When my little one was 10months old she said her first word “ Mama'“. I remember it so well like it was only yesterday. I was so stressed out with opening the restaurant, the potholes on the Nana Krom road and dealing with baby’s teething and low appetite. She was in her cot looking at me with my head in my hands. I was almost in tears when I heard her say “ Mama” . I looked up in wonder at her wide Disney looking eyes. She repeated it and I swear to you, all the tiredness and frustration melted away. I lifted her out and hugged her close. From that day, her speech developed at an incredible speed! Today at 20mo she can identify objects , ask for her immediate needs with such clarity in words.

How did I do it? Well, I hope these tips I share will prove useful for you if you are a new Mom and Dad . We definitely can’t rush your child’s natural development ( walking especially) but for her language skills there are things you can do to boost it.

1. Start Early

   How early? Literally from when your child is in the womb :-). I have lost count of the number of times I would chat with her during the 2nd and 3rd trimester until I popped. Don’t think your baby is too young to have a conversation with. Whenever I gave her bath, I would sing the alphabets and repeat the Alphabet phonics “ A for apple, B for ball, C for cat.” I did this every single day to when she was 10months. One day, I said “ A for…..” I waited for her response and she said “Appu” I screamed in delight! She sensed my excitement and laughed as well. What an experience it was! I taught her from A to D every bath and dressing up time. Thankfully, the nanny also understood the importance of early speech development. She would chat with Essi as though chatting with an adult. We both had conversations with her knowing that her brain was fast developing and building up to forming her own syllables. Too often I have seen parents shush their babbling babies because ‘they are making noise’. Please leave them to babble! It’s their attempt at communicating with you! Encourage don’t shush.

2. Avoid baby talk.

   It’s fun to do the ‘ goo goo gaa gaaa ‘ once in awhile whilst your baby is a newborn. I am a champion at that baby language. But it’s important to speak clearly and distinctly when teaching her objects around him/her and having conversations.. Avoid baby talk to name objects. For example, Say “ Do you want your bottle?” Instead of “ do you want your boo boo?” I also ask her everyday questions like, “ Are you hungry?” “ Is it nap time?” Today she says these phrases so well whenever the need arises. Whenever her Dad calls on FaceTime his first question to her is , “Did you sleep well? or How are you?” Even if your baby doesn’t respond just keep at it. This has helped her recognise the importance of this greeting that she repeats it whenever I get a call. Hilarious!

3. Share What You’re Doing.

   When she started crawling and turning my kitchen upside down, I would tell her what I was doing at that particular moment. “ I am cooking” I would often say when she looked up at me curiously. Today she asks me, ‘is it cooking?’ when she sees me at the stove. I would respond yes I’m cooking. Or I would tell her ‘ I am washing the dishes.’ She would then record the activity in her little brain for later use and amble off. Whenever we have to go out, I tell her where we are going like, “ we are going to the shop.” instead of silently bumbling her into the car seat. Now whenever she realises we are about to get into the car she asks, “ is it shop?” I say yes, we are going to the shop.

4. Be responsive.

   There will be days when your baby will walk or crawl up to with an object in hand, unless it’s something harmful don’t just snatch it away with a scolding. Tell him or her what the object is and what it does. Trust me, they save that information for the future, don’t be surprised when they come back saying the word to you. Be responsive instead of brushing them off. Your response is a form of encouragement and a confidence boost. My baby will say “ outside'“ when she wants to go for a stroll and my response is, “ Should we go for a stroll outside?” That way i’m responding and helping her string her words together.

5. Encourage others.

A lot of us grew up in households where we were told to ‘speak when spoken to’ and we grew up timid in such environments. Thanks to the internet and increase in knowledge we know the importance of encouraging a child to speak up and out. Encourage your family to also speak to your baby instead of shushing them up.

6. Read to baby early.

It’s never too early to start reading to your baby. Several bookshops like Vidya and Sytris stock exciting and colourful children’s books , grab several to read to baby during breastfeeding and when it’s bedtime. The sound of your voice and words will help baby’s speech develop faster. I discovered baby flashcards on Apple’s Books app and I started sharing with her early. It’s enthralling to see her identify the objects even before I read it out. The app has both free and paid digital books available.

7. Playdates

Covid-19 really put a damper on playdates. Many babies have missed out on playdates due to social distancing. But playdates are actually a great way for babies to interact with other little humans even though there’s not much conversation happening. You can talk to your LO to share a toy with her friend “ Sharing is caring!” This also helps develop their social skills.

8. Avoid too much screen time.

Dumping your baby in front of the television or an iPad isn’t the best way for speech development. Human interaction and your voice is the ideal way. Yes there’s lots of educational shows on TV and on YouTube kids but you don’t want a screen addicted child. There’s lots of challenges that comes with that. Strike a balance with screen time and time spent with Mummy and Daddy. Even when driving in the car, chat with your baby whilst they are alone in their car seat. Ask him if they see the cars or trees around. interaction is key. I once visited a family friend and I noticed her 4 year old speaking with a ‘slanging American’ accent. His Mom says all he watches is cartoons. This may seem funny but it’s true.

9. Educational Toys

Investing in educational & interactive toys is worth it, trust me. Most of these toys have colourful buttons which when pressed belts out sing-a-along songs and phrases. I bought this FisherPrice Laugh & Learn Puppy’s Remote from Marina mall way back when she was 4 months.

This laptop by Leap Frog is also powerful for teaching your toddler words and other phrases. When she presses a letter, the digital puppy says a word which she repeats back.

It’s not easy doing these on a daily affair but it’s highly rewarding to watch how your child develops in speech and mental abilities at an early stage. As a new parent, make the time to interact and engage with your child from an early age to help develop them mentally and emotionally. Don’t leave everything to tech and teachers. Before you know it, they are grown and not interested in spending time with you either. I hope you have picked up some useful tips here. Do share your own tips on how you encouraged your baby to start speaking early in the comments section.

Social media in Ghana today was awash with news after several media houses and blogs (mine included) published a communique which directed public health COVID-19 testing labs to not charge walk-ins for covid testing.

The excitement at this news was quashed after a press conference was held today 28th January by the ministry of Information.

The Ghana Health Services Director-General Dr Patrick Kumah-Aoagye corrected this communique during the press briefing and said: “it’s not a mass testing, you will not just walk to the place and expected to be tested without a referral letter.” Travellers to the country also have to pay to get their testing done.

This means without a referral, any walk-in will be charged appropriately for the test.

That ended quickly.

Passion twists are soooo on trend right now! Whether short, medium-length or waist long these braids are absolutely stunning! They serve two purposes; to slay and to inspire you for your next protective style.

What are passion twists?

Passion twists were created by the talented Miami-based hairstylist Kailyn Rogers. They are two-strand twists which resemble a cross between Marley twists and Senegalese twists. Unlike the usual twists braids, these are less tight , springy and fuller.

Check out these faves below :

1. Short Bob Passion Twists

2. Medium-length Passion Twists

Medium-length Passion Twists are stunning and with colored tips it transforms into a goddess glow!

3. Long Passion Twists

extension hair brand you should buy for passion twist.

You have the choice of getting a crochet pre-twisted hair bundle for quicker installation or a regular extension for braiding.

Check this crochet Bohemian for Passion Twists brand on Amazon.

