As the saying goes; in order to become a strong person, you need to rub shoulders with strong or great people and also interact with professionals and moguls in a career or a chosen field of study you aspire to get into. This and many other reasons has made it necessary for students to go on 'attachments' or internships to bridge the gap between what they study at school and how things are actually done practically in the job market. This has made it essential for students to apply to various companies or organisations expressing their desire to do internship with them to enable them gain some work experience and see how work is done properly since they just know the theory aspects but have no ideas in terms of the practical aspects.
But the main purpose of internships are being overlooked these days as students end up gaining little or no knowledge from the various organisations they applied to as they become 'errands boys or girls' for the staff during working hours to get one item or the other hence interns don't actually get the opportunity to see and learn anything as 'sending them on errands' prevents them from achieving their main purpose.
A few interns I interacted with regarding how their internships went got me hearing the same things over and over. Most complained bitterly of how they had no opportunity to see 'everything' relating to how work goes on in the organisation to even acquire any practical knowledge which would enable them to further ask questions for clarification. Others also complained about how they were ill - treated by some of the staff and also a few also complained about how some staff in the organisations they found themselves at shredded their day to day responsibilities since the interns were around to 'bail' them out. The worst of them all thought it was a waste of time and human resources without getting anything in return.
Hmmmmms (sighing) this is just too much and needs to be reviewed. Internship is a necessary component of the educational process which gradually ushers the student in to the career or job market and also helps them to have a feel of a typical work environment so that they know what to expect when they find themselves in certain positions.
Internships are an integral part of the educational process therefore measures need to be put in place to eschew any negative act that will discourage students from having hands on practical knowledge. I look forward to see an improvement in our educational sector which will further promote growth and development in all sectors of the economy.
The deadline for Ghana's migration from analogue to digital platform is December 2014 and it just dawned on me that the International Telecommunications Union(ITU)'s deadline for the analogue to digital migration is 2015. Which means that sooner than later, all analogue tv's must be flashed out of Ghana and any other countries that haven't migrated yet. This has deemed it necessary to introduce set-top boxes or better still decoders into the Ghanaian market to enable tv viewers to never miss up on any of their favourite tv programmes. The migration is going to offer an improved spectrum efficiency as compared to the analogue and also enhance the Sound and video quality and even increase program choices as well as give Tv fans nothing but the best.
This indicates that Tv viewers will require Tv sets with the capability to receive digital television signals transmitted according to the set standards that is the Integrated Digital Tv (IDTv). But viewers who have got analogue tv's will require special set top boxes or receivers in order to watch free to air tv.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) have released certain specifications and all television stations operating in Ghana with similar licenses will have to migrate before the deadline December 2014.
But come to think of it my main problem here is that although something of this sort is about to happen, no advertisements or any form of education is going on to inform the ordinary Ghanaian who has no idea about stuffs like this or better still that man in a remote village some where in some rural part of Ghana get know or understand what is going on when the analogue system is finally 'switched off'?
The Adomi bridge which is a 'middleman' between Accra,some parts of the Eastern,northern and the volta region was closed to enable renovation and servicing of the bridge. The 338 kilometres stretched bridge has been closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic because the bridge which links the northern,eastern and volta regions to the south allowed movement of all kinds of vehicles ranging from saloon cars, , urvans, pickups, long/heavy vehicles and buses of all sizes etc. and it is being estimated that over about 4000 cars of all sizes ply the bridge on a daily bases therefore,pressures from these automobiles as well as humans has deemed it necessary to renovate the bridge in order to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Beneath the bridge is no other than the largest man made lake (artificial) in West Africa, the volta lake with its serene environs and its rich aquatic life and beautiful landscape. Whenever one finds it necessary to getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, of course lodging in one of the hotels or guest houses along the volta lake wouldn't be a bad idea. Before the closure of the bridge, most food crops and goods were been transported to the south and the north respectively by means of the road thus; the Adomi bridge but due to the closure, the lake has become the major means of transportation In addition,the lake serves as a source of employment avenue for the indigens as they are mostly fisher folks. Also, since major staple crops in Ghana are grown in the north, they are being transported to the south after harvesting by pontoons or ferries via the lake and also crops grown in the south are also transported to the north via the lake as well. This explains how vital the bridge was till it's closure but hey! we need not fret because it's for a good cause.
