MEET KILOS OSEI OWUSU BANAHENE-THE MAN WITH A MAGICAL TOUCH

 Many walk through life with their faces up high and it makes you wonder if life has always been a bed of roses for them and yes whiles some were born with golden spoons in their mouths, some had to go through thick and thin or survival of the fittest in the slums or ghettos to claim a spot and in those places and the likes are where we get motivated and  live inspired more by stories of people who in spite of their poor backgrounds, fought their ways out sticking to a passion and love for something worth dying for and it is in one of such stories that  a man called KILOS OSEI OWUSU BANAHENE was born.

From a family of six, he is the first of his siblings. In his early days, he had his basic school education in New Tafo Baptist school international in Kumasi, his high education was with Kumasi technical Institute were he read carpentry and joinery.

Well isn’t it quite ironic how he got this magic of turning everything into gold?

Well, in the later part of his technical education, he fell in love, not what you are thinking obviously though but with computers..He discovered that he could use the computer as a tool to create films as he was doing basic photo and video editing. The love and fellowship grew stronger so he started working passionately and learning tirelessly to be better in the art. In his ghetto he started an office working for people in Kumasi. He later moved to OM Studios to work when someone saw his skills, magic and creativity

I want to assure you that if you can make your passion your profession, it does not matter your location, you could be in the slums and be swapped to the Flag Staff House, be in the ghetto and rise to the top but without making known your love, passion and skills, you can be in USA and be ‘useless’, be in the UK and not be ‘ok’, be in Poland and never be ‘polished’, be in France and still not be ‘frank’.

Whatever worthwhile work you lay your hands on, employ your zest and agility and deploy the best of your ability. Strive for the best, get better and you will thrive. Polish and publish and you will be heard, seen and recognized. Polish and publish.Make what you do known and you will be known for your works.

Today, he is the founder and CEO of  inFocos GH, He is a film maker, video journalist and television content producer. He has been in and out of the country many times on several projects working with big names like Oj, Ohemah Mercy, Cece Twum, Nacy ,Nii Okai, Josh Larye, Bernice Offie and many big names in the arts industry .Just in case you did not know, the music videos ‘maye se mup3n’ by Oj and ‘it’s by grace’ by Bernice Offie are his magical touch and master pieces by all standard in recent memory.

I can only agree with Gamel Sankarl when he said “You may currently be operating in a hole out of the whole world’s view. But if and only if you are wholeheartedly doing something right, someone will spot you right where you are and bring you right before the whole world’s view. Keep doing the right things the right way and the right people will help you claim your right spot at the right time” and the story of this young man proves it all.

Contact him via various mediums

https://www.youtube.com/user/inFocosGH

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STOP THE BLAME AND BE THE CHANGE

A lot has been said about our attitudes and characters as a people. We always want to be at the receiving end of the story where the rewards are mouth watering and where the story is always successful. Everybody wants to be a part of what is said to be good, better or best but just when things turn soar or begin to fall apart, or when there is a form of mistake in the process, you will see a long queue of fingers pointing to the easiest of prey as to who started it all.

I want to share a story with you to get you inspired.

Once upon a time, there were four good friends in a village called Azizakpo. These friends were by name Kofi, Lebene, Musa and Nii. Azizakpo was very far away from any land and it was all they ever had and knew till they heard of the nicest place of this world full of gold, diamonds and other precious gems and stones. This land flows with milk and honey and has the best of vegetation with the best of flowers and thousand beautiful birds of all kinds. The land has the best of everything one can dream of, it was paradise itself.

This land was called ‘Boshe-Krom’ but it was also said that no man has ever been there or ever lived on this land for it was a new discovery on planet earth. With all the best things the land has to offer them and the excitement that thrilled and filled them, they will not back down but make history they mused and said to each other. These four best friends had a meeting and deliberated on the possibility of moving from Azizakpo to this promised land ‘Boshe-Krom’ and they all came to an agreement to do all it will take to get there so they can better their lives with the richness and resources not only for themselves but a lasting legacy for many more generations after them.

