FEbruArY 14

It really got me thinking, Everyone has a way of describing it. I thought that feeling is just a definition not a description, maybe I am wrong. Its a bit strange how we want friends and family to understand why it's the best thing that ever happened to us. Standing from afar and watching them walk away, Looking back several times though you just said 'see you later'.

                                                                         Calling back a thousand times, After saying talk to you Later in the Evening. The Experiences always vary from moments to experiences graduating into fulfilling Emotions. The emotions say much more than the descriptions. iN the same breadth, a permanent separation bears its own reasons and emotions. Nonetheless, MELODIES keep reminding us of such beautiful moments or better still strengthening us just for a similar history. Thanks to musicians who are just in our shoes. They describe it just in our way. tHE lonely moments and the daylight dreams that got us smiling.


One word, ''HAPPYNESS'' seems to be the subset in all these circumstances. Everyone says am just happy and the company we share it's all I need.

It reminds me of many things. An experience I lived far away in myself. Just when I heard the steps from those long heels, as they move one after the other, the pounding sound got me panicking. I shook!. and I wondered, Did I just hear a quake? Or it's just my heartbeat!!. A sight at just one thing could put me in such state of panic and dilemma? Interesting, Somethings are for MEN indeed!.
From her feet straight to her knee spelt perfection. I blurred out at just her eyes, It shadowed my confidence. People Call it beautiful but I think its Fragrance. Love, at first Sight, was not an illusion, after all, it's an experience. Given a second chance, I will salute at the INfiniX of BeAUtiful.- iT was an experience.

It's about 2weeks away. IT'S HOW CHOCOLATE DESCRIBES IT. ......

ENGINEERING, My Kind of NEIGHBOUR

Reading from renowned journals on development taught me that development has little to do with democracy, rather, Engineering sells development-#myopinion. 

Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah set the pace as far as Engineering and Development is concerned. Starting from manufacturing to transportation, technical and vocational institutes and to Technical Universities. Indeed, he understood the value of Engineering and its relevance in the future.The victory of a nation and its people is built on financial stability, Good jobs and regular income, quality health care and education. These were the beginnings for Ghana. Every developed country identified their strength and built many prospects for its people. They evaluated the prospects available and laid a solid foundation through technology and Engineering, complemented by massive infrastructural developments. Ghana has over 50% of its citizens involved in agriculture and its allied activities. That is our Gold. However, the mechanisation and technology application in this sector is a flaw in my opinion. This is just one of the many sectors that can upgrade our economic status THROUGH relevant investment in technological applications in agriculture. China identified manufacturing as a strength and utilised it to their advantage and gradually augmented the income status of its citizens and built a sustainability roadmap for it. Technology has over the years transformed so many things. It has remodelled various sectors of the economy and is promoting growth. 

Transportation, security, manufacturing and a lot more yield engineering opportunities every day. However,  the momentum to fully expand has obviously been missing. Where is industrialisation? Is it too expensive for Ghana? Imagine a food processing plant for every locally produced food. How about other processing plants that will truncate our importation of goods from other countries and promote local manufacturing. Of course, we have heard from many experts on all this  yet.......

HERE comes #TOOLBOX, An engineering show that seeks to find answers, to complement the existing technology trends in Ghana, to create and hype other investment opportunities, to advance growth and development through engineering. The programme seeks to highlight key sectors of the economy and identify the future of Engineering in Ghana and the world. I see this as the phase of a new era from Ghana.

www.westprimeafrica.com

A L3tTer to mY FATHER

On the 4th of April 2015, whiles I was wishing many of my friends happy birthday, little did i know that the smiles of celebrating the birthdays would become what i never dreamt of today. I know that someday, somehow we shall all depart this unfriendly place. Friends have lost love ones, friends and family, but little did I know that feeling is unexplainable. Dad, I never knew i was so attached to you until today, never knew I loved you soo much. Mr. Super Chef, I salute. You made such an impact, you were a mother and a father. You taught me how to virtually prepare every indigenous meal; ‘‘aborbi tadi, dzokoli, ayikple, akple, amadetsi, dedetsi, azidetsi’’ in fact a lot. I just want to say thank you. I learnt you travelled and you would be back soon, so I would be waiting, patiently waiting to see you soon. Love is such a deep word.

