Shaping what Barcamp Tema 2013 will be #bctema
The very first +Barcamp Tema happened on October 27, 2012 at the Central University College (CUC) campus, just outside Tema. Some students from CUC had attended Barcamp Ghana 2011 and were enthused about the event. So their wish to have a Barcamp at their school and the GhanaThink Foundation's want to have a Barcamp for Tema gave birth to this event. The Barcamp went well, we had over 150 attendees who networked and continue to build together. 31 students from Keta Secondary Technical School (Ketasco) attended the event and their experience led to us partnering on a mentoring event at their school and the start of the Junior Camp Ghana initiative. We wanted to do some work around Tema's communities but that never took off. I'm believing Barcamp Tema 2013 would ensure this starts after August.
Go on - barcamptema13.eventbrite.com :-)
Would leave you with this great song from Chemphe
It was very important to have Barcamp Tema happen in Tema proper this time. The Tema-based tertiary institutions are not big enough to host the numbers we want. Hotels are expensive venues and haven't traditionally worked for us in getting good numbers to an event. After looking through some venues, we've been able to strike a partnership with the Rotaract Club of Tema to use the Rotary Centre. I love that venue and am more excited about this Barcamp because of the venue. Hope it attracts a lot of Tema youth to the event. We didn't have a good number of Tema based residents at Barcamp Tema 2012 and I hope we change that this time. I'd not love for Accra to beat out Tema for this one.
The theme chosen is "Building new industries for our communities". Many people know Tema is home to many music stars in Ghana now - R2Bees, Sarkodie, EL, Chemphe, Stay Jay, Dr. Cryme, etc. Many Tema youth want to get into the entertainment industry as a result. Chemphe spoke at Barcamp Tema and due to his social conscious songs, he was a great choice for us. Is the Barcamp environment ready for musicians? It was born ready. It's important to create the same excitement and entreprises for new industries out of various communities. Not community 1, 2, and 3 per say, but communities of interest - engineering, fashion, agriculture, etc. Let's bring Tema as an industrial city into a new age of youth-led industry and entreprise.
Tema is an interesting town when it comes to youth. It doesn't have a standout university within its confines. Many young people in Tema work in Accra. Many teenagers go to secondary school elsewhere. The community spirit is breaking down with the years with less and less community-driven youth programs and events. Hence, it's tough to assemble Tema youth on a Saturday for programs like a Barcamp. Because of entertainment energy, it's not tough to assemble youth for a social event. Someone can correct me if I am wrong :-) So that's another challenge. Short of sending invitation letters to Tema-based high schools and colleges, tertiary institutions, youth and church groups, how else to get the attention of young Tema folks? Adom FM no dey anymore. Pravda FM is there. I am beginning to like YFM a lot more as I personally tune off all the 'ka bi ma menka bi' plenty talk on local radio. So them too. They do play music which is as synonymous with Tema these days too. They are also in the business of empowering youth more these days.
The theme chosen is "Building new industries for our communities". Many people know Tema is home to many music stars in Ghana now - R2Bees, Sarkodie, EL, Chemphe, Stay Jay, Dr. Cryme, etc. Many Tema youth want to get into the entertainment industry as a result. Chemphe spoke at Barcamp Tema and due to his social conscious songs, he was a great choice for us. Is the Barcamp environment ready for musicians? It was born ready. It's important to create the same excitement and entreprises for new industries out of various communities. Not community 1, 2, and 3 per say, but communities of interest - engineering, fashion, agriculture, etc. Let's bring Tema as an industrial city into a new age of youth-led industry and entreprise.
Tema is an interesting town when it comes to youth. It doesn't have a standout university within its confines. Many young people in Tema work in Accra. Many teenagers go to secondary school elsewhere. The community spirit is breaking down with the years with less and less community-driven youth programs and events. Hence, it's tough to assemble Tema youth on a Saturday for programs like a Barcamp. Because of entertainment energy, it's not tough to assemble youth for a social event. Someone can correct me if I am wrong :-) So that's another challenge. Short of sending invitation letters to Tema-based high schools and colleges, tertiary institutions, youth and church groups, how else to get the attention of young Tema folks? Adom FM no dey anymore. Pravda FM is there. I am beginning to like YFM a lot more as I personally tune off all the 'ka bi ma menka bi' plenty talk on local radio. So them too. They do play music which is as synonymous with Tema these days too. They are also in the business of empowering youth more these days.
On Saturday, August 10, let's assemble at the Tema Rotary Centre to learn, share, network and discuss how to build new industries for our communities. Barcamp Tema 2013 is a totally free event. You must register to attend or sign-in upon attending. You could even see those who've already registered. And submitting to popular request, we'd be serving banku and tilapia as a lunch option. Register and indicate you want that :-)
Go on - barcamptema13.eventbrite.com :-)
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