 A ship passes by Azizakpo village once in ten years and they were very sure they could make the trip in the next full moon per their calendar and calculus calculations and they will have to be on the watch by the first day of the moon which was a market day away and they needed to get preparations done on time. On the day of travel however, their only task was to keep watch and keep an eye to the passing of the ship so they could embark on this journey of a life time change to their livelihoods.

Kofi was sure Lebene would do it. Musa could have done it but it ended up that neither friend did it, before they realised, they missed the only ship that could have taken them to their promised land and they missed the one opportunity to make history. Somebody got angry about that because it was everybody’s job. Everybody thought anybody could do it but nobody realised that Everybody would not do it.

It ended up that Kofi blamed Musa, Musa blamed Lebene and Lebene blamed Nii. This was a simple job that could have been done by anybody among the four friends and now they would have to wait for perhaps another ten long years to again plan.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

When something goes wrong in our families, our places of worship, in the communities, in our districts, in our municipalities ,in our regions, in our countries and even in our world of businesses, we are always quick to point fingers and apportion blames to people, we are always looking for someone or somebody to blame, snare and pour out our frustrations and angers on, but if  anybody can just turn  him/herself in for  responsibility and leadership for responsiveness, anybody  anywhere can take a clue and learn from somebody’s experience and everybody can emulate and  carry the mantle of leadership and responsibility to carry us all to the next level and nobody will be responsible for our misfortunes. The devil will always expect that we push the rest to him so to boost his ego but I tell you this, even the devil is tired of our irresponsible acts as human for always pushing things down his throat to swallow.

Let us not forget that nobody will come from anywhere to solve our problems. God will not do for man what man can do for himself. Let us be disciplined and tolerant enough towards a common agenda and work as a team to get things done on time so we can all push to the limit and get to our promised land to make things better than we came to meet it, let live and take decisions that will shape better futures tomorrow and the generations after us, let’s not live selfishly for ourselves but have the futures of our children and grand children at heart in any given decision we make today.

We cannot afford to fail our generation with same character and attitude possessed by our grand fathers and fathers, dare to be different and take up the mantle of leadership and excellence, be noble in your acts like Nelson Mandela, be courageous in character like Dr Kwame Nkrumah, be peaceful like Prof John Evans Atta Mills, be strong willed like Mohammed Ali and stand out like Martin Luther King jnr.

Stop the blame and be the change you wish to see, let this world get better because you lived in it, let generations speak of your actions as though you lived even today.

NOBLE ACTS OF PATRIOTS

He made up his mind that in 6 years, he would return to Ghana (his home) with something valuable. He had no idea what that something was, though. He only knew he had to bring
something, and that ‘something’ has to be something valuable.

It was his definite decision. The year was 1870. The time was early morning. The venue was a
village. It was somewhere in Ghana, where a man was destined to make history.

On this said day, this man would travel. But, before then, he would exchange embraces with his family, he would bid the goodbyes and he would leave.

He would travel to Fernando Po (renamed Bioko), in Equitorial Guinea, where he would work and alongside searching for his ‘something valuable’ (to return to Ghana).

His name was Tetteh Quarshie; and his passion was told to be farming! He was the man who introduced cocoa to Ghana (of course the very first Ghanaian who even thought of that).

He travelled to the Island of Fernando Po in 1870 and retured to Ghana in 1876.
6 years!

How this man managed to ‘smuggle’ those cocoa seeds into Ghana bears a different story that shall be told by my
children (possibly). He was a man of a deeper spirit of a patriot!

I tell you, the benefits this country has amassed (and still amassing) from the valuable Tetteh Quarshie brought to
Ghana far surpasses that of Alladin’s genie. Riches untold! His positive action (I mean, of ‘smuggling’ the cocoa seeds into Ghana), has bore many fruits; fruits that has serviced Ghana and Ghanaians for decades!

Ghana began cocoa exportation in 1891. And since then, we have earned the good name as one of the major cocoa exporters in the world. The credit goes to Tetteh Quarshie!  His positive action changed the destiny of this country! (Forever).

Permit me to ask. Is there any 'Tetteh Quarshie' in Ghana today? Are there youth who share semblance in acts with him? A youth who share same character trait as he? We need more of such men in Ghana. Men whose positive actions would contribute to the progress of our nation.