Dad, in my opinion, your character defines what we call leadership, you have raised leaders, and you have served your people. Above all you were HUMAN. Remember I told you that someday you would reap a lot from this hard work? Hmm, time could not lend to you anymore i guess. Mr. PTA Chairman, are you there? You always updated on how the PTA meetings went.You seized the opportunity to discuss the new things you learnt from such meetings and ensure that we see the significance analyzing the views of others. I remember way back in Lutheran School, yeah!! Those awards I received made you smile all through the programme.

I Just don't know where and how to start, My Hero. Cos there is a lot to talk about. All I can say is that, you are A hero with flaws and A hero with Class. Trying to reminisce on every single moment I shared with you, but it’s just too hard to write. Days when we need to go and sow maize seeds, plant cassava, sometimes beans, not forgetting the black berry farms. You virtually equipped us with every useful skill. Initially I thought this old man loves to disturb, But as time passed and I grew older I realised you were equipping me for tomorrow. 

We had a deal remember? I promise to establish a palm oil processing plant in one of your old farms, to illustrate to you that you have a true engineer, one the one should watch out for. Little did I know that my graduation day would be without your presence, may be in spirit. I am silently waiting for a call from you to check on how school is fairing. You never believed me when I tell you all is well in school, you felt I was protecting you from feeling bad, you want to know the answer? Yes!! I did I lie about school sometimes cos I know you cared a lot and didn’t want to add to your headaches. I still remember the days that we were sacked for fees after taking those hot ‘lashes’ for non-payment, you couldn't hold your emotions. Some memories are scars.

Daddy? When are you coming back? Remember our favourite bread oooo!. Almost all of us are in our finishing phase, preparing to give you part of our first salary. Those words of yours,'' I am educating you so that someday you would take care of me when I grow old''. Yet, you could not wait any more. smh..

The memories are just too much, However, I hope you remember them better, I love you Dad, I hope Someday we meet, Hope the angels of Heaven are welcoming you with sweet melodies. All I remember is those last prayers we said together. iNDEEd, you only need the light when its burning low, only hate the road when you missing home, But sometimes you never know you love someone soo much until he is gone, I love you Dad. Take Care and Safe Journey.....God knows Best. Go, and be in His Bosom. Rest In Perfect PeACE .

Your Son,

Reuben Seyram Agbozo

The Dreams we HAVE

Jerry Baird once said ‘‘Success is a journey not a destination’’. A journey that can make you cry, step on toes, angry but fulfilling. Each and every one of us has dreams. In one way or the other, we tackle these dreams from different angles. Different homes, made of different families. Different beliefs and practices and possibly different ways of falling in love with our dreams. In all these situations we experience our own peculiar challenges. Obstacles that try to impede our goals. Henry Ford said ‘obstacles are those frightful things we see when we take our mind off our goals’. In some one's world the challenge he/she faces may be someone else’s fortunate moment. A friend once told me, ‘never underestimate the pain of a person. This is because in all honesty, every one hurts, just that some people hide it better than others’. As we go about our daily schedules, we greet and smile at each other. Yet we rarely know what everyone goes through in their loneliness.

In our pursuit of happiness, we tackle life with different formations, using our own unique strategies. My friends have taught me that in life, smiles may be very deceptive. It all start from our childhood. We all start school with high aspirations. With hopes of being a lawyer, teacher, a soldier, a nurse, an engineer and whatsoever we sole desire to be in future. It doesn’t matter if you schooled in one of the top most schools or in a remote community. What matters is how you get there. Failure in our situations only get to add up and possibly divert our intentions. Sometimes the obstacles we face are just unexplainable. It may be a loss of the bread winner. Maybe a loved one that pushes us, inspires us to do more. Maybe a mistake that crippled our progress beyond our estimation. 