This YouTube diy passion twists makes it look easy and you should most definitely give it a try .

Which look will you go for? Waist length or a more demure cute bob look?

I was watching a news coverage on CitiTV last week on residential properties encroaching on the Sakumono Lagoon wetlands and honestly it was horrifying to say the least. The Sakumono Lagoon is one of the Ramsar sites designated to be of international importance for migratory animals.

How are responsible authorities issuing building permits in lands that are supposed to be protected?? Are we serious as a country at all?? Do we understand the importance of wetlands?

Here's a brief definition of what a wetland is and why our energies must go into protecting them at all costs;

An encyclopedic entry defines a Wetland as an area of land that is either covered by water or saturated with water. 

Wetlands exist in many kinds of climates, on every continent except Antarctica. They vary in size from isolated prairie potholes to huge salt marshes. They are found along coasts and inland. Some wetlands are flooded woodlands, full of trees. Others are more like flat, watery grasslands. Still others are choked by thick, spongy mosses. ( Source : National Geographic)

The importance of wetlands

1. Dead plants and leaves break down in these wetlands waters to provide food for smaller aquatic insects, small fishes and shellfish which are then fed on by larger predatory fishes, mammals, birds and reptiles.

2. Wetlands are crucial in moderating global climate conditions as they store carbon instead of releasing it to the atmosphere. Marshes & swamps are excellent examples of this.

3. We source quite a number of fishes from our wetlands. Adwen ( mudfish), crabs and some varieties of shellfish are all derived from wetland soils.

4. Wetlands acts like a natural sponge that traps and slowly release floodwaters into streams and other water bodies.

5. It's a home for varying migratory birds which also feed on the small fishes and aquatic insects in the wetland waters and soil. These birds also breed and nest in the low shrubs of the wetlands.

Why would anyone want to build on such a land?? It's highly suitable for building properties as well. The land is deeply saturated with water which means you are basically exposing you and your household to flooding during the rainy season. By destroying our wetlands we are basically killing off migratory birds which can then become extinct in no time.

Although Ghana is a signatory under the Ramsar Convention, it seems not enough enforcement has been done to protect our wetlands. Have you seen any awareness on wetland protection on TV before? I haven't.

We must not remain silent about the encroaching of buildings and pollution of the Sakumono wetlands. Fishermen reliant on fishes from these wetlands have their source of income depleted due to pollution from human occupation of these lands. It's obvious that climate change is affecting us in Ghana as well and the continuous abuse & degradation of our land use will be a hefty price to pay in the future. Our ecological system is at risk!

The first thing which comes to mind when you hear of a Mexican restaurant is… Tacos. That’s it. Even before you remember tequila or enchiladas . The traditional Mexican street food has become a global phenomenon and Accra is having her moment as well with the launch of a Mexican restaurant; La Cocina Mexicana .

It’s smart casual, colourful , ambiance with Mexican & Ghanaian fusion interior pieces and the unmistakable vibrant Mariachi music in the background makes one famished and expectant of an unforgettable dining experience.

Every weekend, the restaurant offers a dizzying buffet array of Mexican dishes ranging from burritos, tamales, tacos, enchiladas and not forgetting their deceptively sweet tequila cocktails and mocktails.

La Cocina is focused on bringing the flavours of Mexico to Ghana through a serving of fresh vegetables, natural spices in making every dish. Any filling (chicken, beef, seafood, beef, veggies ) is available for either Bolillos to make Tortas or in a Taco . And the best part? The condiments galore! From Guacamole, Habanero, Tomato salsas and other spicy salsas, you can choose whichever flavour you want to transform your taco. The Habanero salsa is highly recommended for the heat lovers. Mexico is well known for having more than 200 types of chilli’s and each city in the South American country has it’s own distinct chilli so do expect distinctive salsas.

An attentive service staff are also well-informed on each dish being offered. Nothing beats restaurant staff who are well versed with dishes on offer.

La Cocina Mexicana is open everyday from 11am to 9pm and in case you can’t or don’t want to dine in due to social distancing you can order and have your select Mexican delights delivered to your door.

Find La Cocina Mexicana on Instagram.

The Entertainment Achievement Awards #EAAwards took place Saturday night with hosts AJ Sarpong and Kweku David. Due to the pandemic the event was livestreamed to viewers and fans whilst live performers did their thing at the National Theater and brought a whole different vibe to an unforgettable awards show.

The EAAwards birthed by CITITV is an awards scheme cum event, which seeks to recognise, unearth, spotlight, encourage and celebrate entertainers and entertainment industry players, who have distinguished themselves in the practice of their arts and in their chosen fields of endeavour.

The awards scheme celebrated and noted not only musicians but also creatives & sports personalities, digital content creators, photographers, models etc.

Live performances from Kumerican Kofi Jamar, Kweku Flick, Okyeame Kwame, Irene Logan, Abiana, Tulenkey and a host of other Ghanaian entertainers lighted up Ghana Twitter! Online Viewers expressed their glee over a stellar organization of the awards show.

Here's the complete list of winners from the event:

Best Female Artiste of the Year

Adina Thembi

Best Male Artiste :

Stonebwoy

Best Male Actor :

Adjetey Anang

Female Actor of the Year :

Nana Ama McBrown

Female Designer of the Year :

Christie Brown

Best Photographer :

Bob Pixel. Forever in our hearts 🖤

Best Performance Poet :

Nana Asaase

Best Picture :

Perfect Picture 10 years later. This also won Ghanaian Movie of the Year. Double bagged!

Online Creator of The Year :

Kwadwo Sheldon

Overall Entertainment Personality of the Year:

Akrobeto

Comic Actor of the Year :

Clemento Suarez

Song of the Year :

Open Gate by Kuami Eugene

Best Stand Up Comedian :

OB Amponsah

Model of the Year :

Gina Akala

Event of the Year :

Black Love Concert by Sarkodie

Male Sports Personality of the Year :

Jonathan Mensah

Album of the Year :

Anloga Junction by Stonebwoy

Video of the Year :

Inna Song by Darko Vibes

SportsWoman of the Year

Mercy Tagoe

Film Director of the Year :

Shirley Frimpong-Manso

Event Host of the Year :

Kabutey Ocansey

Best Author :

Peace Adzo Medie

Accessories Designer of the Year :

Velma Accessories

Male Designer of the Year :

Chocolate Clothing

Cultural Troupe:

Kwan Pa

Special Recognition Award :

Folk musician & Highlife legend Agya Koo Nimo.

HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh has died at the ripe old age of 99 years at the Windsor Castle. The Royal Family Twitter account tweeted out the demise of Queen Elizabeth’s husband in the hours of brunch time 11:00 GMT.

It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021

The Royal Family’s instagram page was also updated with the grievous news. Many followers of the account, shared their condolences to the Queen and the royal family.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)

His Royal Highness Prince Philip was born on June 10, 1921 in Greece and married Queen Elizabeth in 1947. He is survived by 4 children and the 94 year old Queen Elizabeth.

Jack Dorsey tweeted possibly the best news this week for Twitter Ghana. Twitter has arrived in Africa and Ghana gets to be the HQ for it’s operations. Although brief, the tweet was shared with a link to a blog post on Twitter blog site and carried a uniquely created hashtag #TwitterGhana . I love it!

🇬🇭 Twitter is now present on the continent.

