The Daily IIJ

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Changing jobs can be fun but not when it involves shifting roles and professions. Ama Amankwah Baafi had a chat with a lady who made a dramatic u-turn in her profession.

BEADS are like magic pearls that beautify every neck, wrist, ankle or the waist. To a Krobo woman, they are a way of life.

The uniqueness of beads and their agility in adding colour and meaning to modern fashion, have created a burgeoning market for the piece of Ghanaian jewelry.

Beads making has consequently found its rightful place in the creative industry and many businesses are springing up around it.

Belwik Art Enterprise is one such endeavours which was founded out of an overriding impetus of the owner to contribute to the arts and culture in Ghana. This crave to follow her passion, compelled Mrs Yvette Kporjroh to make a dramatic switch of jobs from where she had originally received training to a completely different world of endeavour.

Prior to establishing Belwik Art Enterprise for beads designing, batik making and wood polishing, Yvette worked as a telephonist at the National Theatre, Accra.

But her passion for the creative industry soon overrun her love for the telephone, forcing her to part ways with her employer in 2006 to take up training in the business from a friend.

She told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS that such a decision was to enable her live her dream of venturing into the handicraft. The fruits of that six-year-old decision have been the thriving Belwik Art Enterprise which does beads design, artifacts and produces nice crafts of batik for people of strata in Accra and beyond.

The business also trains interested persons in the various areas that it operates in.

However, since the business survives on frequent capital injection, Mrs Kporjroh said inadequate working capital was one of the challenges facing Belwik Enterprise.

“The demand has been very good but our only challenge is the injection of working capital to finance an expansion to meet the growing demand,” she told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS.

She further explained that “I sometimes go to shows and people express interest in my products but I become stuck since I don’t have money to produce for them.”

According to her, for the fear of getting drowned with high interest rates, Mrs Kporjroh she has never attempted to go for loans from any financial institution in the country although she would have wished to access more funds to expand her business.

“The interest rates are high and that is scaring me from going for a loan from the banks. If I should go for a loan and I’m not able to pay for it, what do I do,” she asked.

Another challenge for her business is the high rent charged for exhibition space at fairs and the general expensive nature of attending fairs to give the needed exposure to the products outside the country as some of the difficulties plaguing not only his company but the creative industry as a whole.

In spite of the challenges, Mrs. Kporjroh sees a brighter future for the handicraft industry, as Belwik Enterprise had so far been a great success.

“It has exposed me. People know me and they call me to work for them. I have also travelled to many countries including Zambia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Benin, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. I hope to exhibit my goods in Europe soon,” elated Yvette told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS with beaming smiles.

In an attempt to give back to the society Belwik Enterprise started an initiative in 2009 to train women in the areas of operations to “enable me to empower others so that they become independent and create wealth for themselves.”

Her application for support from the National Commission on Culture yielded fruits as the commission granted her GH¢5,000. According to Yvette, she used the funds to purchase training equipment for her workshop.

Belwik currently employs four ladies but has the capacity to increase the intake provided she could scale up her capital and expand the workshop.

She expressed the frustration that although the venture could employ more hands, the lack of space and finance was stalling expansion and employment generation.

Sharing her experiences on Ghana’s creative industry, she said “Ghanaian products are unique. People show interest at all times when you go to fairs. But mostly, due to financial constraints we go with small goods and even when people are ready to buy we don’t have enough.”

Mrs Kporjroh appealed for support in the area of finance, promotion and marketing opportunities, an endeavour the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) has been performing on a small scale within its resource limitations.

While commending the GEPA for supporting the creative industry, Mrs Kporjroh appealed for more of such support and collaboration with the industry even when there were no exhibitions.

She also wants the government and other stakeholders of the sector to direct more funds and support to make the sector more vibrant as it was an avenue for employment creation.

A mother of four, Mrs Kporjroh says she enjoys training others, particularly young females, in such employable and innovative skills.

As a result, she said, her outfit wants to set up a training institute to train more people in creative designs. GB

The battle for Mayoral symbol more especially for the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) party has intensified as the November 17^th elections draws closer.

Aspirant Bishop Christian R.A. Cole

The latest aspirant that has made his intention known is Bishop Christian R.A. Cole. He is president of the Multi Religious Council for Peace and Justice. [Read more →]

The constant congestion in the international gateway has raised concern to subscribers and mobile phones companies about the state of telecommunications in the country.

On the side of subscribers the liberalization of the international gateway should have paved the way for them to access cheaper international calls which should have alleviated the cost of communication. From research, Sierra Leone is the only country in the sub region that has the highest cost for international calls.  This, according to sources is because of the monopoly of the international gateway by SIERRATEL.

Sources within the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) informed SALONE TIMES that Teltac is a consulting firm for SIERRATEL to control the international gateway but stated that with the liberalization of the international gateway it would make communication simple and affordable and operation and with the advent of the fibre optic communication will be at easy as the international gateway should not be monopolized.