Realization of dreams are lessons all around us. Chris Gardener depicted that perfectly in his true life story movie titled ‘pursuit of happyness’. ‘Mandela long walk to freedom’ is no exception. An inspiration in itself. The story of Maruge, a Kenyan, and the oldest man to have gone to primary school in his mid-80 is just remarkable. Just to achieve his dream. To make a difference. Indeed this picture was clearly exposed in the movie ‘the first grader’, a very touching change maker. All these are not different from the famous award winning movies ‘Beyond the black board’ and ‘Front of the class ’ and in many untold stories and told stories. Some of which have been captured in movies i could continue mentioning. Your story is awaiting completion. Dreams do come true. Just do it. Let’s do it. Only if we believe.

As humans, and focused people, we listened to people who motivate us. We are drawn to people who say the sweet things to us. At times these beautiful moments defeat the intention of re-evaluating our weaknesses. As infallible beings, what makes our actions incomplete? This we hardly love to listen to. We claim we are dream chasers yet we rarely change the little world in our bed room. We are usually advice to change these challenges into positives.  As though it is as easy as 1,2,3......,easier said than done. An attitude built over time needs thorough measures to cleanse, a project of purity.  It does not seem easy as it is said. One thing however, is our own inbuilt motivating factors. We may not accept it but there is always something that keeps us on our toes. Something that gets us emotional and awakes our thoughts to face our dreams. In all these, the fear of failure never gives up.  

Nonetheless, the spirit to win lives in the dreams we believe in. I have a story which is unscripted.  A story I believe can motivate you. A story you might never imagined. One you never lived, that inspires me each time I fall, my motivation. We all have stories. We may never believe in them but its tales turns it into food for thought. How about yours, just maybe mine was just a class exercise and yours could be the final exam. In all these encounters, there are people who observe and may possibly judge you. They may not know the story but the little they see could discourage them or inspire them. How do you live your untold story?

The greatest gift of motivation is that part that you see wrong about you. That part which drives the change in you.When you let that weakness gets to you, it takes the best out of you. I do not know your dream. It may change as time passes. It may change because conditions change, yet you never stop dreaming. Dreaming is a game you know. A dream for which we have a ‘why’ for executing. A dream that has a reason. That knows no failure. It’s just a dream………..

The NEXT BIG Entrepreneur

Having watched and read about the many successful entrepreneurs in the world especially in Africa, I realize I have no justification for failing. Trust me, If you do not know someone's story, you may judge yourself as very unfortunate. What boggled me most was what kept them going? Their vision and target held them on. These people faced adversities of different intensities yet they stood still, fought and won. Indeed those adversities are not discussed in the public domain. Rather, we mostly discuss the quantum of money they make, spend and how they live their lives. Interesting isn’t it? In my opinion, focusing more on the challenges of their story should rather compel many potential stars to coil out from their shells. An act that would launch excellent incubating ideas into multimillion firms. The tone for motivation should be how these winners once failed but rose to their feet.

These heroes and heroines started off small. A beginning attribute associated with most successful brands. The underlining factor for each of them was to IDENTIFY A PROBLEM.

 The problem could be a challenge you have. It could be your siblings or parents. Maybe your colleagues or your neighbors. What challenge have you identified with yourself or those around you?

There was a need for telephones because we needed to communicate via long distances. Mobile Phones broke the barrier because we needed to carry it along for timely updates.

 Today we have pick up services for school children because there was a need to assist parents who hardly get time to pick up their wards from school. Most school buses are unable to pass by every pupil's house.

Estate development is the new emerging trend because the time to acquire land, build and to even supervise is limited. Not forgetting Land litigation issues and land economization. Let’s commence with the zeal. If I start a business today, I can employ two (2) or more, so can you. So what is the solution to the identified problems? How do we solve them? Can you execute it alone, do you need a partner? How do we set off to build a wonderful paradise? Imagine a Ghana with 100% employment. A country with minimal or no crime because our hands are engaged. Where there is work and Happiness.

So, let’s get started. What challenge have you identified? Or let’s start with mine. My cousin loves to eat beans with fried plantain (Gobe3) but the canteen at his work place does not sell that. Isn’t this an opportunity for a mobile Beans Van?

 

We can decide to sell very palatable local dishes such as fufu, apem with kotomre on special days (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays) by using our Mobile Van. After all we all want convenience. I hate walking long distances just to go and eat. KOKO KING did it, so can we. Gari for some years now has been packaged in polythene. A model that the middle class shy from. Can you think of packaging Gari into various Kilos just as rice is packaged? I think this is enough for now. But the problems in Ghana are a lot.