Thank you Ghana and @NAkufoAddo. #TwitterGhana https://t.co/tt7KR3kvDg

— jack (@jack) April 12, 2021

Naturally, Twitter is hiring to fill up positions for it’s Ghana team. You can find these 12 positions in the marketing and communications and publishing fields here on the Twitter Careers Site. Mind you these positions are remote-based.

Michael Montano, Lead, Engineering also tweeted upcoming roles in engineering. 🥳

Could not be more excited about this. Engineers in Ghana, we will share the job postings very soon! #TwitterGhana https://t.co/MSEt6dWM9M

— Michael Montano (@michaelmontano) April 12, 2021

His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo wasn’t going to left out of the action, also quoted Jack’s tweet expressing his excitement for the potential this holds for Ghana’s tech industry.

The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is EXCELLENT news. Gov’t and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country. 1/3 #TwitterInGhana #TwitterGhana https://t.co/HdCqFgXK0x

— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) April 12, 2021

The blog post also shared the reason why Ghana was chosen as it’s African operations office.

This move by Twitter also comes on the back of Jack’s 2020 tweet about staying in Ghana for 6months which many say was also a sign of a future Twitter office here.

It’s simply exciting times for the Ghana tech space. I’m excited to see young Ghanaians getting hired by Twitter which will inspire more youth in taking up STEM related courses.

How do you feel about this major news? Do share in the comments below.

I chose to breastfeed for 2years somewhere during the lockdown and what a whirlwind of exhaustion and emotions it’s been! I used to wonder how Moms dealt with breastfeeding a child with filled in baby teeth. Now I know. 😅 I am not sure it’s true when they say ‘baby boys love breastfeeding more than baby girls.” I think it’s a matter of the duration of the nursing period and how attached and connected the child becomes over time to being in Mommy’s arms. Because my daughter can suck breast and make everyone marvel!

During the early infant stages, she struggled to latch on properly because of my large nipples hence she would always sleep on the breast due to tiredness. Eventually when the milk flow improved after several manual and electrical breast pumping efforts, she was hooked! She was so hooked she even refused drinking expressed breastmilk from a bottle (plastic or bottle) and as for infant formula it wasn’t even an option anymore after 4months.

When she turned 1, I was ready to wean her but then COVID happened and I read some articles on how breastfeeding increased immunity in babies & toddlers against the virus so I decided to continue. I also felt I wasn’t ready to wean her yet not wanting to lose that close-knit emotional comfort and connection we shared when she was nursing. It’s a truly indescribable feeling of love.

A week ago, I just decided to just start weaning her off completely. I was exhausted from running the restaurant to handling toddler tantrums, teething , poor eating habits and increased breastfeeding demands at night and working hours. I had lost too much weight. I was emotionally and mentally drained. I remember trying bitter leaves back in January to wean her off. I mashed the leaves and applied it generously on each boob. Soon she climbed up to feed and I watched her closely. This child squeezed her face whilst sucking, paused and continued feeding! Like?? Unperturbed! 😭😭 It was time.

The Nanny and I came up with a plan to send her off to my Mom’s to spend the night and pick her up in the mornings for a week and during the day not to offer her the breast at all. Great idea! Would it work? We didn’t know but it was worth a try. Mind you, she’s never been away from me ever since she was born. So this was going to be tough on her. Also she sleeps with me in my bed and she’s always close to the boobs at night. Now she’s going to be in a different bed with zero access and a different human being. Ego beee kɛkɛ 🤣.

The week started as usual and soon it was time to pack her off! My cousin came to pick them up and I made a big show as though I was going along with them and immediately did a detour to my car before she could realise what was happening 😆. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about how the night would go knowing very well she wasn’t going to be exactly amused about not seeing her mother. But I shrugged it off and my inner me assured me that small crying will not kill her🙈😂.

For the first time since I had a baby, I slept long and deep without any interruptions! I had a long leisurely bath and felt so refreshed in the morning! Not for one second did I call the Nanny to enquire if all was well 😅. I had to be strong , committed and determined.💪🏾

Day 1 of Being Away From The Forfor

Just like I expected to hear from the Nanny, my mom and cousins in the house; IT WASN’T A JOKE!! She screamed for Mama all through the evening till 11pm before sleep overcame her. Nobody got a wink of sleep until after midnight. Then she woke up in the night crying again because no FORFOR! I actually felt sorry for her and everyone else in the house. 🤣 My Mom said at a point she took her for an evening walk to abate her cries and she pulled my Mom in the direction of every white car she saw ( I drive a white car). Then she started saying ‘I want to go to Mama’ . My daughter is actually very clear in her speaking skills and easily says what’s on her mind though in duo phrases which are easy to understand .

Day 2 of Being Away From The Forfor

This time I dropped them off myself and once she was settled in with her juice I ran out without saying goodbye.

This time she didnt get mad at everyone and apparently played a bit before sleeping. She's getting the memo. 🤣 During the day she only asked for the boob once and I distracted her by offering her cuddle time. That way she didn’t feel abandoned by my refusal to nurse her.

What I've been doing

1. I have been expressing out all the breastmilk to prevent engorging and painful mastitis. The milk just seems to be building up every morning 😭. Sometimes I hand express as it seems faster than the machine.

2. I don't offer her the boob like I used to and I don’t put myself in a position to encourage her to have access to the boob e.g. sitting or lying on the floor close by her as she plays. Social distancing the breastfeeding way 🤪

3. I stopped wearing nursing blouses and dresses with easy access for breastfeeding. I have been wearing blouses with high necks and dresses with complicated closures. Her every attempt is now a problem she’s not ready to solve so she gives up trying.

4. After she returns home, I give her lots of cuddles to reassure her that Mommy loves her and this is only temporary.

So far so good 😅 . I plan on plastering the entire boobhood when she returns after the final day so that at night she’ll search saaaa but no forforrr!!

Breastfeeding in the beginning is hard, breastfeeding at the end is also hard. I now also understand why some new moms give up breastfeeding so early. It’s really tough! nothing comes easy. But the nutritional and immunity pro’s of nursing your child on God-manufactured unadulterated unprocessed liquid gold farrrrr outweigh the tiredness, crankiness, scratches, mid-feeding slaps, nipple bites and all! 😂

I would really like to know what you also did to wean your toddler off breastfeeding. Was it challenging or a breeze? Do share your experience in the comments below.

I have never seen myself to be a maternal type of woman. I knew I was more of a tomboy during my formative years and even growing up I didn’t play with dolls like most girls did. I didn’t create make-believe doll families nor did I play pretend at being a mommy.

In my early twenties, I would look at my scrawny figure and would often laugh at my lack of ‘child-bearing hips’ they often mentioned and portrayed on television. I didn’t fall into the typical African woman body stereotype which often made me insecure. Basically, I wasn’t listing how many kids I would have one day or what their names would be.

So imagine my surprise when I got pregnant during the first year of marriage. Unexpected it was. I sat still on the toilet seat looking incredulous at the two lines on the pee stick. A mixture of trepidation and excitement all bungled together flipped through my stomach. I could get pregnant ! Amazing!

The early stages of pregnancy soon set in. I was constantly tired, sleeping at odd hours during the day and eating twice my usual portions.

Since I had never been pregnant , this was all new to me.

