real soon! Have an amazing week ahead! 🙂

 

 

 

I am very happy to have concluded this project (Y’all have no idea!)  and of course, I could not have done it without the support of the 20 amazing ladies who chose to tell their stories and also to my amazing followers and readers. God Bless YOU!

 

Back in February, few months after I finished the University Diaries; where I shared my brief university experiences, I thought to myself…there is something more I could do. Over the years, I realized that many people have a panic attack especially when they are about to leave the university; this mostly stems from not knowing what to do afterward or probably the fear of not making it. I have had conversations with friends and read articles online where I concluded that it is time for those who have left university to share genuine stories so as to encourage and give hope to others.

 

I think in today’s society, especially with the emergence of social media, most people want to sound like they never went through any hard times, that it was all rosy, which kind of sends a wrong message across to the fresh graduate who is going through hell to find a job after university or to even get a chance to prove themselves to recruiters among others. Thus when I started formulating the questions for the #lifeafteruniversity series, the intention was to get the real deal from my contributors which I am confident I did in the end…

 

Now, I must say, I am not too surprised reading through the different experiences of my contributors. Most of them went through series of rejections and eventually got what they wanted and for some, are still in the process of seeking for what they want. That is real life! Nothing good comes easy! And depending on how bad you want something, you must be willing to fight for it…with all thy might! One of the contributors mentioned that she knew what she wanted to do but she decided to go through the traditional route of applying for jobs which she ended up going through about 5 stages only to be rejected in the end… This was a wake-up call to her to pursue her writing interests. This is very interesting and I can relate..sometimes, we choose to ignore what we really want in order to go after things that seem satisfying at the time, only to be disappointed and then wonder, why am I even pursuing this in the first place? Some food for thought right there…

 

Also, most of the contributors highlighted that they wished they were involved in more extracurricular activities whilst they were in university…The mistake many people make is focusing on just the academic aspect whilst in university, not saying it is a bad thing to do but the truth is University is another world where you need to keep an open mind and explore other opportunities available. If you are just one sided (books all the time), you might miss out on a whole lot of experience and probably another side of you, you could discover as a result of being involved in a society, sports, volunteering among others… You may even discover your purpose in the process…

 

Furthermore, I also realized that everybody is still in the process of discovering themselves; something we can never stop doing especially as we are still alive. Whether they were working, still looking for jobs, self-employed or whatever, each of the contributors seemed to have gotten to a place where they had taken a thing or two out of the failures, rejections or whatever they experienced after being hit with the real world, they were still trying the best to make the most out of their current situations and see what the future brings..

 

I could go on and on…I actually want to do a Part 2 about my thoughts on the series but I do not want to drag it. If you are reading this and you are about to graduate, just graduated or even graduated many years ago, I am confident that we will all be fine in the end. One motivational speech I listened to this morning highlighted the fact that, Dream Big, but have goals because, without those goals, your dreams will remain dreams! But what if those dreams don’t work out? Fail BIG! Sometimes therein lies what you need to GROW and become who God has called you to be.

 

Probably, you might be wondering if I will also share my life after university story…Ah well, I would but not here and not now. When the time is right, I will do the REVEAL here! 

 

Thanks for reading…Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Do I start another series? What do you think it should be on? Enjoy the rest of the week!

 

 

Ahhh I can’t believe the end of the series is here…I would like to use this opportunity to THANK every one of for reading, liking, sharing and even commenting on my articles. It means so much to me.

 

To end this series, I present to you Brenda Chiuneme McWilson-Okorogba. Trust me she is someone you would want to follow on social media and even have conversations with. I am glad to call her friend…Such a breath of fresh air and a blessing to today’s youth…a go-getter and an inspiration! I could not have picked anyone else to wrap up this project. Read along, I am confident you will LOVE it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is your name and what university did you attend?

 

My name is Brenda McWilson-Okorogba. I attended the University of Manitoba, Canada.

 

What year did you graduate and what course did you offer?

 

I completed my studies in 2016 with a BSc. In Psychology and Biological Sciences (Cell Molecular/Developmental Biology). I also have an advanced diploma in Business Management and Entrepreneurship.

 

Briefly describe how your university life; any extracurricular activities you were involved, scholarships, awards/ honors etc.

 

My university life was full of good experiences including some tough moments. I did lots of volunteer work at different organizations most especially promoting mental health, access to quality education for youths, some works on andragogy and critical pedagogy, sexual and reproductive health, food security and food sovereignty, poverty alleviation, promoting job accessibility for youths, addressing ableism and other forms of -isms that are discriminatory against people. As for awards, I am privileged to say I got some awards including bursaries and scholarships from my university and outside the uni. I am grateful for having a good university life.

 

Based on your experience in university, do you regret going to university or did you regret at a point? If so why?

 

I enjoyed my university experience as a student because of the opportunities that were readily available and accessible to me. I had the opportunity of traveling to El Salvador and Belize to teach young Maya students about food security and food sovereignty. It was such a beautiful experience for me. I learned a lot from the Q’qechi Maya people of Belize. I also had the opportunity of being an international student mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students via the international center of students (ICS) at the University of Manitoba. I really don’t have any regret going to the university.