. I am thinking of having plastic bins at strategic locations across the country. Instead of walking about and handpicking these sachets. Processing these polythene into secondary products called PELLETS. This can be sold at a higher price than the raw materials. Did I just share this! OMG! Anyway #justmaybe we can make more money.

You want more ideas? I hope to have a power charger for my rice cooker. As a substitute for electricity in case of power cuts. I want to consume my own food regardless of ‘DUMSOR’.

Let’s Share, Let solve our own problem. What problem have you identified?  I may not be a very good programmer but I can be good elsewhere. You may be good at identifying flaws in that movie or music video. You saw what they missed. Do you just say it to your friends? Let the world know of it. ‘Monetize’ your skills people. What’s your strength? Let’s reduce the unemployment rate by starting small. #LETS START SMALL. #letssolveit.

A letter to my Community

Hmmmmmm! Did you ask if I was PROUD? Not at all, not when it has to do with you. Not when you have 
litters all over. At least you gave me pathways I can use for my daily schedules. I have a place I call home, a place I find in your bosom. Even though you give me so much headache. Especially when everybody in this community cares less about you. All we care about is how to make ends meet and get a place to rest without thinking of your future. How Selfish! At times I find it very difficult to describe it as our character or our attitude, when all we do is to litter everywhere. Polythene is our closest pal now, our next of Kin, we dump them anywhere, anytime as soon as we finish using them. Is it because we do not have dustbins at strategic locations? Or its a habit we can’t quit? 

Oooh! My neighbours! Would there ever be a day when we will dispose of polythene properly and make our community polythene free? Eeeebeeeih!!!!!. What at all has the community done to us? Huh!? 

!? Our lorry stations are worst affected, they have become footballs that we kick as we walk through the stations. For the gutters, I pity them every time I see how they struggle to pave way for liquid waste to move. My Community, I sincerely apologize for all these inconveniences. By the way, are we still expecting someone from elsewhere to provide us with dustbins?   Maybe we are waiting for a fiasco. My fellow neighbours, we live in this community and so let’s play the game responsibly. How about we set the rules, led by examples, buy our own dustbins and keep them at strategic places. We can as well be the guards, no mercy for any culprit as we hold each other responsible. Is it our character or should I say our attitude to be nonchalance to such a negative uprising? Do we after all need someone to tell us to keep our community clean, or to clean them every first Saturday of every new month? Aaaaah! Sometimes I just don’t understand. We generate the waste yet someone must tell us when to clean the waste?Rather we eat, sell and live in this filth. So soo amazing!!!

 Our gutters are choked with filth, both liquid and solid waste, whiles these channels were built purposely for liquid waste. We define what these drains must be used for.When are we ever saying NO!!! , to all these bad practices? Huh!? We are all culpable.

So much money is invested in fighting malaria every day and the death tolls per household also keep soaring up. However, we nurture these mosquitoes ourselves in the best of habitat for them. We feed and care for them every day. So why can’t they be happy spending their vacations with us, as we rather kill them using insecticides. Or its just because two wrongs just don't make a right?. Why can't we just shut up and enjoy their way of saying good evening, after all we invited them, we bore them. We rather prefer to fight the very friends we nurtured.  We are ingrates! We rather enjoy their stings and pay for the cure? Imagine what that money could have been used for. What surprises me most is seeing elites litter the environment and causing the community so much harm, they that need to educate the others on the harmful effects of littering are rather victims, ‘smh’, it’s a pity. Is it because the community is deaf and dumb? OOuuchhh!!! Yen Ara Asaase ni. Eeeih! Okukuseku!

