Scholarship / My desire to help the vulnerable. Chevening essay question on leadership and influencer requirement [3]

taking up some successful tasks

Working in a rural area of my country, Ghana for six years and witnessing how hard life is for the people in the area touched my heart to help the needy. I got to feel their hardship as majority of them could not afford to spend $1 on food a day. The desire to help the vulnerable got me to take up tasks some of which were successful and others still in course.

My first offer was when I had to give almost all of the money I had on me, one morning on my way to work, to a teenage school girl. She needed money to pay her exam fees to enable her take part in her final exams. I was moved by the tears in her eyes to sort out her problem. The joy and gratitude I saw in her after giving her more than she needed brought fulfilment in my heart. I did not met her again until recently when I saw her in a senior high school uniform from afar. This got me to join groups on social media to offer relief to the less privileged. I know you will wonder why someone who says she possesses leadership skills could not start one on her own. I wanted to join those who have already started to learn from them.

I co-founded a group called Love Extended with a friend; Rebecca Acheampong who lost her father at a younger age, making life difficult for her and her siblings. She approached me to discuss her plans. I came up with a Mission, which is to reach out to the less privileged in deprived areas and invest in their lives and Vision is to have Ghana as an enviable country in Africa with the best human resource. Our first project was to raise funds for an orphanage in Ningo-Prampram; a deprived area in the capital of Ghana. The idea of fund raising was a very big challenge since we were new and lack the trust of people. As the co-leader of this initiative and having known some media personalities, I approached them to give us the platform to air our project in order to gain the trust and confidence of Ghanaians. I could not get their attention so that failed. With the zeal to help the kids, I suggested we win individual trust through effective communication on social media platforms likeWhatsApp and Facebook. Helping them understand the vision and mission of the foundation and how importanttheir individual contributions are to achieving our key objectives. The idea was quite successful as we had many young fellows like us who shared the same vision to join us. We managed toraise 60% of the targeted funds and some few clothes, toys, books and other learning aids. We also taught kids to read and write. We did constant follow ups and helped the kids to pick up reading and maths. As of now some of the kids could read very well and are doing great academically and we continue to keep in touch with them.

I joined another group; Chosen Generation also founded by another friend called Edward Ambrose. Before I joined the group, they had made some donations to an old lady who could not move about due pains in her limbs. I presented them with my mission and vision for the foundation, which was the same as Love Extended. The idea was to have the two groups join forces to have the vision be a success. The groupmade similar donations like Love Extended. Our next big project, which I suggested was to buy 100 wheelchairs for clinics in some rural areas. Again, funding was another major challenge as wheelchairs were quite expensive. In order to encourage people to donate, I suggested group members contribute some money so that we could present the money before some organization to encourage them to support us. I failed as a leader as I could not follow up on the funds raised and a member who was keeping the money got defrauded by a firm abroad. The firm was providing us with the wheelchairs at a discount of 30%. I took responsibility for every thing. Though I was daring, I could not manage the risk of dealing with an unknown person over the Internet effectively. I still urged the group not to give up the cause to help the needy but make the best use of every opportunity and build on our mistakes. Another challenge was having people exiting the group. I devoted to speaking with them individually and ensure them that proper care and accounts will be made on the next move. I was able to get a few to come back but some I could not convince. As I write the project is still soliciting for funds and I haven't given up on it.

One other move I made was in my institution; Social Security and National Insurance Trust(SSNIT), encouraging the ladies club of the institution to help in a big project. This was an initiative of a Multimedia Journalist who upon research decided to raise funds to build a bigger maternity Centre for Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi; Ghana. One morning preparing for work, I heard the gentleman give a heart-breaking story of how women lose their lives and babies during labour. The maternity facility available was too small to cater for the number of women that come for child delivery in a day. His aim was to reduce the death rate drastically. Upon reaching work I wrote to the president of the SSNIT Ladies' Club to help support such a good cause. Initially I was sceptical about the response I might get, but I thought it would be better to make a move and fail than failing to make the move. I also thought it was good helping others achieve their dream of reaching out to the vulnerable. The president was so delighted to help. Memos were sent to various branches and departments to contribute towards it and SSNIT gave a cheque of 20,000.00 GH cedis out of the 10,000,000.00 GH cedis needed.

