What GH¢10 can do for you

Mr Samuel Sarkodie Kampeligi, an associate at corporate advisory firm, DaMina Advisors, and Mr Christian Yawlui, a partner of publishing company, Axcent Media, are two different young men, born and raised in different parts of the country.

Educated in different schools and currently working in different fields of the corporate world, nothing about the duo is related except one common experience and act which marked the turning point of their respective lives. It is their individual interactions with the Springboard Road Show, an annual motivational seminar initiated by Reverend Albert Ocran and his wife, Mrs Comfort Ocran, to help raise thoughtful leaders for society.

Recounting their various experiences on the weekly radio programme, Springboard, Your Virtual University on Joy FM, the two reminisced that while at various stages of their education in the country, they came into contact with the Road Show Foundation team, which normally mentors students and other youn

After listening to the presentations, Samuel and Christian agreed to invest GH¢10 into building themselves and their future, an act that would later be the defining moments of their respective career paths.

Samuel and Christian’s decision to invest GH¢10 into their lives through the Road Show Foundation indicates that every little commitment made towards advancing one’s life would pay off.

Their appearance on the show formed part of the new series titled: ‘Dare to Dream,’ which is aimed at motivating people to follow their dreams.

The series is expected to feature participants in the Road Show Foundation, who have used the knowledge gained to benefit themselves and society.

Another beneficiary, Mr David Asare Asiamah, who founded Agro Mindset, an agriculture-focused company, called into the show to share his thoughts.

The magic

While Samuel’s GH¢10 went into the purchase of ‘Career StarterPak,’ a book by the couple whose content would later spur him on to a bigger opportunity in a multinational company, Christian’s money was invested with investment firm, Data Bank, after one of the firm’s executives at the time and member of the Road Show team had enlightened him on investments.

Having read the book, which offers tips on life including guidelines on writing an employment letter, Samuel said he decided to put into practice what he had learnt in the first year of his university education, where he was studying Political Science.

As a result, he put together his curriculum vitae, which he sent to a local law firm, requesting an opportunity to do internship. He was accepted.

Building on that while in his final year in the university, Samuel sent another letter, relying, as usual, on the guidelines offered in the Career StarterPak, to the multinational advisory firm, DaMina Advisory, requesting, again, to do internship.

“That was in November and in December, I met one of the partners in the country for an interview. On the spot, he told me ‘you are taken but you are not going to be an intern but an associate.’ I signed the contract a week after,” he said.

This development, he said, changed his thoughts about life, causing him to accept that everything one dreams of is possible, especially if one is committed to achieving it.

“I recalled being told at the Road Show that it’s not too late to start planning your life and that for me was the moment. That statement shook me and after I bought the book and read, I realised indeed it was not too late. I did not need a degree, I only needed a mind,” he explained.

Thoughts on investment

Christian’s life-changing engagement with the road show, thanks to his GH¢10, began in 2010, when Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, an investment mogul, shared his life story with the audience.

“At the end of his presentation, he gave every participant a GH¢10 investment voucher, M-Fund, to be specific. A couple of weeks later, I went to the Kumasi office and activated mine,” he said.

Although Christian said he learned about the need to save and invest at a tender age, he admitted that he was not aware of the various investment opportunities available until Mr Ofori-Atta’s presentation.

 “The lecture opened my mind about how to accumulate money to start one’s own business. So, from there I knew very well that that was what I wanted to do; invest, accumulate capital and start my own business,” he said.

With that in mind Christian said he decided to invest his student loan, which has yielded positive results for him.

Beyond that, he said, he had joined his colleagues to establish a publishing and media company, which is progressing smoothly.

David, whose aim is to bring about a green revolution in the continent, said he has been battling with the negative perceptions of agriculture.

He bemoaned what he described as “big apathy” towards agriculture, which he blamed on the culture in the continent.

He recalled selling some four million eggs last year, thanks to his decision to go into farming.

He thus called on people to give others the freedom to make their life choices instead of always wanting to dictate to them on what to do.

The three thus advised the audience to be resolute with their dreams and work towards achieving them.

Nothing, they said, was too big to be achieved provided the person involved was committed to making it happen. — GB