In our markets and streets, we have chosen to use pedestrian pathways as stores leaving pedestrians to compete with vehicles for the same road. So why at all was the pedestrian Walkways created? Was for Aesthetics? Some of us claim we are students in the High Schools, Colleges and Universities yet we lead all these practices by helping our parents arrange the items on the walkways, this I think can be done better by all parties. So interesting, how we belittle our Community. I feel so sorry for you. We prefer to play hide and seek with security personnel over that too, and bribing our way out? Oooooh! What a shame!! Let’s bow our heads in Shame. We are all guilty and we know we are yet we rather prefer to Blame someone for not doing his Job as we continue to do what is Wrong, inflicting pain on an innocent community. Indeed, every sector is guilty.
Many of such negative attitudes are exhibited on a daily basis. It is either the kenkey seller who used spoilt pepper mixed with proper ones for her pepper sauce resulting in her clients suffering food poisoning, or the teacher compromised with some students just to pass them. May be the electrician helped in that illegal connection that resulted in that fire outbreak or the accountant just bloated the figures to make more money at the detriment of someone or the engineer just did a shoddy job, may be the port official allowed the inferior goods into the country without thinking of his step mother

’s grandchild of possibly consuming that product. Just May be it was you and you know it could be you. Many things we have done just to punish this ‘mute’ Community. It is time we call it ‘A QUIT’ to correct ourselves and stand up to correct others. Be a game changer Brethren. Make a difference. It all starts from Here. Do the right thing when No ONE IS WATCHING.

When Transport Beats Time ...........( PART I )

                               

Walking on the railway right behind Accra Brewery Limited, en route to Agbogbloshie market, made me wonder if my village was too close.Is this railway actually in accra? This railway is partially buried in the sand with foreign materials all around it. However, the rail way behind Unilever Ghana tells me the future is bright. This railway looks so clean, with a very good train stop that is capable of attracting every Tom,Dick and Harry,in fact irrespective of the person's status which can significantly draw more people in patronising it. Imagine such structures at different locations, wouldn't that promote the transportation sector by adding value, minimising air pollution and intense traffic,how about productivity? Is this dream ever possible? Many a times there are agitations with regards to roads, either there are no road networks or deteriorating roads. Do we consider the rail system as an option in solving this road problems? Or we only serve them with temporarily solutions as we get caught in traffic jams in the future, where we spend so many hours just to leap an inch. That sucks right! Ide3 pain rof’

, especially when the sun is so hot and the car accumulates so much heat, imagine a ‘trotro’ with no AC stucked in traffic for hours. The worst happens if the car right in front of you emits so much smoke from its exhaust and you get to inhale all these toxic gases into your body.

Recently I attended a conference organized by Bicycle for all friends (BFAF), on how students can patronize the use of bicycle riding on campus, nice initiative, I wish them well though. However, I prefer to graduate to something a bit higher and more efficient.  Imagine a more advanced, efficient, safer means of transport of goods and services, a train system that can transport us from one destination to the other. Not just any train system, but a system that reduces vehicular stress.Imagine, a train taking 5 minutes maximum to get you to work. Wouldn't that be so sweet. Huh!?so fast...woooooh!.

Wow! My appointments would definitely be secured on time, that interview you were late for just because you were stuck in traffic, is solved. How about that habit of getting home late and waking up very early. Hmmm…. Small rest pee3! Yet more is expected from you at work. Everyone assumes you are very fine yet your strength wears off gradually. Can this translate into high productivity? ‘SMH’, unfortunately kids have become victims, since mum and dad want to avoid traffic, they wake these innocent kids up, as early as 3am. Won’t these kids dose in class after all? What would they even learn in school? This challenge has even denied some kids from seeing dad and mum during the weekdays. Mum and Dad are only available during the weekend. Very Funny. I am looking forward to everyone owning a car someday in Ghana, what a wonderful city it would be. Traffic from the entrance of your gate right to work, it will be soo much fun. Crawling, crawling, and crawling just like a chameleon. A day when the city will be choked with cars.