Hubby had travelled for some few weeks and I was home as usual working remotely for some clients. I was in my 8th week. I had dinner as usual and went to bed early. The cramps started in the middle of the night like menstrual cramps and the low abdominal pain woke me up from my sleep. For some reason or due to watching movie scenes where pregnant women saw blood spots on their nighties and white bedsheets; I flipped back the cover sheets to find a small circle of blood on the sheets. My heart was in my mouth and a low keening sound came out of me because somewhere within my heart I knew what it was. I was shaking like a leaf. It was 3am and I was alone. Who was I going to call and what ambulance was going to reach me in the middle of Frafraha? I called my gynaecologist several times to no avail. He must be sleeping I thought to myself. Hubby couldn’t be reached either. I was really alone and scared out of my wits. I tried to sleep through the pain and dozed in and out until it was 5am. The cramps hadn’t abated and the spotting was increasing so I used a pad. I went to wake up my neighbour in the next apartment who thankfully was already up. Gina assured me that all will be well. I felt a bit better.

I couldn’t take a shower but I managed to drive myself to the nearest SSNIT clinic in Adenta to hopefully see a gynaecologist as I was still unable to reach mine. I waited till 8am only to be told by someone that the gynaecologist comes on specific days in the week and that day wasn't one of them. By now I had called my Mom who immediately sounded distraught and tried in her own way to calm me down. The wooden bench at the clinic was the only thing my body could count on for support. I was almost in tears.

I finally reach my gynaecologist around 9am and he asked me to come by his office. Then another long wait because he had a flat tire on his way. Hubby finally called back and I told him what was going on. The gynaecologist arrived about 10am and an ultrasound scan revealed that the baby was okay but my oestrogen levels had slightly reduced. I was prescribed some drugs and asked to come back the next day. I was hopeful.

I was truly exhausted and drove back home praying whilst driving. The bleeding didn’t stop.

The next day I went for another scan and the doctor said the baby couldn’t latch on. I had lost it. I think for my whole life I have tried to put on a brave face in the face of bad news. Like when I drove my step-dad who had collapsed at home to the Achimota hospital and then I drove back home which was in West Legon to lock the doors only to come back and be told by the nurse that he had passed. Or the time when I was refused a visa to study at the University of Connecticut despite having a scholarship. Also that time when my father blatantly told me to my face that he didn’t have money to pay my hostel fees after I gained admission to the University of Ghana. A brave face has always been a cover to hide my pain and disappointment. I had that same look when I slowly walked out of his office. Hubby couldn’t believe it when I called to tell him. My Mom was also shocked and sad.

The tears couldn’t come but they were there in the silence of my car as I drove home with a life I would never come to see , feel or know. I had been given some meds to ‘clear’ the foetus out.

Physical Effects

The physical effects afterwards wrecked me. Days of watching the remnants of a life seep out of me took a toll on me. I was constantly in a pad and I noticed the gradual reduction of the pregnancy symptoms. It took about 3-4 weeks for fetal and placental tissue to come out of me. That was painful to see.

Mental Effects

I remember asking myself so many questions, “ what did I do wrong?” “ Did I overwork or not eat the right things?” I asked God several questions in prayer. Then the negative thoughts started creeping in one thought at a time, “I’m a failure” “ I wasn’t worthy of a child” “It’s my fault”. I refused to go anywhere and stayed holed in the house as my place of safety. I didn’t want to go to church. I lost my appetite and was nauseous all the time from the drugs that had to expel the fetal tissue.

Coping Through a Miscarriage

Nothing prepares you for a miscarriage and coping through one for me was more a mental decision to self-affirm myself and trust God again. I later discovered that several of my Aunties had also gone through their own personal miscarriages in their early years of trying for a child. They strengthened me to assure me that it will get easier. And it did get easier. I had such deep sad moments where I would wonder how the baby would have looked like. I took a break from work activities. I found myself drawing closer to God in prayer which I believe healed me mentally from those negative thoughts. Jeremiah 29:11 was my staunch prayer point. I later shared the news to a few friends who knew I was pregnant and they were supportive in their own way.

Recovering From A Miscarriage.

My body resumed ‘normal’ menstrual operations after about a month and half. The doctor assured me that I would get a safer healthy pregnancy after this whenever I was ready to start again. I told him I wasn’t ready at all. My body had to recover physically and emotionally.

Miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy is traumatic for any woman. Some people downplay a woman’s emotions and pain during a miscarriage and it’s truly regrettable most especially when the lack of empathy is from another woman.

People are super insensitive to couples who they deem should have a baby within their first year of marriage by asking all kinds of unsolicited intrusive questions. Why do you want to live someone’s life? What so interests you in when someone should start a family and how many they should have? It’s absurd and unloving.

I look at my daughter today and marvel at God's grace and mercies for such a precious gift and a second chance to experience his blessing. Sometimes I do wonder how my first would have been like. ☺️. I've been through it and trusted the Lord through it all.

It’s 1:31am and sleep beckons me. I hope my post will help anyone who’s going through this same storm; it gets easier. The pain will fade away one day. Your mourning will turn to dancing. Love and super light to you!

I used to be awed by the 3 months leave new moms had at my former workplace. Like 3 whole months away from work? Chale what a life that must be! Then when they returned to work, they had a half-day work day to go home for mommy duties. I was truly awed! Then I had a baby. 🤧

After the first 6 months of being a new Mom I honestly don’t know how Ghanaian new moms have had to deal with the meager 12 weeks maternity leave whilst working in either public and private sectors. As a self-employed woman, it’s been ‘easier’ having to juggle early motherhood with work duties. At the same time, I have often questioned and wondered how employed moms have managed with this insufficient maternity time off. And you know what kills me? There’s no paternity leave in the Ghana Labour Law for new Dads 🙄. Weren’t the men explicitly present during the making of the new family addition? Early parenthood is not a job only for new moms, the men have to rise up to being supportive partners when a child arrives and I’m not just talking about putting money on the table.

It’s most probable that this law was written and passed by men because there’s no way a woman would have supported the passing of such a law.

Maybe I should share my reasons as to why I think this unfair leave period should be re-evaluated immediately so you my reader will have a deeper appreciation of this issue.

1. The WHO & UNICEF bodies recommend that children must be breastfed within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding is no mean feat for many moms. I did it for 6 months and I can tell you how exhausting, painful and mind-bending it is, if not for the amazing health benefits for baby I would have quit. Even with the expressing of breastmilk to feed baby when a mom is away at work it is still stressful for a Mom to be at work and wondering if baby has been fed by the Nanny or caretaker at home. So if 6 months is the recommended period for exclusive breastfeeding why are Moms not being allowed this period away from their jobs?

2. After childbirth, a woman’s body needs to heal mentally and physically. I had a CS birth and it took about 6-7 weeks for my body to physically heal from the surgery and even after that I was still mentally not ready to start any form of work. Vaginal childbirth also requires both physical healing from either first or second-degree vaginal tearing as well as mental healing from the screams and agony of pushing a new life out.

3. Newborns don’t understand the adult version of sleep time. They sleep during the day and decide to play or be awake at night. Every mom’s & dad’s sleep pattern is forever altered for the next one to two years. The mental exhaustion of sleepless nights mostly endured by the Moms more than most Dads can affect productivity at work. I was once so knackered and drowsy that I dropped the baby whilst breastfeeding. God being so wise and good, she was okay 😅. I’ll never forget that night.