Although news on the closure of the bridge brought about fear, worry and confusion on the part of the hawkers as they thought business will slow down and goods won't be purchased by travellers (travellers normally make stopovers at the Adomi bridge) drivers also had their fair share as they were unsure of the diversions or alternative routes the Roads and Transport Ministry proposed. But fortunately, it isn't as worse as they anticipated as a more convenient way has been introduced to convey humans, animals, goods and services and surprisingly vehicles too across the volta lake to ease the transportation problems - The Ferry! It is such a wonderful sight to behold when the ferry is transporting passengers And iit's so awesome seeing about 10 vehicles drive into a ferry and watch as it carries the vehicles as well as hawkers and animals across the lake at a snap of one's fingers.Simply put, the ferry is 'standing in' for the bridge till renovations are over. The ferries dock at a town called New-Akrade therefore, vehicles approaching from Accra drive to New Akrade and drive into the ferry with passengers still on board.
Unfortunately, there are only two ferries currently operating and the question is can this two stand up to the demands of the people? Two ferries cannot service a very busy business district where over 5000 people cross to and fro to attend to one duty call or the other absolutely not. A quick measure should be put in place to suffice the situation.
Aside the movement of commuters, goods and services, and the hustle and bustle,one can see families enjoying boat rides on the lake and just having a good time. In fact, New Akrade has become like a tourist attraction site as a lot of Ghanaians travel from their homes just to come see the ferry and to cross to the other side of the lake. Another thing that caught my attention was the proliferation of photographers who kept asking anybody whether they wanted a shot and an instant print of the pictures as it was so obvious the scenery was so tempting no one can resist taking shots near the lake. I was so fascinated that I forgot to find out more about the safety measures that have been put in place in case of an emergency.
Aside everything, my trip was very fun, successful and interesting. I even wish the two years time frame being predicted as the duration for the renovation can be extended a bit more so we can have and experience as many 'ferry rides' as possible. Wait a minute! Am even contemplating on calling my blog a travel blog. Hahahahaha.*wink*
Technology keeps advancing day in and day out making things that seemed impossible at first very possible now.
Not only has technology had impact in our businesses, industries, factories or schools but even in our homes and our foods; thus the introduction of The Genetically Modified Foods(GMO) and even on our crops; the plant breeders bill which is still being discussed by the legislature.
Ghanaians enjoy a great variety of delicacies some easy and less stressful to prepare but others very stressful and time consuming Hence, technology came in at the right time to ease the burdens and the stress. One of the most loved and cherished dish by most people here in Ghana and happens to be prepared during special events or occasions (not that it can't be eaten everyday) when friends and families come together is the Fufu. Fufu is a delicacy extracted from cooked cassava and is mostly enjoyed with light soup,palm nut soup or even groundnut soup. The only difficult thing during the preparation of fufu is the pounding of the entire cassava into fufu.
One must be careful enough and pound firmly else, the fufu might turn out lumpy and that won't make it appetising and attractive. Pounding the cassava is greatly disliked by many as it is stressful and requires so much strength and energy. It is such an irony that a lot of people dodge the pounding but prefer to do the eating lol.Thanks to technology, the fufu pounding machine has been introduced yeeeeeeeeaaaaahhh.
The first time I got to know of the existence of the fufu pounding machine was about two years ago I was so overwhelmed and thought: this is really going to ease the burden off fufu lovers since they won't have to go through the inconvenience of pounding. I had never seen one and didn't even know how it worked though but I believed it was a good thing that had come to stay.
Finally,I got to see a fufu pounding machine and it was on the day of my cousin's traditional marriage ceremony. Fufu became the most sought after delicacy by the guests although there were many other Ghanaian dishes. More guests kept trooping in and kept ordering for fufu. The people in charge of 'food affairs' decided to prepare more fufu so that more can be available for everyone to have their fill. Just when they were thinking of what to do, a guest approached 'the people in charge of food affairs' and suggested to them to transport the cooked cassava to a place where a fufu pounding machine is available so as to save time and energy.