 

Upon graduation, did you have any plans as to what your next move was? Could you please share?

 

Yes, I already had a career development plan prior to my graduation. First is to get my permanent residence so I can continue my studies till post-doc in Neuropsychology or Cognitive Neuroscience at a good Canadian university and utilize every scholarship opportunity. Another plan is to get meaningfully engaged in advocacy works with the focus on mental health, education, and youth empowerment.

 

Based on the answer from the question above, did these plans materialize in the short term or even long term? If it did what was the process like? If not, what happened? Did you have any backup plans?

 

I am the process of getting my permanent status here in Canada and yes I have been meaningfully engaged in advocacy work and various youth empowerment programs. The best and most fulfilling thing for me is being able to have a business plan for my mental health and education-focused organization called Ephphatha Transformation Academy (ETA). It will be officially registered in Canada this Summer.

 

In the case where you faced rejections especially in applying for jobs etc, what effect did it have on your person? Care to share any experiences if you had one?

 

Well if I don’t get any response after a job interview, I just send the HR an email to know if I am to expect a feedback or not. If I still don’t get any response, I just move on with my life and think of what next to do. I always make sure I edit my resume and LinkedIn profile all the time. Write down cover letters for any job positions I intend to apply to and tweak when it is time to submit my application. I make sure I do the following R’s——- Rethink, Restrategize, Reposition, Redo and Relearn and Redirect myself towards achieving my set goals. I also ensure the following C’s—- Care, Compassion and Celebration.

 

If you were to be that 18/19-year-old going back to university, knowing what you know now (irrespective of how many years after university) what advice will you give yourself? Any advice to others?

 

Always have some set goals and work towards achieving those goals. Never follow the crowd and make sure you utilize any good opportunity that comes your way whether scholarships, bursaries, travel grants, internships, jobs and volunteer opportunities. Feel free to ask questions from the right people, go out of your comfort zone to network with others, and always adjust your crown every day you wake up (let your daily cosmetics be self-love, honesty, integrity, authenticity, self-appreciation, healthy self-esteem and befriend yourself).

 

With the current state of the job market, do you think in like 10 years time, universities will still have value? Especially with the rate at which many graduates end up being unemployed or young people prefer to start their businesses or train in apprenticeships?

 

I think university degrees will still be relevant although many schools are trying to change their curriculum and focus more on critical pedagogy and experiential learning so that students can become inventors, trailblazers, innovators and wealth and job generators.

 

What do you do now in terms of work or any other thing you are involved, care to share your social media handles so people could connect with you?

 

I currently work as a mental health crisis intervention specialist for an organization here in Manitoba and as a director of strategic partnership and grant writer for STEMHub Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Ontario, Canada. My side hustles are: Hair braiding, Ghost-writing, Grant writing, Academic writing, CV/Cover Letter/SoP/Scholarship Essay writing, and I host workshops on mental health. I passionately use my Twitter to share opportunities to youths across the globe and I am a professional scholarship search strategist promoting SDG4.

 

Please follow Brenda on LinkedIn and Facebook. Keep with her on Twitter EnablerofVision. Trust me…She is doing a lot to promote education by sharing loads of opportunities (scholarships, youth programmes etc) and as young people, this is something we need to discover our purposes and be agents of change in our societies.

 

Again, a HUGE thanks to you all for your support. Massive thanks to the 20 ladies who also agreed to share their stories on this platform. Without you, there will be no diaries to share. I will share my thoughts on this project in the next blog post. Happy Sunday and an amazing week to Y’all! God Bless!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enyonam Amelorku, is my next feature for today, an A1 sister from secondary school. Hope you enjoy her story….brace yourself up for it and the LAST episode to end this series.

 

 

 

 

 

What is your name and what university did you attend?

 

I am Enyonam Amelorku alumnus of the University of Ghana.

 

What year did you graduate and what course did you offer?

 

I graduated in 2016 with a B.A English & Psychology combined major.

 

Briefly describe how your university life; any extracurricular activities you were involved, scholarships, awards/ honors etc.

 

My initial year at uni was interesting. I called it my life alone phase. Aside lectures which I made a conscious effort never to miss, I did a bit of adventure and exploration I tried a bit of the outing life but this did not sit comfortably with me because of the home I from. My mum is an educationist who never ceased to drum the importance of excelling down my ears. My subsequent years was geared towards building my grades and getting ready for what I termed ‘’corporate life’’. I attend so many seminars, career fairs and finally got affiliated with the Springboard Foundation. I later aided the formation of the Premier Springboard Club and became the first club coordinator for University of Ghana, Legon campus.

 

Based on your experience in university, do you regret going to university or did you regret a point? If so why?

 

I do not regret going to the university. It was a total experience for me be it socially, educationally, morally etc.

 

Upon graduation, did you have any plans as to what your next move was? Could you please share?

 

I did not exactly have any plans drawn out but I always wanted that corporate character life. That kind, of woman who achieves, impacts and inspires society.

 

Based on the answer from the question above, did these plans materialize in the short term or even long term? If it did what was the process like? If not, what happened? Did you have any backup plans?