4. Baby brain is a thing. The mental & physical stress from sleepless nights, the female body hormones in total disarray, the constant checking on baby if she’s still breathing in her cot, changing of diapers for the 20th time creates a temporary memory condition called Baby Brain. This often happens during 3rd trimester and continues during the early motherhood stages. My friend told me about hers and I thought it was a joke until I started forgetting basic words and people’s names! I won’t even talk about the days I drove into town with my dress turned inside out, or leaving my phone on top of the car and driving off, or the time I had my hair bonnet on and drove to the pharmacy. Nah! I won’t talk about those times.

5. New Dads are being robbed of their time with their newborns with the zero paternity days in the Labor law. How is there no provision for new fathers? It’s crucial for men to spend time with their newborns to emotionally bond with them from an early start and also share in the responsibilities of caring for a baby. It’s unfair to leave childcare to a new mom and let her go through all the physical and mental exhaustion of nursing, diaper change, play time and then make sexual and food demands at the end of the day! Women aren’t superhuman.

These are just some of the reasons why I strongly advocate for the increase in maternity & paternity leave for mothers and new dads. It’s a lot they go through!

I know most employers are stiffly against this increment of our maternity leave to six months citing operational costs to argue their case. Corona virus has revealed that remote work is possible in Ghana thus offering more new moms holding managerial, administrative and back office jobs the opportunity to work online on assigned tasks. There’s Zoom calls for team meetings hence no need to struggle with Accra traffic for face-to-face meetings.

Due to the unjust weeks for maternity leave, many new moms are forced to accumulate their annual leave to add to the time off to take care of their newborn. I once saw a heavily pregnant woman at one of the major supermarkets in Osu. She looked ready to pop and my mind was cast back to when I was in her state. The tiredness and heaviness of carrying a full-term baby is buei! This should be a time for her to be resting at home with her feet propped up and eating good meals but for our chisel and unfair maternity leave here she is at post.

via GIPHY

Last year the NDC promised to increase maternity leave to 4 months if they won the December elections whilst introducing a 7 day paternity leave. Hurrumph! We can do better than this.

Its however encouraging to see private institutions like Vodafone Ghana demonstrate inclusivity by increasing parental leave to 4 months (both mothers and fathers) , i’m hopeful this would increase to 6 months and more organisations step up to the plate.

I apologise for any typos or misconstructed words as i’m in the last throes of baby brain 😋. Do you also think that our maternity leave in Ghana needs to be reevaluated and provision made for paternity leave? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section, i’d love to engage with you more!

I finally made the conscious decision to take a wellness & spiritual retreat. My mind and body have been constantly barraged & assaulted by the daily grind of running a restaurant and being a mother of a toddler. I could actually feel my mind tearing at the edges 😭. I've had to deal with relocation and it was always one storm after the other. I had friends advising me to take care of myself to be able to take care of my daughter. Not only was I physically drained but my spiritual life badly needed some rejuvenation. Last week I finally decided…Akosombo here I come!

Actually, i had to choose between Koforidua and Akosombo but the die fell on the serenity of river fronts and the serene scenes of Akosombo. Although I had driven to Akosombo before this was my first solo trip over the two hour journey.

Have you ever tried taking a road trip with Elevation Music on blast? Powerful! Almost like angels are carrying you on their wings to your destination. By the time I reached Kpong I was starving 😩😩 but the thought of a relaxing shower and good food kept me onwards. The road to Akosombo was in a much better condition than it was three years ago when I last visited. Pot holes are eating into the main road from the sidelines and one must be careful especially getting closer to Kpong.

Safe, tired and starving I arrived at Afrikiko Riverside Resort one of the few resorts dotting along the river Volta in Akosombo. This was my select hotel for rejuvenation , rest and reconnecting and what I saw was well pleasing to my eyes. The photos on Google maps doesn’t do enough justice to the greenery and flowery haven i dwelt in for the next 3 days. It's obvious from careful observation that alot of thought had gone into creating a unique garden and riverside dining experience. The touches of rustic and ocean elements are especially visible at the riverside restaurant. The garden area was immaculate and colorful with clever creative uses of hanging clay steamer bowls as lamp holders. Same steamers we use during the preparation of Kpokpoi. Marvelous. I was now stoked to have lunch and everything else the hotel had to offer!

Lunch on my first day was average with respect to taste and flavour balance. I usually prefer a la carte menu options than having to pay the GHC90 buffet lunch (which the hotel was offering) . Buffets can tend to be too commercial like a mass-produced product where everyone gets the same thing whether they like it or not. An a la carte menu however is the one the chef takes time to prepare specially for me. But the Chicken Yassa didn't live up to my expectations but I was too tired to argue whatsmore the splendour of the river Volta sated my hunger more.

My next two days were prayer filled, sleeping as much as I could, worshipping, writing in my journal and driving through the Akosombo township. How is the township soo clean and serene?? I was literally puzzled at the cleanliness of the town. Was it VRA responsible or the Port military? Whatever they are doing there, maybe Accra can learn a lesson or two or million. And the trees!! The breeze! The town is so green and serene to a fault. There’s something magical about experiencing the slow rise of the morning sunrise over the majestic green hills and watching it’s rays shimmer over the gentle lapping of waves of a river. You’re silenced in the awe and majesty of God’s creations. How can you say there’s no God? 😋

Breakfast at Afrikiko was sad and I was truly disheartened how such a gorgeous hotel couldn’t get a simple meal like breakfast right. Bland omelettes, water dispenser used for dispensing hot water for tea were just some of the less satisfactory experiences. I decided to report the issue to the hotel manager but for some really weird reason, this person was never around whenever I enquired of them. Intentional? I have no idea oh! I stopped eating at the hotel altogether and chose to drive all the way to Atimpoku for Aboloo, Shrimp, Fried turkey, Fried Snails and One Mouth Thousand fish. That was way more tasty and pocket friendly 🙌🏾.

Dinner for me was also out of the question because I was told there was no a la carte service during dinner time only the buffet. I was stumped! Why did I have to pay GHC90 for a buffet which didn’t even serve dessert? Yep. No dessert.

I drove up to one of the oldest hotels in Ghana; the Volta Hotel which sits majestically on a hill close by to the Akosombo Dam . The hotel really shows its age. It still bore the timelessness of terrazzo walls!

A friend raved about the food there and I wasn’t disappointed at all! I highly recommend that you try out the Oriental Perch with fries! It was sooo good!

The texture of the fish had a bit of crunch yet amazing juiciness and flavour! The vegetables had the perfect bite and crunch and all washed down with a chilled glass of Shandy! A remarkably unforgettable lunch! I was reliably informed that Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah brought the Perch fish into Ghana by depositing the fingerlings into the dammed Volta. So if you’re a perch lover, guess where you should be headed. The service there was attentive and friendly. My tummy was one happy jolly fella.

Although I didn’t go on a boat cruise, several visitors to the resort took turns on the boat. That was a trip I had gone on before 3 years ago so i passed this time. Weekends are busy days at most resorts in Akosombo and most people come for a day’s trip to explore the green landscape & river serenity or go for a swim in the hotel’s pool. My painting set from Acrilex came in handy for one of my restful moments but how intriguing it is that one can get so engrossed in painting that before you realise a whole 2 hours has gone by like in a snap ! e go over you! But I loved the challenge of combining primary colours in producing other colours. I struggled with getting purple ankasa ! Red is no joke!

