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Friday

Maya Angelou; 5 things most Ghanaians don't know

Hours ago, Maya Angelou said goodbye to this earth.
Here are five things most Ghanaians don't know about this phenomenal woman and her connection to Ghana.

1. Maya Angelou lived in Ghana for three years between 1962 to 1967.

When she left the USA, she went to Egypt with her partner. When they separated, she came to Ghana and started working in the administration office of the University of Ghana, Legon. She also worked in the National Theater and freelanced for The Ghanaian Times!

2. She met freedom fighter Malcom X in Accra.

Thanks to Nkrumah, Ghana became an attractive place to a lot of the leaders of the day. Heavy weights like Martin Luther King Junior, US Vice President Richard Nixon, and Lee Kuan Yew all came to Ghana. Maya's meeting with Malcom X in Accra moved her to return to the United States to join the civil rights struggle that was going on there at that time.

Maya and Malcom in Accra. Photo from Facebook

3. Maya Angelou actually spoke Fanti !

She really picked up Ghanaian culture. This is how she described an incident when dancing healed her wounds.
"I danced for bad judgments and good fortune .... and for the sound on ceremonial fontonfrom drums waking the morning air in Takoradi "
When an interviewer asked her how she handled criticism, she replied with a Ghanaian saying, “An elephant is rarely seriously bothered by a flea”

More details of Maya's time in Ghana can be found in her book 'All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes' (1986).

4. Maya is forever stamped in Ghana's history

Ghana loved her so much we issued a postage stamp in her honour

Maya Angelou postage stamp. Credit twitter @BlitzAmbassador

5. Maya was multi-talented

So multi-talented that some young people on social media think she was a musician. It is unclear why they think so, because even though Maya recorded a calypso album, music was not where she shone brightest. We speculate that her name 'Maya Angelou' sounds close to Angeli Kidjo, Mya and Miriam Makeeba - three grammy winning singers from Benin, USA, and South Africa respectively.

So who exactly was Maya Angelou? Barack Obama's answer is close to the truth -"Maya was many things – an author, poet, civil rights activist, playwright, actress, director, composer, singer and dancer. But above all, she was a storyteller – and her greatest stories were true".

May her beautiful soul find rest.

calypso album cover- credit Youtube

Did you learn something new? share with your friends and leave a thought in her memory

Remember to check back in a few days for our new website!

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THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA – PART I

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Apart from updating your status, posting comments, and uploading pictures, what else have you been able to use social media for?

Obviously the main reason behind these media platforms was to help us hook up with friends and family, however in today’s competitive marketplace, it has gone beyond simply hooking up with friends and family to something more concrete and tangible. In this article, we'll take a look at how we can get more out of social media.

1. Build a personal reputation

With an interest to speak positive words into people’s lives, and to challenge them to do better than they could naturally do, I turned my Facebook page from a contact platform into a personal-reputation-building one. I often updated my status with excerpts of books and audios of renowned writers and speakers that I thought would serve my readers well.

In less than two months, the producer of Nash Radio, one of the most influential online-only radio stations in Moscow, Russia, contacted me and expressed his admiration for my status updates; that was the beginning of my journey to becoming the host of the station’s flagship motivational radio talk show dubbed ‘Motivational Arena’.

What reputation are you building for yourself? Are your statuses reflective of a purposeful intent to building a reputation or do you just write anything that comes to mind because Facebook asks, “What’s on your mind ?” If we’re to review your statuses over the past three months, what trend are they going to follow?

A real but rare opportunity is here, let’s use it wisely!

2. Find a job

In recent times, other social media platforms such as LinkedIn are monitored 24/7 by employers to find prospective job seekers.

According to a research by the Society for Human Resource Management in April, 2013, the number of employers who use social media and social networking websites to recruit job candidates continues to rise. According to the research, 77% of the respondents said they currently use social networking for job recruitment.

This is a clarion call for all prospective job seekers. Apart from uploading your CVs or resumes, your statuses must be in a certain taste to attract employers to you. Will you ever want to employ someone on whose social media page you find sexually-explicit content? Your guess is as good as mine.