 

My vision or should I say my sketch of my life after school is gradually shaping up. I currently find myself in an organization of learned individuals whom I understudy as well as assisting to score societal targets in the education field.

 

In the case where you faced rejections especially in applying for jobs etc, what effect did it have on your person? Care to share any experiences if you had one?

 

I have not had any in that regard.

 

If you were to be that 18/19 year old going back to university, knowing what you know now (irrespective of how many years after university) what advice will you give yourself? Any advice to others?

 

My advice would be to have a balanced life in school. that is, make better use of my time, study more, grab more internship opportunities and perhaps a little more adventure and fun.

 

With the current state of the job market, do you think in like 10 years’ time, universities will still have value? Especially with the rate at which many graduates end up being unemployed or young people prefer to start their businesses or train in apprenticeships?

 

Universities are institutions of immense value. In 10 years our universities will still be of value, only if they move with the changing trends of the world. As said, we learn every day. Thus, the systems in our universities should also adopt the dynamic and progressive status. There should be research done regularly to feed the growing needs of the global village in that way they will be well poised and parallel to the generation of the time.

 

What do you do now in terms of work or any other thing you are involved, care to share your social media handles so people could connect with you?

 

I am a Technical Assistant for material development on an education project. One position which has broadened my perspective on life. It has taught me the rudiments of organization, taking on the spot decisions, working under pressure, dealing with workplace politics and overall meeting targets regardless. Connect with me on Facebook

 

I do hope you enjoyed this feature. Thanks so far for keeping up with this series. Y’all are the REAL MVPs. Stay tuned for the last feature in a few days. 

 

Bernice Garr, another  A1 sister (from secondary school), is my next feature on today’s episode. If you enjoyed the other episodes, I am sure you would love this as well.

 

 

 

 

 

What is your name and what university did you attend?

 

I’m Bernice Garr. I attended the University of Ghana, Legon.

 

What year did you graduate and what course did you offer?

 

I graduated in 2016 and majored in Sociology.

 

Briefly describe how your university life; any extracurricular activities you were involved, scholarships, awards/ honors etc.

 

My University life was quite interesting though it wasn’t filled with so many extracurricular activities. I wanted to pay attention to my studies as well and graduate with a good class which I did by the grace of God. I was in my church choir on the University Campus- Legon Interdenominational Church. I also joined Rotaract which is the campus chapter of Rotary International, Ghana. I also had the opportunity to join Leading Ladies Network which is a Voluntary club on campus. Their mission is to empower young ladies and mentor them to become good leaders in their fields.

 

Based on your experience in university, do you regret going to university or did you regret at a point? If so why? 

 

Not at all, I didn’t regret going to the University. I believe it was an opportunity to acquire more skills and knowledge and also build positive relationships.

 

Upon graduation, did you have any plans as to what your next move was? Could you please share?

 

After graduation, I didn’t really have any plan because, in Ghana, the next thing after graduation is a compulsory National Service for one year. So in the short term that was basically the next big thing for me.

 

Based on the answer from the question above, did these plans materialize in the short term or even long term? If it did what was the process like? If not, what happened? Did you have any backup plans?

 

Yes, by God’s grace I was able to do my National Service. Usually, in Ghana the National Service Secretariat which is responsible for overseeing all National Service activities, assigns to graduates the organizations in which they must work. For me, I was posted to Ghana Audit Service. Fortunately, the process was quite smooth.

 

In the case where you faced rejections especially in applying for jobs etc, what effect did it have on your person? Care to share any experiences if you had one?

 

After National Service, I applied for a couple of jobs and I got rejected but that didn’t deter me. I remember there was a time I was called for an interview. It was a very rigorous process only for me and the other candidates to be told later that it was a three-month internship and not a permanent job. I wasn’t bothered when I didn’t get the job because for me I believe that it’s God’s way of redirecting me to where He actually wants me to be, which will certainly be better than what I lost.

 

If you were to be that 18/19 year old going back to university, knowing what you know now (irrespective of how many years after university) what advice will you give yourself? Any advice to others?

 

I will advise myself and others to gain skills in a particular field and have a mentor in that field. Also, I will advise myself and others to find and build networks in the field of interest.

 

With the current state of the job market, do you think in like 10 years time, universities will still have value? Especially with the rate at which many graduates end up being unemployed or young people prefer to start their businesses or train in apprenticeships?

 

Yes, Universities will still have value regardless because for some jobs no matter what will require that you have a degree and some form of higher education. Those who have interest in such fields will value university education. It’s up to the individuals who find themselves going to the universities to be smart about how they organize their lives so they can get to the level they want to in life.

 

What do you do now in terms of work or any other thing you are involved, care to share your social media handles so people could connect with you?

 

I sometimes volunteer with Skygirls Ghana and I’m a creative writer. I write stories and share them on my blog at www.bernicegarr.wordpress.com . You can follow me on Facebook

 

Rejections they say can be God’s own way of redirecting our steps. Don’t you dare give up! Looking forward to bringing you the last two episodes to wrap up this series. Don’t miss it! Happy Sunday and have a lovely week ahead!