AM WAITING FOR A DAY WHEN THE COMPETITION WILL BE BASED on WHICH TRAIN IS MORE RELIABLE, FAST AND COMFORTABLE. When all our ‘Big’ men who cannot do without their cars would prefer to use the train , when a life won’t be lost cos the specialist could not beat traffic to save a life, when workers will sleep well and no more excuses for lateness, lol!!. Am waiting for that day WHEN entrepreneurs will invest in the train business. I am waiting FOR THAT DAY, when road accidents will be significantly minimized….#JUST THAT DAY……

bE An an Xmas Revolutionary; Be A GAmE cHANGER

Santa Claus is coming !!!!!!!!!!! ''yeah we are indeed getting our wishes...my puppy, bicycle and infact, mum isn't Dad coming home for Xmas''? Things aren't looking good for these little kids, it was a bad feeling, sitting in a car with such cute kids and a wonderful mother, i thought everything was so cool, yet it looks beautiful on the outside but on the inside its

too bad guys,i said to myself. What struck me most was these kids valuing the presence of their dad more than anything else. Its celebration time everywhere but ''Charley ino bi everywhere oooo''. In some homes, as i passed by, i heard the cheers from the family parties, other homes were mild but seriously some homes were very quiet. Normal activities were going on,they don't seem to be part of the festivities. Its not like they are not christians who don't celebrate christmas, but for some reasons i can imagine. I only pitty how these kids feel, watching their neigbours kill the goats,drink and dance to sweet hip life and raggae tunes while they just look on. The tear in their eyes could tell, could tell how they wish all was the same or better. So what are you doing? how do intend to make someone smile this xmas.You might have eaten a bowl of jollof with 2 fried chickens with one soft drink and still have more to go. HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF ANYONE? How about together we change the game of XMAS? Lets go to the clinics/hospitals

the prisons/cells

, home of the physically challenged

Hellooooooooo guys..Just look around, there is someone right beside you, surprise that person. A minute of your time alone can change a lot, Be A game Changer. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. this festive season, don't be 'selfish', invite or join someone, let that person feel your company #XMASREVOLUTION the spirit of game changers. It could be your immediate family, all they want is you

Make someone smile oooooooo!!!

BE A PART

THE FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE

Whenever I get hungry, I think of how valuable food process engineering is. It is not just a course but an experience of entrepreneurship. As far as man eats and drinks, there will always be an opportunity for a process engineer. What interests me the most is the attitude to redevelop an existing concept. Building on an old idea,product into a new concept to meet a demand. Food process engineering represents the art of innovation. An innovation that answers the questions? The questions that have to do with convenience, satisfaction and unending love for a particular product. Engineers solve problems, they make things work, as such the discipline of food process engineering harbours an inch of every other engineering discipline,economics,law, IT management, entrepreneurship, and a lot more. Travelling across Ghana, I have realised the importance of this discipline to consumers. Virtually every community has a processing site. In some areas, palm oil processing is the dominant activity, interestingly the indigenes focus on how to fully utilise their raw material by processing the kernels into oil, shells as a source of heat and the fibre as door mat. Some areas produce salt on a small scale,package it nicely and distribute. Akpeteshie producers are no different and couple of products like the famous 'sobolo' and 'burkina' are all produced on a small scale, using the same principle of food processing. The question that boggles most people is;What can the food process Engineer do differently from the local processing methods? The food process engineer first and foremost study the current processing mechanism and designs a better plant to process the same material;from the raw material to a packaged product. He identifies the challenges with the old system and solve those challenges,He designs the system such that efficiency is optimum. All these measures are adopted to ensure that optimization is KEY,low cost but highly efficient. The engineer sees beyond the immediate product, he moves further to refine one product from the other, this is applicable because he is thought to understand the physical and chemical property of every material. The food process engineer applies his knowledge in microbiology to ensure that the food is highly safe,free from any micro-organism;by sterilizing the equipment at the appropriate temperatures and pasteurizing the food to kill all micro-organisms,especially disease causing organisms. Thus sanitation is very important to a food process engineer.Safety is not compromised at all, as a food process engineer, safety is a major factor that is unavoidable, safety of the entire plant and every unit is of prime interest. In some cases, he designs his own equipment when the need arises using the right material. What else about the plant? Is it Quality Assurance or Stastical analysis?Just ask the food process engineer. Above all these qualities, a food process engineer exhibits other positive mental attitude such as punctuality,diligence,hard work,good leadership skills that translate in every other activity. What fascinates most people the more is the versatility of a food process engineer. He is competent enough to work in any other discipline and excels at it. Be it a pharmaceutical industry, Bank, Petroleum industry,just mention it. Indeed FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING IS AN EXPERIENCE to live.