The Vim Views & Versions - Blogs of a MIghTy African

Earlier this year, I was invited to speak at the National Science and Maths quiz  competition. This year, as part of the contests, Primetime, which organizes the  National Science and Mathz quiz  on TV, introduced a section where various people speak before the contests to motivate the Ghanaian senior high schools students as well as others present.  +Bubune Adih  who was part of the victorious Mfantsipim squad of 1999, spoke.  +Nana Awere Damoah  also spoke. The quizmistress  +Elsie Effah Kaufmann , who is a lecturer of the University of Ghana Legon, also took out some time to speak about her experiences. I was the last person in the series of speakers, speaking just before the semi-finals happened on July 2, 2015. Interestingly, Presec, my alma mater, competed in the first semi-final. I was there at the R.S. Amegashie auditorium to watch  Presec   compete . Unfortunately, we lost to Adisadel that day , who in turn lost out on th...

Earlier today, I attended my first ever National Science & Maths quiz (NSMQ) contest viewing. I was not a part of the Presec team when I was there and when my mates were repping Presby Boys Secondary School - Legon in the Brilla, I was in the US at the time. After vim visiting the Presec NSMQ team on Thursday and encouraging them , I took some time off today to see them in action versus Wesley Girls High School and St. Augustine's College , 2 other great public high schools in Ghana. The competition is ongoing at the Legon N-Block. Presec is being represented by Bernard (front) and Baidoo (behind him). I captured what happened via tweets (as usual) and wanted to share them with you. At Legon N-block for National Science & Maths quiz quarterfinal, competing are #Presec , Wey Gey Hey & Augusco. 1st round. #NSMQ #teampresec — Ato Ulzen-Appiah (@Abocco) June 15, 2013 I like Wesley Girls much more than I used while in Presec. There was some small friendly ban...

Last week, we heard news of our alma mater Presby Boys' Secondary School (Legon) Presec losing to Mfantsiman (Mansite) in the National Science and Maths quiz (NSMQ). The 5-time champs had suffered an unexpected loss. But there was a silver lining. Presec could still get the chance to proceed to the next round by being one of the highest losers. Not a good look, but we'll take it . I was told of this mishap and asked to go visit the team and offer some words of encouragement. I didn't get the chance until today. But before that happened, we took that chance! Presec was slotted into a qualifier with St. Roses and HOTCASS and 'destroyed' the chance! The Presec squad did not get a single question wrong on their way to 76 points, a record haul! Earlier tonight, I was at Presec for the first time since I returned to Ghana to the land of vim. I had gone with vim to give some more vim. Anyway.... to the blog post. At #Presec , for the 1st time in a long time. Here ...

A friend +Nathan Kwadade  shared an  article  about the Top 15 National Science and Maths Quiz contestants with me earlier after this year's  National Science and Maths Quiz  (NSMQ) had ended. I  posted  it on Facebook and it generated a whole lot of chatter. Many people posted comments talking about other favorite contestants. Some came to share their credentials too. The comments on this Facebook  post actually drove me to write this blog post. Because you can find this blog post better than my Facebook post when you google the info you are looking for. There. You're welcome :-) Hisham Idris started us off with " Where is Bubune Adih of Mfsantsipim? He's arguably the most prominent contestant the show has seen. " It's hard to argue with him.  +Bubune Adih  actually participated in the NSMQ this year, not as a contestant, but as a speaker. He also donated GHC2000 to the best contestant for this year. Not doing badly at ...

When I used to have my mailing address in the US and I was in Ghana, I would almost always go to Presec . But my surprise, since I moved to Ghana on August 17, 2011, I had never been to Presec . Tonight, I was there for the first time in a long time, visiting the National Science and Maths quiz (NSMQ) team. The visit had been warranted by some turn of events. Read about that here . As usual, I did some comparisons of Presec of today to that of when I was there, and I had a number of Presecans to discuss that with. Here goes. I used to shii impre aka sleep in class during prep aka evening study period in Presec a lot. I used to get tired easily. Tonight, there was a student who was wearing a white lacoste tonight. Yea, Presecans wear lacostes in school now. I met the assistant school prefect (1st) and he was wearing a lacoste too. He could, this other student couldn't. The latter's oje was gonna land him on trouble.  The Presec boys are at prep as usual. I haven't se...

I have been calling a number of people - one of my top 10 greatest Ghanaians currently for a while. Once I sat down to blog this, I realised I should do this by age ranges. Here is the Generation X list - 1965-1980 DOBs. According to AI :-) Positive characteristics of Generation X include: strong work ethic, valuing work-life balance, self-reliance, adaptability to technology, entrepreneurial spirit, practicality, flexibility, strong problem-solving skills, and a focus on quality over quantity in their work, often prioritizing efficiency over long hours. In this list, I am picking people I have actually met , spent time with and can vouch for their greatness any day. Bernard Avle Many of you would have heard Bernard Avle refer to people on the Citi Breakfast Show as "Biiiiig Man". He's one of them. I really love what he has done with the #CitiCBS. I told him that it is becoming Solution Radio alongside what the Omni Media team is doing with Citi 97.3 FM and Channel One...

One major question we ask in the intro format at Konnect meetups focused on #Volunteeringh is: " When did you last volunteer to help others and how? " My answer is normally: " Yesterday, or today, I gave someone a free ride ". Basically, I stop the #vimride at a stop, asked folks where they were going, and if they were going my direction, I politely asked to give them a free ride, and if they accepted, I did the needful. " Are you not afraid? " No . I do this as carefully as I can. If you are afraid for me, pray for me. Thank You . As I do each year, I spent National Volunteer Day giving free rides.  National Volunteer Day ( NVDay ) is a GhanaThink Foundation initiative, launched on September 21, 2013 , to promote volunteerism in Ghana and connect volunteers with opportunities. It is linked to Ghana's Founders' Day holiday and aims to encourage citizens to volunteer for community service and skill development. The day is part of GhanaThink...

Aligning with GhanaThink’s motto “Less Talk, More Action”, my life story is one of action over words— where I substitute interest in motivational speeches for driving change through work done and sharing about impactful initiatives. Amid my professional endeavors, football is a major feature in my life as well. It offers relaxation, inspiration, and a lens through which I view community, excellence, and even African pride. In 2014, I decided to not wear my passion for football on my sleeve and not put my heart too much into football, the results, the emotions, etc. My heart still lies with Accra Hearts of Oak and I would like to see the club conquer ! My journey with football started in my childhood, spent on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus in Kumasi, Ghana . I did not just frequent the library just for books and newspapers to know trivia, but also to play tennis and football. I was not one of the top players in my neighbourhood, many of my fr...