Barcamp Ho chalks 5 years of impact and successful #bcho projects

I'll be going to Ho for the 6th time this weekend. This will be the 5th time for +Barcamp Ho, I've attended every single Barcamp in #HoCity. The other time I was in the capital of the Volta region, I was attending the funeral of the late Eli Aidam, one of the Barcamp Ho co-founders. We miss him, one of the true young heroes of Ghana. He'll be proud of what we've achieved with Barcamp Ho, especially +Junior Camp Ghana. The current team continues to do a great job, led by +Courage Christson Tetteh. +Gameli Adzaho is still there to give advice and support to others like +Elvis Bomasah +Ousman Saidy +Courage ES +Mark Hammond +Precious Adade and +Harry Akligoh. We need to mention folks like +Eric Tackie Tawiah Ankrah and +Shika Brown as well. The team needs some awesome ladies though, like +Rachel Hormeku and +Senam Aseye Bridget who are part of the +Barcamp Ghana team alongside +kofi yeboah +Leonard Hagan and +Kobe Subramaniam. I'm looking forward to this Barcamp, and the joys of being in Ho around this time. After all, +Party Crew was bloodied, ahem, baptized in Ho. +Seyram Freddy Ahiabor +Ali Bukari Maiga +Donald Ward +David Nikoi will tell you, and +Eyram Tawia and +Nehemiah Attigah will attest. As for +Francis Addai? He's the life of the party! He even met +Mabel Blankson at a Barcamp. Learning, sharing, networking.... continue. You're not coming to Barcamp Ho? Ekekevor! Read more about it below.

Barcamp Ho 2015 is a free networking forum bringing people together to learn, share and network. It is on October 24, 2015 at the University of Health and Allied Sciences Campus (UHAS) Auditorium, Ho. The theme is "Youth as leaders of community development". Barcamp Ho 2015 follows 50 successful BarCamps in Ghana organized by the GhanaThink Foundation as part of its Barcamp Ghana program. Gameli Adzaho, Barcamp Ho co-founder said, “The BarCamp Ho deserves commendation for fashioning out a unique event that connects young entrepreneurs and innovators from the Volta region and other parts of Ghana. It has provided a fertile nurturing ground for many brilliant initiatives, including +GhanaThink Foundation’s own programmes such as Junior Camp Ghana”.

The 5th Barcamp in Ho hopes to define and discuss how young people can be leaders of community development in Ho and beyond. Courage Tetteh, the Barcamp Ho coordinator opined, “The onus lies on youth to save society from the misery of mediocrity in every facet of community. The solution to the myriad of challenges around us can be diagnosed through idea exchange”. Information about Tigo’s Digital Changemakers competition in conjunction with Reach for Change will be shared. Courage continued, “I call on every youth in every corner of Ho and Volta Region to lead change in any small way they can. Youth are the Change; embrace the change".

The Barcamp will feature user-generated breakout sessions about topics relevant to the Volta Region and beyond. The speed mentoring session will have mentors giving insights and answers to questions from attendees. Some confirmed resource persons are +Mary Eyram Ashinyo (Medical Doctor), +Bright Dey (ICT Coordinator), +Akpablie King Nobert (Citi FM), +Dzidudu Darkey-Mensah (Playwright), +Prince Kotoko (Savana Signatures), +Solomon Yao-Say Selorm Adade (Dietician), +Mawuli Adzoe (Tech Entrepreneur), +leonard lumor (Chaufra Theatre Group), +Kwadwo Duodu (Daily Guide), +Cephas Kojo Jr Quarshie (Leadership coach), +Edwina Crankson (Winnies Cakes), King David Suitor (Wakeup Volta), +Bismark Tay (Leadership coach), +Kafui Adzah (CookHouse), etc.

Register/RSVP at the BarCamp Ho eventbrite website (barcampho15.eventbrite.com) or text "Barcamp Ho [name] [email address] to 1945 through any mobile network (example - Barcamp Ho Esi Eshun esi@eshun.co). Contact us via barcamp at www.ghanathink.org for sponsorship or partnership opportunities.