The service at Afrikiko was average and I managed with the barest they had. If you ever visit, ask of Emily. She was so helpful and patient in taking my photos 😊. Either the hotel was understaffed or the pandemic had hit them hard because I kept seeing the same staff every day since I was there. It got me worried about hospitality worker health and safety. I know how exhausting it is for service workers and seeing the same personnel got me wondering if they were getting enough rest for the next shift. Hmm..it’s not easy.

I had a restful time at Afrikiko Resort. The ambiance is excellent, the customer service scores average, the rooms standard ( no working phones and dustbins and no division between shower and toilet oh and internet doesn’t get to the rooms ) and food is below average. Overall, I had a well-deserved time away and God spoke to me just as I was leaving that Sunday morning. Pastor Mensa Otabil preached a message which hit my soul! It was such a rescuing reassuring message that took me on my knees! Hmm…

If you ever need that time away from the hustle and craziness of Accra, you must absolutely road trip your way to Akosombo. You’ll leave refreshed and ready for progress. Take my word for it. Oh by the way, take along an iced chest with you and grab some fresh Tilapia & prawns at the Kpong fishing village on your way back home to Accra.

On my drive back to the city, I passed through Akosombo Continental Hotel where I stayed three years ago and my expectations of more improvements were dashed 😔. The hotel looked much in need of renovation. They must have been hit hard by the pandemic as well. It looked much brighter when I was last there and the service was literally in shambles. It's such a beautifully located riverside hotel right next to the Adomi bridge! I was so sad. Chale, the local hotels need us as Ghanaians to travel local to sustain domestic tourism. These hotels are employing locals who have families like you and I. The pandemic hit every hospitality industry hard! From restaurants, tourism sites, airlines to hotels. No one escaped unscathed. So let's do our bit and stay local. God bless us all!!! 💕💕💕

Well that was fleeting. Twitter announced earlier this week, a rather unexpected plan of killing of Fleets on August 3, 2021.

we're removing Fleets on August 3, working on some new stuff

we're sorry or you're welcome

— Twitter (@Twitter) July 14, 2021

If you are similarly shocked about this development, you aren’t the only one. What’s their reason for shutting down the “Stories” like feature of the bird app? Not enough engagement aka not a conversation starter. Read their blog post giving further explanations here. Well, on that side of things that’s totally true. I would post several photo & video content and out of maybe three Fleets posted I would get one emoji reply to that tweet in my DM’s. 😣

If you are new to Twitter (whew !) Fleets is similar to Instagram Stories (get it?) Users get to tweet about their day, upcoming events , what lunch looks like in a photo, text or video format. Same thing but with a different UI experience.

But gauging from people’s replies, some actually don’t 🤷🏽‍♀️ about Fleets send off.

The 5 people who used fleets must be really disappointed

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) July 14, 2021

However, they plan on releasing something more exciting than Fleets in the coming weeks. What’s it going to be? We already have Spaces for audio conversations and Fleets is dead oh and did you know Periscope died too? Shocking! Is Twitter becoming Google? 🤦🏾‍♀️ At least we can still go live from the native Twitter app so there’s that. Oh wait! Perhaps it’s the EDIT BUTTON!! Nah. Keep dreaming.

Let’s wait to see what’s coming from our favourite blue bird app.

Have you been looking for educational and fun apps for your toddler? Are you tired of ‘strange ads’ showing up in some apps whilst your child is engaged with tracing baby shark? Here are some tried and recommended iOS and Android apps for your toddler.

Educational apps not only develop your child’s cognitive skills but also helps your toddler in phonological awareness , letter writing and vocabulary.

These apps are free to download and play (no subscription or packages) with zero ads. No need to break the bank with these apps. They have quality user experience, easy for your toddler to engage with and also have screen time management features (that’s so key). The best educational apps are fun whilst inspiring curiosity in your child.

A Few Parental Control Tips Though:

1. Turn on Screen Time features on your main phone privacy settings to help reduce the amount of time your child spends on each app. It’s recommended that 15 minutes is the best time but we parents know that we have crossed that line a few times.

2. It’s important to engage with your child on these apps to familiarise yourself with the content as well. This also helps your child to connect with you as a parent and helps build their communication and interaction skills. Don’t just give them the phone and leave them at it. Watch and play alongside whilst giving hi-fives on each accomplished activity. It’s actually a stress-relieving activity to engage in especially after a few stressful zoom meetings.

1. Fisher Price Learn & Play (Powered by Homer)

   A fantastic iOS & Android app for babies up to 5years of age.. It’s fantastic in design and so easy to swipe through the activities which include Letters & Shapes, Song-Singing, Colouring, Animal Sounds, Stickers etc. It’s interactive and highly responsive. Puppy which is the main character in the app and you’ll find him singing and talking in most of the activities. He also interacts with other diverse animal characters such as Monkey & Elephant. You also have the Parents View where you can play ambient sounds for your child’s nap time or select a particular viewing screen for him/her. Find the Android version here and the iOS app here .

2. Khan Academy Kids

This kid-safe and educational app is amazing and it comes at no surprise that it’s an Editors Choice app on the AppStore. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then get right to it! It’s excellent in helping build your child’s math skills at a basic level and reading skills as well. It has a whole library of phrases, alphabet phonics tracing, numbering and lettering activities which also accessible offline or when you have run out of data! Which parent wouldn’t like this? Priceless! It’s suitable for toddlers from 2-8 years. It’s completely ad-free and doesn’t require any in-app purchases. Download the Android version here . The iOS app can be found here .

3. Fish School

Such a cool education and fun app for toddlers between 2-5. A Khan Academy developed app, its simple & colourful in design making it interesting for your toddler to be engaged whilst learning. Fish School takes your child underwater and uses colourful exotic fishes to teach alphabets, letters , numbers , colours and so much more! Switch easily from Letters to Alphabets on the bottom left corner and teach your child to do same. Find the Android app here.

These are my top 3 recommendations for you if you are a new toddler parent looking for apps that help in your little one’s education whilst keeping them occupied whilst you are on that zoom call.

Don’t forget to engage with them as well! It’s very important for their overall development.

Ghana Queen of Instagram witty & rib cracking captions, best Ghanaian celebrity tik-toker and everyone’s favourite female Ghanaian actress, Lydia Forson is serving seriously fabulous weekend lewks and we are all here for it!

Posting from Florida, our Queen of sass and foineness is inspiring us all with these weekending, holidaying fashion mood boards. Sis leave some for your humble servants oh!

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This!! We are not worthy Lydia!

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Step on our necks Auntie!!

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Which look is your ‘gotta have this?” All of them!!! You better turn on her post notifications for the next show stopper!

It's quite disturbing  to see a number of parents driving with kids leaping about in the back seat or babies and toddlers being held in the arms of other adults in the front or back seat. Another disturbing occurrence is parents leaving young children in the car whilst they dash into a nearby supermarket. 

These events are nothing new but when you suddenly become a parent the reality hits you harder when you see other parents putting their child's life at risk unknowingly. Are we so reliant on God's grace and protection that we fail to take child car safety seriously? 