3. Showcase your talent and establish yourself as an expert.

Is it not amazing that people who are very active users of social media keep complaining that they have no avenue to showcase their talent? I have seen a few people who have effectively utilised their Facebook pages to display their talents by way of publishing articles, poems, and uploading videos of their songs. Others put up pictures of their handicrafts for friends to see and know about them.

Remember there is always a way to display what you have to offer the world, but until you do that, no one will come to you for what you have. Use your Facebook page to project your image and expertise in whatever you do.

Are you a writer? Write excerpts of your articles and books. As a singer, you can upload demos of your songs on social media platforms like YouTube and Spotify. Are you a banker? You can turn your Facebook into an investment consultancy. Give sound savings and investments tips. These will go a long way to enhance your future career progression.

Social media has come to stay, as far as we can see into the foreseeable future.

The mandate is ours to use these platforms as avenues to do great things. Updating your status, liking and commenting on others’ statuses, and uploading your images are good, but you can use these platforms in better ways. Find them and use them the very best way you can!

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On Mothers' day 2014, don't forget this..

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May 11, 2014 is mothers' day. Some women will be celebrated by their children, others will be forced to remember the painful memory of the child they carried for months but lost in delivery. Some families will celebrate mothers, others will remember women who went into labour and never came back.

Each year, the lives of thousands of mothers are lost before, during and after child birth. The deaths, termed maternal mortality, are related to severe bleeding (mostly after childbirth), infections, high blood pressure during pregnancy, adolescent pregnancy and malaria and anaemia, among others.

Ever wondered what you can do to reduce or prevent maternal mortality? Here are 10 simple things you can do to make sure there are as many mothers holding and caring for their babies as there are many babies experiencing the love of a mother.

When she becomes pregnant;

1. Encourage the pregnant woman to seek antenatal care. This gives her the chance to receive the services of skilled health professionals, who will provide her with relevant information, give her important instructions and identify any risk as soon as possible for immediate attention.

2. Give the pregnant woman special attention during pregnancy, childbirth and the weeks after childbirth. By doing this you can help identify any complication and bring it to the attention of a skilled health professional. Untreated infections after child birth can lead to the death of a new mother.

3. Help the pregnant woman to watch their diet. For example encouraging her to eat low-salt diet, more fruits and vegetables. For some women, pregnancy causes cravings for unhealthy foods like high-salt diets. High-salt diet is a risk factor for high blood pressure, which has been identified as one the causes of maternal mortality.

4. Encourage pregnant women to sleep under treated bed nets and use mosquito repellent creams to prevent the occurrence of malaria. Malaria is also associated with maternal mortality.

5. Join the advocacy for more skilled attendants to be trained, health centres to be built in every town or rural community, and more equipment to be installed in these health centres.

6. Join the call to end premature marriages and teenage pregnancy.

When she becomes a mother,

7. Encourage her to exclusively breastfeed her baby for the first six months to start the baby on a healthy growth path.

8. Support her in the role of shaping the healthy lifestyle choices of the children. Mothers play a key role in the adoption of a healthy lifestyle by a child. A healthy lifestyle ensures the child will realize their full potential.

And as mother’s day is around the corner, let’s all be reminded

9. To encourage and support girls and women to be educated and economically empowered.

10. To say no girls and women abuse. Let’s all join the call to #BringBackOurGirls.

Happy Mothers day!

Visit olimehealth.blogpspot.com for more on health

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About the author

Olime Health, a total health brand on a mission of enabling people to choose and live healthier lifestyles. The brand advocates for an environment which encourages and supports the health and nutritional wellbeing of people. Twitter @Olimehealth or Facebook.com/olimehealth

Newaccra Magazine is a positive lifestyle magazine for the young and driven. Our goal is to inspire ambitious young people to achieve their big dreams. We do this by providing high quality content on personal development, success lessons, positive mindsets, healthy lifestyles and current sports and entertainment. Follow us on Twitter @newaccra [] Facebook.com/newaccra

photo; globalsolutions.org

Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2014; Ten things to look out for

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Fifteen years down the lane, the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards is by far Ghana's biggest music awards festival.