A Japenese youth would travel abroad with a single shirt at his back (with his single trouser to wear), and his luggage (a school bag) strapped to his back. He would go to America (or any other place that is abroad to him including Ghana), with the determination no so unlike Tetteh Quarshie and copy something of value there to his home country-Japan. They literally ‘copy’ systems (businesses, ideas) from elsewhere and ‘paste’ it in Japan. And as to whether their attitude has helped Japan to progress or not, you will have to tell me.

Same can be said of the Chinese youth! He cares less about temporal possessions (when he travels abroad). He cares more about things that
will foster personal improvement and national progress.

Flip it to our side of the world and you will know that a whole book can be written about the Ghanaian youth in diaspora. He is so unlike the Japanese or the Chinese youth. To him, self-progress (and national
progress) should be deleted from the Maslow’s theory.
He would travel abroad, and his valuable may be an ‘american accent’. Add laptops, phones, ipads, baggy jeans, shoes, american hairs et al.

Quite a problem. Don’t you think so?

Well, when my friend Steve Amoako decided to travel abroad for his long vacation, I only adviced him to learn from the Japanese and the.Chinese youth. I asked to him to ‘copy’ something of value from abroad (akin to that of Tetteh Quarshie), so we can ‘paste’ in Ghana upon his return.

Who knows? Maybe, he can ‘copy’ how to process cocoa into useful ends for exportation.



CREDIT: Kofi Arkoh.
Author of 'A Memo to the Ghanaian Youth'

SHOWING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AT WORK.

What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate  effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse
conflict.
When it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as intellectual intelligence (IQ)
Emotional intelligence impacts many different aspects of your daily life, such as the way you behave and the way you interact with others.
If you have high emotional intelligence you are able to recognize your own emotional state and the emotional states of others, and engage with people in a way that draws them to you.
You can use this understanding of emotions to relate better to other people, form healthier relationships, achieve greater success at work, and lead a more fulfilling life.
Prov. 3:3-4
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck  as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. 4 Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.
CREDIT: DEMAY ALABI

YOU ARE A MASTER PIECE

Your birth maybe surrounded by hype of unfortunate circumstances, challenges and issues that gets you drained out. You might have felt or be feeling ‘USELESS’ as a person. People might have written you off but your come back will get them on their feets with a standing ovation, you will receive a royal welcome on a golden carpet and you will be celebrated.

Dear friend reading, your birth was no mistake or calamity, and your life is no coincidence of nature. Your parents may not have planned you but GOD did. He was not flabbergasted by your birth for as a matter of fact, he expected it. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God, he thought of you first, it’s not destiny, nor chance, nor some luck, nor was it a fluke that you are breathing at this very tick.

You are alive because God wanted to create you and he prearranged every detail of your body. He wisely choose your race, the color of your skin, your hair color and type, your face and every other details you can think of. God customized calculatingly your body stature, your height and size and deposited in you, your natural abilities or talents you would possess as well as the uniqueness of your personality.

God made you for a reason and he decided when you would be born, where you would be born and how long you would live, He planned the days of your existence in advance for a reason. Your race and nationality are no accidents; he left no detail to chance.

Dear friend, it was in God’s plans long before you and I ever existed that today and this very minute, you would be reading this, so what makes you think you are an accident and you are just not worth it?

God created you for a key purpose, a key solution to a problem, a savior of your family, society, country and the world, you are fearfully, wonderfully and uniquely made; you are an image of your father in heaven, he designed you, hand formed you, breath into you and gave you life, you are not ordinary but a master piece from a royal bloodline. You are who God says you are, not inferior, not a curse but a blessing and certainly not an accident. Don’t count yourself out and cast not yourself down with human definitions about you, all is working for your good.

You may not have been treated fairly over the years and you certainly had had thoughts of doubts before but now you know better, you are in that family for a reason, you are in that school for a reason, you are in that company for a reason, you are in that pain for a reason, it is to fulfill the purpose of God for your life, don’t forget who you are; a master piece not an inferior or an accident.