Is it the cost of a child car seat that discourages most parents from securing their children safely in age appropriate car seats? 

I recently noticed to my horror a man in an SUV driving on a potholed road whilst trying to hold a baby that looked like a six month old in his arms! Like?? What recklessness is this? How are Ghana police looking on and not fining these drivers. 

I have legit seen toddlers left alone in a parked car whilst the mother or father is in a nearby shop. With even the windows rolled down its still very risky as anyone can break the window and grab the child. Are we ignorant to the recent kidnappings and ritual murders?

One time I walked out of a pharmacy to find a man and woman trying to wake up their sleeping kids in the locked air-conditioned vehicle. There were four children between the ages of 3 and 7 all fast asleep! I helped them in knocking on the windows and doors but to no avail! They shook the car violently and nothing! They looked on helplessly. There was no phone inside the car and all the windows were tightly rolled up. After 5 minutes I left. I returned to the pharmacy the next day only to be told that the older child woke up after about 10 minutes! Apparently this was a regular unsafe habit by most parents who came by the pharmacy; leaving their kids in the car. A child / children left in a car for a period of time can become unconscious due to carbon monoxide leakages in the car or suffer heat stroke. 

As a new parent I got to actually understand why one would feel "pressured" to dash in quick and grab something from a shop whilst baby is sleeping in the back. You're tired from lack of sleep and diaper changing and don't want to go through the whole brouhaha of unlatching and unclipping safety locks everytime. But here's the thing which I told myself everytime I had that feeling of " I'll be quick"; "that few seconds of being quick can actually be a very costly life altering one"! Always put your child's  safety first. 

Many parents are placing their children's lives at extremely high risk with their insensitive actions and inactions and this has to stop. Violations must be met with strict fines. 

I have heard the argument of "hmm when I put my child in the car seat he screams and cries so I take him out."  My next question I usually ask is "if they cry will they die?" 😂  Eventually the child will get the message and stop fussing. The earlier you start your child in their car seat the less frustration for you trying to get them used to it in later years. 

In as much as you'd invest in quality baby diapers and toys for your child you should do same for your child's car seat needs. There are many brands of child car seats on the market and as a parent it falls on you to be knowledgeable about the safety features, type of seat (baby or booster car seat), if it's fit for your vehicle and it's age & weight appropriateness.  

A few weeks ago, my car had shaft issues and whilst it was at the workshop i used Uber to send Essi to school. As i held on to her in the vehicle, i couldn’t help but pray for journey mercies. This was literally how most parents would send their kids to school and it’s darn scary! If you absolutely can, please buy a child car seat.

Baby car seats are for newborns (0+)  Toddlers and younger children require booster seats till about age 7/8 when they can fit properly in the car seat belt. Some child car seats can be manually readjusted from age 0 to 8 years. Those are a worthy investment as it saves you from buying a car seat twice.

Here's a useful and more comprehensive guide on the types of child car seats. 

Child Passenger Safety

Avoid buying second hand baby car seats on the market as its difficult to determine if it has any damages. If however another parent that you personally know and trust wants to kindly give theirs out then that's fine. Ensure you have the manual for installation and nothing is missing. It's also best to test if it will fit in your car before a purchase.

Another child safety feature in most cars is the child safety lock which can be found in the door edges of most modern vehicles. Kids will always play with the door handles and God forbid should that door open whilst you're navigating Accra traffic. 

We must make every effort also as concerned citizens to warn our mom friends and dad's and any caregiver on the dangers of leaving a child in the hot sun in the car. We take alot of things for granted in this our Ghana 🙈. Buckle up your child!

Decorating your home can be daunting especially if it’s your first home rental or a newly built family home. There are many themes and interior ideas to choose from ; minimalist, retro, bohemian, contemporary etc. But which ever theme you decide to go along with, these on-trend african handmade crafts will complete the look and impress your home visitors on their incredible texture, array of colours, design and function.

1. Bolga Baskets

• Incredible colours, intricate weaving and outstanding patterns! Bolga baskets are woven in the Northern part of Ghana in a region called Bolgatanga and are an iconic craft items amongst all other handmade crafts in the region. The baskets are woven from wild elephant grass which are soft, malleable and very durable. A bola basket can last years if kept dry and indoors.

  How to use Bolga Baskets As Interior Decor Pieces.

• Use them as pot baskets for all your indoor plants, a book holder tray on a shelf, fruit basket holder on the dining table, wall decor / hanging pieces etc.

2. Woven Bolga Straw Fans

Imagine these beautiful woven straw fans arranged symmetrically on your living room wall! It renders a homeliness and globally conscious style to your home. A timeless interior piece which will never go out of style.

You can combine bolga basket trays with the fans for extra texture & design. It tells a deeper story.

3. African Print Decor Accents

With a little creative thinking you can create some fantastic decor pieces from african print fabrics. Check out these inspirations ;

• Bogolan “Mudcloth” wall hangings - Mudcloth originates from Mali and has until recent years become a key cultural Malian identity. With a dizzying array of patterns and earthy colours, it’s the perfect decor addition to your home interiors whether as throw pillows or wall hangings.

• Ghanaian Tie & Dye fabrics

  Tie & Dye fabrics made in Ghana are very distinctive in colour and patterns which makes them all the more an excellent choice for making throw pillows, bedspread covers etc out of them.

Box lampshades made from African print are all the rage and here to stay! You can buy an existing simple lampshade and diy it using your choice African print. Go for the bold patterns!

How about these african print fabric pot holders? You love to see it!

4. African Beads

Beads aren’t just a culturally relevant jewellery in Africa but can also be transformed into stand-out interior pieces especially in the living room. Choose bold & large-sized wooden, glass or stone beads for making interior statements. Hang them over pots, books, shelves and art pieces. Striking beauties!

5. Paint Works By African Artists

There’s a treasure trove of paint artworks by African artists to choose from to add colour and amazingness to your white walls. You can choose abstract , surrealism or modernism painting style works depending on the interior theme you desire.

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Are you inspired yet?

Ghana Twitter timeline is literally ablaze with wildly circulating news of Shatta Wale being allegedly shot somewhere in East Legon. The PR of the dancehall king by the name of Nana Dope has apparently been posting wildly on his Whatsapp status regarding this ‘incident’ which have left his fans & haters wondering whether this is a hoax or a terrible tragedy. Twitter influencer @Gyaigyimi shared this rather disturbing status a couple of hours ago on his timeline.

the second screenshot seems to focus on Shatta Wale’s PR asking people not to share a ‘purported’ video of the alleged incident. But this so-called video is yet to surface anywhere on Twitter.

So is this a real incident? Or a promotion for his delayed GOG album which will be in honestly bad taste if it turns out to be a hoax. Where is the alleged video????

Meanwhile the Ghana Police Service issued a statement on their Facebook page regarding this viral news of Shatta Wale’s alleged shooting incident.

Who shot Shatta Wale? Nobody knows. There’s an ongoing discussion on Twitter of a prophecy spoken by one Jesus Ahuofe on how a superstar dancehall artiste is going to be attacked by certain individuals on this day 18th October. However he will be praying for this person who’s first name is Charles. Watch the video here.