I may have not started the initiative but bringing to the attention of SSNIT got them to contribute.
I believe I possess the quality of gaining trust and confidence of the right contacts to push for a good cause. I see myself as a very ambitious and daring person who believes in investing in the human resource be education, health orother skills for an achievable economic development.

Scholarship / To establish schools and hospitals in Ghana. Career plan essay for the Chevening award. [3]

my investment plans

As a senior clerk teller in a financial institution; Social Security and National Insurance Trust(SSNIT), I desire to take up positions in the investment and quality and risk management department as well as the strategic planning sector in the next 3 years after my post graduate degree, of the institution. SSNIT is a pension scheme and one of the highly recognized and respected in sub-Sahara Africa.

My interest is to help the sector make good investment with effectively calculated risk. This is to ensure that contributors get value for their money during their retirement period and seen better off. Investment to me is not only about springing up of businesses but building an effective and efficient human resources. Thus to add value to the lives of many people for a productive business/economy. Hence encouraging me to take up courses in human resource after post-graduate.

I describe myself as an organized, responsible, loyal and meticulous person. I am very determined and persistent as to what I set to achieve. Being an intelligent person, I believe taking investment and risk management course will help shape my analytical and critical thinking abilities. I am hoping to take courses in business advertising, networking and marketing to help sustain my investment plans.

Speaking of investment plans, I want to set up my event organizing/planning business, two years after my postgraduate course. Still working with SSNIT, I would want to buy shares in some sectors of the economy such as the energy sector(oil industry), housing sector, agriculture sector and tourism sector(hospitality/hotels). This is to build me in setting up fuel stations, building estates, production of agriculture produce and establishing world class hotels in the next 15 to 20 years of my life. In terms of agriculture I would want to be one of the leading contributor to agriculture produce in Ghana. I would want to own an investment and consultancy firm after 20 years of working experience.

After all is said and done, I would want to establish schools and hospitals to impact knowledge and improve the health of the less privileged in Ghana and Africa at large. I would want to be seen as one of the most inspiring and ambitious woman in the world, having my businesses described as the best in the world.

Scholarship / Great networking skills in influencing others in their chosen profession of the chevening community. [2]

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong networking skills, who will engage with the chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Explain how you meet this requirement using clear examples of your networking skills and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future.

Networking was challenging to me growing up because I saw myself as an anti-social person. The challenge was where to start from, what to say and how to maintain the relationship.

Contrary to how I saw myself, I have been able to connect with inspiring people through the help of social media. I have always had genuine intentions whenever I send request; for cordial relationship and appreciate posts on their timeline. With famous personalities because they receive lots of request from different people on daily basis, I try not to appear as an internet panhandler. That is how I got to network with, Mr. Osei Agyeman; Media Practitioner and Mr. Jesse Agyepong; Entrepreneur.

With the mindset of establishing cordial relationship, I get to know more about them through their social media personal details, post and works. With public figures I surf online to know more than what a fan would know. These things define their personality, then I decide if I should go ahead to network or not. I like to send emails or messages to let them know how their works has inspired me and impacted my life. I like to keep it simple and not be too wordy because people do not have much time to waste on long emails or messages. In networking I choose my words carefully; not to appear too serious or overly chipper. I find out about the motivation behind their post. Taking interest in their work and life to show how much I care. That is how I got cordial with Ms. Hedwig Quist; Deputy Event Director at Charterhouse. She calls me sister though I could be her daughter.

In sustaining the connection, I stay in regular contact by sending motivational quotes almost every morning. I remember one morning after sending Ms. Quist a quote, she recommended I read more about Maya Angelou. With acquaintances, I like to know how their doing and what is new in their lives. In case of any project they are advertising, I post them on my Facebook or WhatsApp status because I believe networking is a win-win affair. I do ask for favors sometimes such as proofreading and the likes. I see people who check up on connections anytime they need help as opportunist. Interestingly I receive great feedback from these personalities; my quotes lighting up their day.

Most importantly I will like to link up more with people at the beginning of their career and not the peak. This is to learn from their humble beginnings and offer a helping hand. I like to do so by joining most chevening clubs to make new connections.