Live inspired,step up and keep up,your top is sure!

HAVE I LOST MY GIRLFRIEND TO ANOTHER MAN?

For years now have had a very promising and "perfect" relationship with my partner. She means a lot to me. We have both come a long way from our days in the University through to my National Service in Wa, Upper West Region and hers at the Ministry of Communications, Accra. We have shown we are capable and been at the admiration of many of our friends. 

However, not too long ago, I almost gave up on our investment of love and courtship. A lot of things were happening and I felt I was losing her cos she wasn't caring anymore and was not showing any concern on the things we both program and planned. 

                          

Our communication began rattling to insults and our love tales caught fire of anger, doubts and ingratitude. At the night I took a phone to call off the relationship that has lasted for years, her phone was off. We haven’t spoken for barely a week now and it was actually on my throats cos I felt she was giving lot of attention, care, love, excitement and concern to someone else. In fact I was losing her. I called some few friends and told them about my decision but they all didn't sound convincing to me.

In my impatient mood that night, a friend sent me a WhatsApp chat which coincided with my thoughts. I was really shocked and broken down. This was how the message read:

Dave and Clara have been married for over nine years without children. They stayed with each other and hoped that they will have a child before their 10th year of marriage because they were being persuaded by family and some friends to get a divorce but they couldn't let go because of the love between them.

Months passed...by and while Dave was returning from work one day, he saw his wife walking down the road with a man and they looked happy.

Another evening, while Dave was coming back from work, he saw the same man drop her off at the house. Dave became angry and sad. Two days later, after a hectic day at work, Dave was taking water with a glass jug when the phone rang. He picked it up and the person said ‘hello dear, I’ll be coming to your house this evening to see you as promised. I hope .....’’and the Dave hung up the phone. It was a male voice. He was sure the person was the man he had seen with his wife. He suddenly became shaky with this thought, ‘’have I lost my wife to another man?’’ At that point, the glass jug fell from his hand and shattered into pieces.

Then Clara came running into the room asking, ‘’is everything okay?’’ In anger he gave his wife a push and she fell. She wasn't moving or getting up.

Dave then realized that she fell where he broke the glass jug and a large piece of glass has pierced her. He felt her breath, pulse and heartbeat but there she lay lifeless. His wife was dead. In total confusion, he saw an envelope in her hand. He took it, opened it and was shocked by its content. It was a letter and it reads:

‘’ My loving husband, words cannot express how I feel, so i had to write it down. I have been going to see a doctor for over a week and wanted to be sure before I give you the news. The doctor confirmed it that I am pregnant with a twin and our babies are due in 7 months from now. The doctor also happen to be my long last brother whom I lost contact with after our marriage. He has promised to take care of me and our babies and give us the best without collecting a dime. He also promised to have dinner with us today. Thanks to you for standing by me.....your loving wife.”

As the letter fell from Dave’s hand, there was a knock at the door and it was the same man he had seen with his wife... and he said ......’’ hello Dave, I suppose am right, am Max, your wife’s brother.....’’And suddenly he noticed his sister in the pool of her blood... he rushed her to his hospital but it was too late, his sister, Dave’s wife was gone and so were the twins.

After I had read the message, my conscience couldn't stop judging me. I broke into tears. Suddenly my phone ranged and it was her call, but I couldn't answer. I ranged back sounding sorry. She told me how much she misses me and her reason for being lukewarm for some time in our relationship. I arrived at a discovery that, it was actually my faults and almost lost a nation in her. Honestly, that was the best night talking on phone after years of courting. I still miss that day. We spoke close to three hours and we both did not want to drop the call.

What is the point? I have come to learn that, in our relationships, which include our dates and marriages, we should not be too quick in reacting when we haven’t questioned our partner or spouse on what we saw, assume or heard about them.

Communication, Trust and Patience are rare gifts we can bring to our relationship.

Not everything we see, assume or hear or believe is right about them. And to every man or woman, I pray that patience will have her perfect stay in you that you may be perfect and wanting nothing because patience is that great virtue you need to keep your relationship.

CREDIT:Daniel Nana Kwame Asare