BarCamp Ho 2015 is supported by Tigo Ghana, Making All Voices Count, University of Health & Allied Sciences, LIFE-MAC Foundation, etc. Join us +GhanaThink Foundation to move the Volta Region and Ghana forward. Stay tuned via the #bcho hashtag. Stay tuned via our social media. Twitter | Facebook | Google+

Support as #ReubenRides across #Ghana fundraising for the Cleft Foundation

You might have seen #ReubenRides on social media. It's one of the coolest things happening in Ghana this year and more people need to know about this. 

On August 10^th, 2015, +Reuben Griffiths Bekoe laced his sneakers, pumped on his bicycle and started to ride across Ghana to raise money for the Ghana Cleft foundation as part of his action at home for the Latitude Global Volunteering, ICS where he volunteered for 10 weeks in Cape Coast. 

His cycling tour has taken him from Tarkwa to Takoradi to Cape Coast to Accra to Ho to Tamale and he is currently in Bolga. He's been taking pictures and selfies, posting on social media throughout his journey, ridden with +Wanlov Kubolor, been on the +Joy 99.7FM Super morning show, etc, getting featured by +cecilia amoafowaa sefa on her blog, etc. Remarkably, he's been taking videofies --- taking videos of himself as he's been riding! See a video montage from his Cape Coast to Accra trip.

Love on Wheels, #ReubenRides Cape Coast to Accra
Thank you everyone for making my Cape Coast to Accra ride possible. Check out what I have for you.
Posted by Reuben Griffiths Bekoe on Monday, September 21, 2015

He is taking this challenge of his life in honour of the children who are suffering from Cleft and his late parents Gustav Ayeh Bekoe & Margret Fosua Ayeh. Each one of these special children has survived cleft SURGERY because of their positive attitude and successful surgeries by the Ghana Cleft foundation funded by generous people like you. This is his first bicycle ride across the country and first of its kind in the country, it is his most memorable ride because of the courage and strength of these doctors, family and survivors of these surgeries behind him.

He attended +Barcamp Takoradi, mentored at +Barcamp Cape Coast and attended +Barcamp Bolga as well. Along his journey, he has met and been supported by many +GhanaThink Foundation members, like +Elvis Bomasah +herbert acheampong +Mohammed Muntasir Nashiru to name a few. He will be at +Barcamp Kumasi. We are having a Twitter chat for him tomorrow to support as well using the #ReubenRides hashtag. I think I came up with this hashtag :-)

Our part is easy, all we need to do is to commit to supporting and sponsoring him. His part is a little tougher, he has committed to raising 15,000 for the Ghana Cleft foundation by completing over 15,000 km across the country no matter how long it takes. 
Please donate as generously as you can by sending your donations to the Cleft foundation ECOBANK account number (0213074414843601) Harper Rd, Kumasi or to mobile money number (+Airtel Ghana #AirtelMoney) 0263161964/ (+Tigo Ghana #TigoCash) 0571500010. You can also support and donate online via Indiegogo.

Just in case you need a little extra motivation to sponsor him, here are some few reasons Reuben shares.

ü  Attached to the letter/mail is an approved letter from the Ghana Cleft foundation

ü  You can transform my bicycle into a money machine as I raise 100 a mile.

ü  Your donation closes a gap in the mouth of a cleft child and restores a smile. J

ü   The public can access comprehensive cleft information 24 hours, 7 days a week through the Ghana Cleft Foundation information number +233-27-520-1020 and website www.ghanacleftfoundation.org
ü   You will help me achieve my long-time dream of cycling across Ghana in supporting a charity.

Let's help as #ReubenRides around Ghana.  See another video he just posted yesterday as well. 

#ReubenRidesThanks everyone for how far we've come. I'm VERY HAPPY to say we reached our GHC 1000 today. As a way to say thank you, I have this video for you. Thanks for the love, support, donations, prayers & sharing my posts. We made it together. ***Send your donations to Ecobank A/C 0213074414843601 (Kumasi branch) or Airtel money number 0263161964 / tiGO cash 0571500010 or download groupins on playstore (Contact Jessica) ★igg.me/at/GFnH-h31Zoo★
Posted by Reuben Griffiths Bekoe on Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The second Barcamp in Bolgatanga - BarcampBolga is here!