From performances that make people dance to winning probabilities, here are ten things to look out for in this year's edition of the VGMA happening on Saturday May 3, 2014.

1. This is the fifteenth year of the awards and no female artiste has ever won the overall best Artiste of the year.

2. No gospel artiste has ever won the Overall Best Artiste of the year. If Sonnie Badu wins it this time, he would have achieved what previous promising contenders like Lenny Akpadie and Cwesi Oteng failed to do.

3. Last year, veterans Amandzeba Nat Brew, VIP and Akatakyie stole the show with back to back hits from the past. If showgoers could select one performer who gave them their money’s worth, they will pick Kontihene. Nana Appiah Kontihene just kept releasing hits, one after the other from Asesa to Akatesia to Esi whiles the crowd sang and danced themselves out of control. This year, who is going to get the crowd dancing? A hot star or a cool veteran?

4. One of the hottest highlife singers of the early 2000s is now a pastor. But before Ofori Amponsah dropped his mic and picked up his bible, he set a new record by hauling seven (7) awards in one edition of the GMAs in 2006. This year, if Sarkodie wins all his eight (8) nominations, excluding an appearance on Joey B's Tonga, he'll break Ofori Amponsah's record.

5. Over the last five years, Okyeame Kwame has received nine (9) awards - picking four of them in 2013, three in 2009 and two in 2012. Sarkodie follows with eight (8) awards, sweeping five of them in 2010 and three (3) in 2013. In that same period, Tema based R2bees have bagged five(5) awards, four(4) of which came only last year and the other in 2011. Kwabena Kwabena and Efya also have four(4) each to their name. Kwabena Kwabena won two in 2011 and one each in 2009 and 2012 whilst Efya picked two of them in 2013 and one each in 2011 and 2012.

6. Shatta Wale is the only artiste who appears in three (3) different songs nominated in the same category -Reggae / Dancehall song of the year.

If Shatta Wale wins an award, he'll follow a tradition of artistes who have openly criticised the awards one year and returned to win it the next year. Blakk Rasta and Kwaw Kesse are some of the recent acts to do the same.

7. MzVee has been selected as this year’s unsung act. Many people will see the former D3 member in action for the first time if she performs on the night.

8. Nima based VIP, now called VVIP, are the first and only group to win the overall Artiste of the Year twice. Kojo Antwi was actually the first to do a double, and after VIP, Sarkodie is the only other artiste to have won the biggest award twice. VIP got their second award in 2011 after first winning it in 2004 with hit song 'Ahomka wom'.

9. With three ladies and three gentlemen, Gospel Song of the Year has more female nominees than any other category. The simple probability that a female performer will win this category is 1 out of 2. The probability that a female will win the Artiste of the year is zero (there are no female nominees).

10. The Vodafone song of the year is chosen entirely by the public using mobile phones. Six (6) of the ten nominated songs are about Love, romance, an attractive girl or sex.

May deserving artistes win.

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About the author

Fatima Ibrahim has been a keen follower and analyst of contemporary African music and movies for years. When she is not checking out the latest in entertainment and current affairs, she spends her time working on a career as a professional telecoms engineer.

Newaccra Magazine is a positive lifestyle magazine for the young and driven. Our goal is to inspire ambitious young people to achieve their big dreams. We do this by providing high quality content on personal development, success lessons, positive mindsets, healthy lifestyles and current sports and entertainment. Follow us on Twitter @newaccra [] Facebook.com/newaccra

photo; ghanamusicawards

DOMAIN NAMES FOR SALE

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Buying one of these handpicked domain names today can make you a fortune quickly. An internet address like www.facebook.com is called a domain name. A good domain name is like a property in a location that everybody wants. You could rent it, sell the land or develop the property and then sell it off. It’s the same with a good domain name. You can sell just the name, you can build a website and sell it for higher,you can even build a full business around it or simply use it for your existing brand. The choice is yours.

These domains are up for sale. Buy yours NOW!