An arrangement was made and a car carried a whole basin of cooked cassava to the place. As nosy and curious as I was, I wanted to know everything about the fufu pounding machine. There was a queue and we joined. Frankly speaking, it took less than 15 minutes for the machine to crush the entire cassava into fufu. I was so impressed and kept beaming and grinning and stared ,gaping like a villager who had seen something fascinating for the first time. It was our turn finally and our cassava was poured into the machine. I realised for the first time that the young man controlling the machine had to keep putting his hands into the fufu every now and then to feel the texture. Goshhhhhhh!!! what the heck??? All the smiles died from my face and suddenly, I became so disappointed and stared in awe as he kept removing the fufu without any gloves on from the machine into our basin. OMG!!! I lost appetite instantly and swallowed hard in discomfort. I couldn't wait to leave the scene and kept wondering if the machine was even washed or cleaned daily or from time to time. Could the fufu pounding machine be a blessing or a curse to us; inspite of the fact that it is convenient, can we trust it hygienically? Its up to us to either go through the stress by using the mortar and pestle or go in for 'the convenient' one, the fufu pounding machine.
I don't mean to say pounding fufu in a mortar is more hygienic than the fufu pounding machine. All I want to do is to caution us when we are deciding on which of the options to go in for. I don't mean to scare or discourage anybody . I am just
alerting us all to take precaution.
You know how funny it is when you pretend to be brave and strong but fear keeps looking you straight in the eye and keeps reminding you of its presence and existence.
My friends organized a trip to Nzulezu, a village built on silt in the Western Region of Ghana. As excited as I was, I couldn't wait for the day to come since I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about how the people of Nzulezu lived and how they went about their daily routines.
The day finally came for the much anticipated trip to Nzulezu and we set off from Accra at exactly 6:00am so we can arrive early and meet the people, socialise,have fun and view their beautiful sceneries and landscape. I was beaming with smiles and anxious to get to Beyin, the town in which Nzulezu is located. We covered so many kilometres yet Beyin wasn't in sight.
I started losing interest in the trip in the fourth hour of our journey since it became so tiring and my back hurt terribly and to add insult to injury, the roads were in a very bad state. The other members of the group started complaining of tiredness but come to think of it if we those just sitting comfortably are complaining of tiredness how much more the driver who is performing an action-driving. After it seemed like 'forever', we got to Beyin finally around2:46pm.
I became a bit relieved but we had about an hour and half more to go in order get to our final destination- Nzulezu. We the paid the fare for the canoe ride at the reception where life jackets were given to us and a tour guide assigned to us. Finally l had this mixed feelings of excitement and fear. As this was my first time travelling on water I didn't know what to expect but as curious as I was, I couldn't be bothered. We finally sat in the canoe and it felt so normal and fun in the beginning. We kept chatting and admiring nature.
There were so many different plant species and the environment was so serene. It looked like we were in a tropical rain forest. All of a sudden, the excitement died down when we got to the widest part of the water and when you looked to your left or right, nothing was in sight and no voices could be heard except that of birds chirping and the water rushing violently as if it was competing against Usain Bolt in a race.
Fear gripped me and the other members since the water was so large and our canoe looked like an object on a huge water body. I only soliloquied "didn't you say you loved adventures? Now you've got it" My colleagues became so silent that none was willing to turn their necks or even chat due to their fear. We finally got to the village built on silt-Nzulezu and it was a beautiful sight to behold. It was surprising to see houses built of bamboo and wood and to see people go about their daily chores on water. It taught me one thing; to appreciate what ever I had.
The people led normal lives and I was even shocked to see a satellite dish on top of one of the roofs. It made me smile to myself and I thought they also need to enjoy. The inhabitants of Nzulezu are a little over 600 and they had a school and church on the water as well. It was disheartening to know that teachers refused posting to Nzulezu and the people are left to their fate. Yet, students at Nzulezu will sit the same exams as students in Accra and this is so unfair. The people had to paddle their canoes to neighbouring towns to get items they need or seek medical attention when they are ill. I saw a little boy about the age of 7 paddling a canoe to Nzulezu and the most shocking of all -a heavily pregnant woman paddling a canoe to Nzulezu. It was obvious she was from town. Say, she is in labour how quick can they take her accross the river to a hospital to be delivered of the baby ? Finally it was time to leave back to Accra.
The trip to Nzulezu was not only adventurous but inspiring too. It taught me to be content with what I have and make the best out of any opportunity that come my way since not all people have the opportunities I have. All fingers are unequal.
.jpg)
.jpg)