It's early in the wee hours of Saturday morning. I've returned home after being at the Odadee Torch & Bonfire night at Presec. I was wearing a black +Barcamp Tema tshirt. Many Odadee recognized me but also recognised Barcamp. Branding. I am not unable to be at +Barcamp Bolga which happens today due to prior engagements and personal reasons. I am sad though. I really wanted to be at Barcamp Bolga for the team. But like I've told many people, the Barcamp will run smoothly without me. That's the mark of maturity. The +Barcamp Ghana team is taking leadership, spearheading #bcbolga through +kofi yeboah and +Leonard Hagan. +Rachel Hormeku and +Senam Aseye Bridget have done their part too, with +Kobe Subramaniam in the background. +Abdul Razak Dimbie and +Baawuo Gloria together with +Daniel Yakuba +Jon Mydaz and +Frank Bruce are making the second Barcamp Bolga happen, with support from +Joachim Danbo and +Enoch Robot Boy Appiah Junior.

The second Barcamp Bolga promises to be better than the first, +Reuben Griffiths Bekoe has ridden into town, and discovered a waakye map. There's more interest from young people around Bolgatanga and the Upper East region and more gender parity. Other +GhanaThink Foundation members like +Mohammed Muntasir Nashiru +Rukaya sukah +Karima Seidu +Antumwini Amos +Jaynie Micado +Joseph Osei Oppong-Brenya will be there as well. I'll be following the Barcamp via the #bcbolga hashtag, especially on Twitter. Read the press release below to learn more.

Barcamp Bolga 2015 is a free networking forum bringing people together for a day of discussion, demos and dialogue on Bolgatanga, Ghana and beyond. It takes place on October 10, 2015 at VAG Hall in Bolgatanga. The theme for this year is "Building partnership for development- the role of private enterprise". Frank Bruce, the coordinator for this second Barcamp in Bolga, said, “The first of its kind in the Upper East region, Barcamp Bolga has shown the way to connecting people with distinguished business leaders for a day of networking, mentorship, and ideas sharing for the development of Bolgatanga, the region while empowering residents particularly the youth to aspire to achieve”.

The GhanaThink Foundation has successfully organized 49 BarCamps in Ghana as part of its Barcamp Ghana program since 2008. BarCamp Bolga 2015 will be the 2nd of its kind and it will showcase of entrepreneurs and innovators in the Upper East region. Frank Bruce recalls, “Since we organised first Barcamp Bolga last year, the team have received overwhelmed response from participants as how our event has inspired them to be achievers and helped them to interact with business leaders in the region who on a regular day is hard to cross them and network

Leonard Hagan of the Barcamp Ghana team said "I'm excited about the second BarCamp to take place in Bolga. I hope this forum is better utilized by the tertiary students, young entrepreneurs and even the unemployed youth to gain ideas on how we can build stronger developmental partnerships. If Bolga for that matter our country will develop, it will take the strong developmental foundations we lay today(our ideas)”.

The 2015 Barcamp Bolga theme explores how the private sector in Bolgatanga and beyond can be active players in pursuing development in this region, especially as partners. Discussions will center on developing various business and industry sectors in Bolgatanga and the Upper East region. Frank Bruce continued, “This year promises to be even invigorating with an array of accomplished individuals in various fields of endeavour assembled to mentor the hearts and minds of participants to spur them for success. You can’t miss Barcamp Bolga 2015, looking forward to meeting you there.”

The Barcamp will feature multiple user-generated breakout sessions in topics relevant to the Upper East Region and beyond. There will be a speed mentoring session where mentors will give insights and answers to questions from attendees. Confirmed resource personnel include +Linda Atibilla (Social Entrepreneur), +Richard Azunre (Lecturer), Jonathan Atuah (Agribusiness), +Fati, Abigail Abdulai (Social Entrepreneur), +Hillary Adongo (Entrepreneur), Ibrahim Dabo (UDS Lecturer), +roger laari (Upright Consult), Joseph Kancha (Agribusiness), etc.

Register/RSVP at the BarCamp Bolga eventbrite website (barcampbolga15.eventbrite.com) or text "Barcamp Bolga [name] [email address] to 1945 through any mobile network (example - Barcamp Bolga Esi Eshun esi@eshun.com). Contact us via barcamp at www.ghanathink.org for sponsorship or partnership opportunities.

BarCamp Bolga 2015 is supported by Tigo Ghana, Making All Voices Count, etc.

Join us to move the Upper East Region and Ghana forward.  
Stay tuned via the #bcbolga hashtag.

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