#	Popularity
www.hotkenkey.com	This catchy domain name will work well in entertainment, food and many other areas. Also useful in Asian countries. Has a wide appeal.
www.koftown.com	Nickname of popular cities in Ghana, USA and Eastern Europe and music brands etc. This is a good buy
www.visitkumasi.com	Very popular destination among tourists and visitors to Ghana. Suitable for tourist / event or informational website. Several thousand monthly searches.
www.visithoniara.com	Honiara (capital of Solomon Islands) is fast becoming a popular destination among European and American tourists. This domain is ideal for a buyer who can hold on to it and sell at a massive profit later. Similar site VisitBerlin was sold for 230 million USD.
www.itlogistiks.com	Logistics is a popularly searched term. This domain can be used for a website for a new or existing company, brand, education /informational site etc. A very good buy.
www.toursolomons.com	This name will work well for travel and tour businesses and other businesses. Has various uses.

Don’t waste time. BUY YOUR DOMAIN NOW! We guarantee the safety of your transaction and will personally contact you when you send an email - info@newaccra.com

Not exactly what you want? No problem, we still have a few more. Let’s talk about what you want and we may be able to help you find it

Do you have a domain and want to list it for sale? We have a handful of slots in this upcoming sale. Get in touch and let’s talk.

Know someone who'll be interested? kindly share with them.

National Character and the leader

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Leadership expert John C. Maxwell said what has now become a common saying - "everything rises and falls on leadership". This means that whether family, society, nation and world will progress greatly depends on her leaders. One is therefore right in saying that as a people, we are collectively where we are today as a result of the average strengths and weaknesses of our leaders, past and present. So the question is, are we comfortable with where we are as a people?

If we are comfortable, then those who lead us are doing a great job. If not, they have failed us. But if we stop here, then we are playing the blame game and shirking our responsibility, two habits which have sadly become our National Character.

In the few years I have lived, it appears to me that some of us are waiting for a messiah, maybe another Kwame Nkrumah to come and rescue us from the continuum of chaos in our nation. It looks like we are waiting for a miracle that will transport us into our dream society. I have repented, put on sackcloth and with a new state of mind, I tell you that there won't be another Nkrumah, there will only be you and I with the same potential to make our nation great and strong. A sage once said, ‘when I was young and clever, I wanted to change the world. Growing old and wise, I want to change myself’. The change we so much want to see in our families, towns, cities, nations and continent actually rests with us. So how do we change ourselves?

To change ourselves, we need to stop seeing the world through our challenges and know that if we decide to 'stand in the gap', positive change will blossom. If we will stand to be counted, change agents will become the majority with a voice. If we will start reaching for perfection, change will come and if we stop looking and start being, we can embrace that change we want. The leader we all expect won't come until we conquer our fears of standing in the arena of our lives and knocking out self and challenging him / her to change.

Leadership is about function and not position. So whether or not we bear titles, we can all start functioning as leaders in our small chiefdoms. The rippling effect will be strong leadership in every facet of family, society, and a strong National Character. Everybody can begin by practicing the 3Ps - identifying your Purpose, knowing your Potential and maximize it to develop People.

The reality is that leaders come from society, so weak leaders may imply a generally weak society. People always get the leader they want, either by desire or acquiescing. In simple terms, are you confident enough to vote for the person in the mirror to occupy the same positions you criticize others for?

The challenge to you and I is to be that leader who will bring our national dream to pass in our generation. It lies within our locus of control, so let us take action today because the benefits are endless for God, country and self. Start the change process. Be a change agent. Stand to be counted. Leadership challenge accepted!

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About the author

Kwamina Ekremet is a youth leader, volunteer and a Process Engineer. He believes that individual Africans can change Africa by making Africa's problem their personal problem and then solve it in their generation. He is in love with Africa’s potential and her rise to become a force to reckon with in world affairs.