Today is 18th October ?? This man said this about Shatta Wale 🙀 pic.twitter.com/xUAw2dffj2

— ABOA BANKU😮‍💨🇬🇭🇳🇬 (TWO TERTY) (@Aboa_Banku1) October 18, 2021

Responses from most people are on the side of skepticism and also how most fake prophets hire people to ‘act’ out their prophecies in order to draw members to their churches. Far-fetched? Close to the truth most likely.

Mo de3. They’ll give prophecies and if you don’t take care, they’ll hire people to make sure the prophecies come to pass so they get memebers. Geee, these things no dey hia, as you see why you no pray to prevent am? What’s the essence of seeing it then?

— wavy.faith 🕊 (@kanzo_5000) October 18, 2021

Meanwhile entertainment bloggers will be like

Let us all pray he’s safe and sound.

UPDATE 19th October 2021

In a recently published Facebook post the “allegedly shot” Shatta Wale has come out to say he faked the shooting. https://www.facebook.com/100044210240594/posts/429728375177500/?d=n

The Facebook post with an insincere apology sought to justify his actions.

What are your thoughts on this?

Some people predicted a hoax shooting. Others actually were traumatised and held up prayers for the life of Shatta Wale after it came out on Twitter that he had been allegedly shot in East Legon. I guess those who know him very well just didn’t believe in the socially reported incident.

Shatta Wale himself has come to confess that the he faked the whole incident as a form of sending a message out there as a warning against certain doomsday proclaiming prophets in Ghana.

Fans and non-fans are sharing their opinions on his actions which got people very disturbed.

I will never take Shatta Wale serious again in my life Herh! How can you use death as a root for hype?? Ah!

— Highest Majesty (Coolest Boy)🦅 (@kwaku_majesty_) October 19, 2021

Shatta Wale must be arrested!!!!!!!

— X (@mycelin) October 19, 2021

People are saying SHATTA WALE cause fear and panic to them is really funny. As if when they heard the news yesterday they care bout WALE aaa mah lmao 😂, PRETENDERS Fuo ni gyimii 🤣🤣💔. y'all TRIPPIN'

— SHATTA BA CONFIRM (MOKO HOO)🔥 (@shattabaconfirm) October 19, 2021

Samini Dagaati tweeted this earlier

Chirman @shattawalegh go crack expensive joke but the current #igp is not laffin 😁 ... now the matter chop hot and gangsters are on the run 😂😂😂 Accra is #burning 💨💨💨 .. ok I stop I stop 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Bandana ne gyimiiii di3 ooooo d333bida smh.

— SAMINI (@samini_dagaati) October 19, 2021

Deborah Vanessa passed a comment related to negative prophecies

Remember that you give power to whatever you believe in. Be careful not to indulge in negative prophecies. Stop attracting fear. Move with vim and a positive attitude always.

— Sister Deborah (@deborahvanessa7) October 18, 2021

It’s chaos!

Personally, I am highly disappointed and appalled for the decision he took in a so-called bid to warn Ghanaians about today’s prophets & their prophecies. Was this the wisest course of action to take? Did he weigh the consequences of his actions before going all out rambo-style? And if someone has prophesied about your life which is threatening, shouldn’t the first call of action be reporting them to the police? How can the police know you’ve been threatened if they haven’t received a complaint from you or other persons? It’s truly disturbing. And his PR going off on his WhatsApp status…what was that???

Whats been done about ‘life-threatening prophecies’ being declared by certain prophets on radio & other media platforms? Why aren’t they arrested for making such claims or shouldn’t the media report such individuals once it’s been uttered?

what are your thoughts on this hoax & brouhaha? Will Shatta Wale be arrested and charged like Josephine who faked her own kidnapping? Let’s wait and see.

Your friend just whatsapped you first shots of their new baby and suddenly you are racking your brain on what to gift them. You’ve never bought any baby related gift before and this looks kind of complicated. But it really isn’t. This gift ideas list is not a full list but an extremely relevant one that will guide you in your purchasing decision.

1. Diapers

   Never underestimate how immensely grateful your friends will be when they receive a box (xes) of newborn diapers from you. They might even hug and kiss you in appreciation despite corona protocols :). A baby will wear diapers for a year and more and the more diapers new parents have the better. Also a newborn baby will poop at least 3 or 4 times a day every day until about a month and half-old when it reduces to about twice a day. Newborn diapers are easy to find in any baby shop in the city. But extreme comfort for the baby is very crucial so look out for these highly recommended diaper brands for newborns; Pampers Newborn Swaddlers and Huggies Little Snugglers. A newborn baby can’t stand wetness when they pee or poop hence the need for high grade diapers that ensure drynesss and comfort. A cranky baby means cranky parents and even as a friend you don’t want that for them.

2. Baby Milk

Baby milk can seem complex and confusing for you if you’re buying it as a gift for the new parents. Always find out from the new Mom if she’s exclusively breastfeeding before buying a box of formula milk, that way you avoid an awkward situation. Formula milk acts as a milk supplement when a new mom is struggling with breastfeeding or when the flow is low. NAN 1 formula milk is usually recommended by paediatricians during a low breastmilk flow phase. Other formula milk includes SMA and Aptamil. It’s best to read the label to know the type you’re buying.

3. Baby Skincare products

Baby’s skin needs the best skincare products on the market. There are many baby oils and lotions on the market but none of them beats natural, non-perfumed shea butter. It works wonders for baby, gentle and protects baby’s skin from dry weather conditions. Buy organic shea butter from a trusted vendor or order directly from the North in large quantities for the new baby and parents. Shea butter also is an excellent organic butter which prevents nappy rashes and other skin ailments.

4. Baby Wipes

Like diapers, baby wipes are a treasured gift for new parents. Wipes are used to clean baby’s bum after every diaper change, to wipe up that unexpected milk spit-up on baby or mommy, to clean up after feeding or to wipe down baby’s toys. Baby wipes are super useful in an insane number of ways, even for house cleaning! Best to buy a box which usually has about 10 smaller packs of wipes which can last about a month or so depending on usage. Such a kingly gift. Best baby wipes brands are Pampers, Huggies, SoftCare, Mamia and Little Angels. Tried and highly recommended.

Buying Tip: Avoid buying baby wipes which are labelled with “Fragrance” as the newborn baby can react badly to whatever scented chemical is present in the wipes. Choose unscented baby wipes.

5. Baby Toys

What toy does a newborn baby need? Plushies and rattles. Plushies are toys made from cloth and stuffed with a soft material. Baby’s brain starts developing every single second and plushies and rattles help them in their sensory and mobility as well as cognitive development. Choose plushies and rattles that are soft to the touch and brightly coloured. Newborn babies love all those incredible colours! These are also available at most baby shops.

6. Baby Video Monitor

This amazing piece of baby security equipment will be loved by any new parent if they haven’t bought one for themselves already. These monitors have two-way audio and visual features which allows a parent to be able to monitor a baby’s activity from anywhere in the house. There are several brands to choose from. Look out for ones that are battery powered, have wifi features, zoom lens, large screens and motion detection features.

7. If All Else Fails , Send Momo

Cash never fails. Send your friends Momo or an enveloped cash gift. But new parents have a lot of work to do and buying gifts helps save them time on running around looking for baby supplies.

What gift did you buy your friends’ who just became new parents or a new Mom? Do share in the comments, i’d love to read your experience ! And don’t forget to share this post on all your WhatsApp groups :-D