“We encounter a lot of problems whenever we make international calls,” said Isata Conteh a mother of six. She went on to say they only rely on their relatives abroad who mostly call once a month if the line is bad then they are lost for that month. “We have experienced this for several months now, our hope for survival is with them, and at times the little I have to manage life I use to return the call.”

February 15, 2012 should been the compulsion date for the amendment of the Act by repealing the applicable provision of Section 33 and replacing them with provision that ends international gateway monopoly. The final Act of the international gateway monopoly should be completed by July 5, 2012 provided the Information Minister moves the motion of amendment or repeal of section 33.

In January 2012, newspapers published a press release from the Information and Communication Ministry in relation to the Liberalization of the International gateway. The release stated that “Government of Sierra Leone has received a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) as part of the West Africa Regional communications Infrastructure Program (WARCIP-SL), and intends to apply part of the proceeds of this credit to payments under the contract for consultants’ services for the revision of the Telecommunication Act 2006 and related regulatory instruments.”

The services from document given to SALONE TIMES include but not limited to the following, “provide assistance to the National Telecommunications Commission Act 2006 as amended in 2009 and the all proposed (draft) legislations together with existing regulations of NATCOM with a view to revision of the act. The draft legislation should embrace Fair Competition, Transparency, Improved access and Protection of Consumer interests and should be conducive to private sector investment. It should be in conformity with international best practices in these areas and incorporate flexibility for easy adaptation to changes in Technology.”

From the above statement, subscribers are asking what is causing the delay for the enforcement of this act. “Is it for the benefit of SIERRATEL as against the interest of the subscribers?  Subscribers pointed out that if SIERRATEL cannot manage its affairs well, it is better for them to pack up and go, through that they said they can enjoy the value of their money with cheaper and quality communication.

“We still have 1% that cannot be traced and will have to be sorted out during the exhibition phase.”

NEC data centre

These were the exact words of the Chief Electoral Commissioner/ Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Dr. Christiana A. M. Thorpe while addressing the press and other stakeholders at NEC national data centre, Wellington over the weekend.

Dr. Thorpe went on to say that to date, the commission has completed the uploading and extraction of data captured from the field between 23^rd January and 25^th March, 2012 and that 99% of these have been fed to the data centre server.

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Sierra Leonean Muslims have joined Muslims the world over at the weekend to celebrate the birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) daughter Fatima (AS).

Islamic women ready to change women's style

The event which took place at the Institute of Islamic Studies in Freetown was organized by the Islamic College,  and the Iranian Cultural Consulate.

The day itself is on the 20^th of Jomadi –Thane 12 of May 2012.

Speaking on the aspect of the Fatima Zahara as a role model for women, the Iranian Cultural Consulate Mohamed Sofla said that celebration is to reflect on the greatness of Fatima. [Read more →]

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has launched a new campaign, “Believe it. Do it,” aimed at bringing attention and action to the global goal of ending new HIV infections among children by 2015 while ensuring mothers living with HIV remain healthy. Read more http://www.globalnewsreel.com/2012/05/unaids-launches-believe-it-do-it.html

Officials of IFM addressing the press

Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) issues broadcasting license to Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) – the largest Islamic organization in the Maldives – on Thursday to establish a television channel.

Addressing the press at IFM office, the popular preacher Sheikh Ibrahim Fareed Ahmed, also the vice president of IFM scholars council said the license was originally registered for a company named “Meeqath”, but the TV channel will be managed and operated by the organization under an agreement.

The channel will not broadcast any content about politics and contrary to Islam, he said, adding the main purpose to establish a TV channel is to educate people and to tackle social issues.

Sheikh Fareed said the channel is targeted for all the age groups and both genders, and special programmes to be also made for women.

Maldives – a chain of 1,190 islands scattered in the Indian Ocean – is ranked 73 according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s press freedom index between 2010 and 2011.

Currently, four TV channels are being broadcasted in the country.

After a splendid weekend in the southern city of Bo, the only city that stands by its name in Sierra Leone ‘Sweet Bo’ TRACE was happy to return to Freetown another city that goes by its name to the very last letter.

NPA General Manager

TRACE’s journey to Freetown from Bo was full of fun. Happily TRACE made it to Freetown. As soon as it  entered Freetown TRACE was stuck in traffic for over two hours in the city centre on its way to Bo. To the glory of God TRACE got a smooth ride in the city centre. When TRACE reached home the first welcome it  got was that of non electricity. TRACE was expecting electricity more especially when it was Sunday evening but that welcome which it received made it to feel flabbergasted.

An hour of TRACE  returned, TRACE’s fiancée paid a visit.  When she entered, her first question was “Don’t you have light?” TRACE was thinking what to say and at the same time stirring at her, “You seem very hot and tired?” she continued. “This is what I met. What is the problem with the light these days?” Trace asked. Mama as Trace used to call her was quick to respond to that question “I should ask you that question because your work gives you the power to know more than I do when it comes to the running of government.” I told her that I would investigate first thing in the morning and would tell her what the problem is. “No problem,” she replied. TRACE spent the night uncomfortably. The heat was like someone that was close to a fire. [Read more →]