Newaccra Magazine is a positive lifestyle magazine for the young and driven. Our goal is to inspire ambitious young people to achieve their big dreams. We do this by providing high quality content on personal development and success, positive mindsets, healthy lifestyles, and current sports and entertainment. Follow us on twitter for more @newaccra or Facebook/Newaccra or by email- info@newaccra.com

photo; coachfore.org

EASTER 2014; Five places to check out

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There is good news for you last-minute people still wondering how to celebrate this Easter. Newaccra Magazine has got you covered. Just like we did on Val’s day, we called our friends at Pleasure Sights, a rising events and tourism company and they have handpicked the following Easter eggs for you;

Harvest Praise

This is a good way to begin your Easter festivities. You will be glad you attended this event happening on the 18^th of April, 2014 at the International Conference Center.

It promises to be an amazing experience as Kurt Carr headlines the show supported by the Harvest Gospel Choir. A host of other seasoned gospel artistes like Deacon Yaw Antwi Dadzie, Daughters of Glorious Jesus and Nana Folson are all billed to rock. The good news is this is all so affordable.

Beige Village

The long list of what Beige Village offers this Easter includes paint balling, family carnival and barbecue dinner with live band music. There is also paragliding at Kwahu Mountains and they will provide a free shuttle from Accra to Kwahu for this.

You also get to visit the Largest palm plantation in Ghana and help yourself to your pick from a menu of a big Easter breakfast, kid’s Easter Bonnet & Hat Making, Golf clinic, relaxation Spa and Night club events.

Kpando Calling

When it comes to celebrating Easter, the Volta region has its own style. But if any town can come close to Kwahu, it will be Kpando, a bubbly town that offers a sight that is truly great to behold and is home to Bishop Herman College.

There is a lot of love as almost everyone goes back home to be with family. Whilst you are there, there are budget places to sleep like Cedes and Tricko Villa Lodge and good meals at Rose’s (ask any native for directions). There are lots of activities as local artists and dance troupes pass through to entertain crowds with live performances. The bonus is that Kpando is close to good tourism sights like the Biakpa Mountain Paradise, Wli Falls, Afadjato, and the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary.

Kumasi Connects

This year, the Garden City of Ghana looks packed with Easter activities and will be ideal if you want a fun place for a change.

Plus 2 pub will try to calm your sad nerves with some good live band music on Good Friday and Sister Akos Kitchen will serve you some nice and affordable fufu on Saturday. This is all to get you ready for Efya and Sarkodie’s shows on Easter Sunday and Castro’s gig on Easter Monday. If all this is not enough, Lake side will also be a wonderful place to be on Easter Monday and Wildwin Resort has pedal boats, table tennis, swimming and good music. Keep in mind that Golden Tulip also has a very wonderful Easter package planned for visitors.

Kwahu Easter

Easter celebration in Ghana is incomplete without a mention of Kwahu, a collection of towns that includes Atibie, Obomeng , Pepease and Mpraeso.If you go to this famed Easter location, you can enjoy paragliding in Atibie organized by Ghana Tourism Authority. TV3’s Music Music and boat rides will be happening in Mpraeso whilst radio stations and food stands take over Obomeng, leaving revelers spoilt for choice in sight and sound.

Several Ghanaian artistes will perform live shows at various locations and there will be a big jam at Ohene Nana Classic. After you have had enough, find your accommodation at Jays Lodge, Ohene Nana Classic, WAGS and Modak. Accommodation package covers three days and ranges between 800 and a 1500GHS per a person.

So there you have it. If you want all the latest updates on events in Ghana, follow @PleasureSights on twitter.

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Pleasure Sights is an events and tourism company that is fast becoming known for organizing tours and trips for local and foreign nationals to beautiful but less known locations.The company seeks to take Ghana out of its comfort zone onto the international tourism map and is currently building a one-stop location where all tourists entering the country can have information, both online and offline about tourism in Ghana. Follow them on twitter@pleasuresights or Facebook

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Friday

Maya Angelou; 5 things most Ghanaians don't know

Tuesday

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA – PART I

On Mothers' day 2014, don't forget this..

Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2014; Ten things to look out for

Thursday

DOMAIN NAMES FOR SALE

Tuesday

National Character and the leader

Thursday

EASTER 2014; Five places to check out

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