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How Airtel’s Touching Lives Touched My Life – Sylvanus Bedrah
“Everybody dreams of all the things they could do; Everybody wants some day to have their dreams come true; If only we can get a little help to see them through; What a wonderful world it would be!” Over two years ago, I received that life-changing call from the TOUCHING LIVES team to be part of the maiden edition of the life-transforming initiative and reality show by the former brand name of Airtel (Zain). I counted myself very blessed to have been selected out of the over thousand nominations that were put through at the time.
As a young budding writer who wrote his first two books at age thirteen, I was practically over the moon to have known that, Airtel Ghana will support me nurture my creative writing talent by giving me the necessary push. This was at a typical time that the script of my just completed 150-page novel was just sitting on the center table, waiting impatiently to get published so it could get to its target audience to serve its purposes – Educate and Entertain.
It is sarcastically said that, “to write is human but to publish is divine” and I was very fortunate to have the “Touching Lives Team” becoming that divine intervention for me; having the first 1,000 copies of my novella “THE BLOODY INGRATE” (Betrayal of Trust) printed for me for free, among other supportive incentives! Am I not lucky! What more could I have asked for? I am proud to say today that, this book is becoming a bestseller with over 7,000 copies sold within two years and still counting. I am again particularly glad that, this book has been very much accepted by the senior high schools, thereby making it a compulsory read for the students due to how educative and entertaining it is.
By the special grace of God, this book won me the “Young Professional (Writer) of the Year” during the “Youth Excellence Awards” which was organized by Waves International and British Council to appreciate, celebrate and reward excellence among the youth in the country in March 2011. In April 2012 this same “red” book won me the “Youth Impact Ghana Awards” (YIGA) in the category of “Arts and Entertainment.” I am so much humbled by all these recognitions. Let me say here again that, I have solely dedicated those two awards to Airtel Ghana. I believe in the saying that, “give honour to whom honour is due.”
As I expect more laurels and hope to “touch” more lives with my books, let me quickly add that, I currently have two unpublished works that I hope to add to my already three books in the market before the end of this year with the working titles: “Holding on to Hope” and “… Until one Sunday Morning … ”. Today, I can add that bragging title and profession; ‘Writer’ or ‘Author’ to my name, courtesy Airtel Ghana. If not for anything at all, let us all be grateful to Airtel Ghana for giving one Ghanaian that urge to rekindle the flames of the likes of Ayi Kwei Armah , Ama Atta Aidoo and Nigeria’s Chinua Achebe. Just to buttress the importance of Writing and Reading, it is said that, “Writers are the engineers of the human soul” and of course, “a reading nation is a winning nation.”
To Airtel Ghana, the title of my book will be the best adjective to describe me if I do not give you the credit for what I am today and whatever I will become tomorrow. I am so much grateful to you for turning my mere imaginations into a glorious reality. I salute you for introducing and continuing that ground-breaking reality show that is changing lives and giving hope to the hopeless – AIRTEL’S TOUCHING LIVES. Sylvanus Bedzrah is the author of THE BLOODY INGRATE. He was one of the beneficiaries of the first season of Airtel’s Touching Lives corporate social responsibility initiative. His book, which was first published with the support of Airtel Ghana, is currently a compulsory reading material for Senior High Schools in Ghana]]>
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King Promise thrills fans at sold-out show in Singapore
Ghanaian singer King Promise has made history by being the first Afrobeats star to headline a concert in Singapore. (more…)
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Ice Spice remix stamps Cash Cobain’s “Fisherrr” as the Song of the Summer
Billboard Rookie of the Month, and multi-hyphenate NYC star, Cash Cobain has just linked up with Ice Spice for the long-awaited video remix for “Fisherrr”(feat. BaySwag) [18m+ Streams]. After bubbling the past few years with R-rated anthems over his own ethereal production – creating the playful “sexy drill” sound that he’s pioneered and taken to mainstream heights, Cash Cobain is stamping himself as a serious song of the summer contender with this remix.
Following up his two smash singles “Dunk Contest” (8m+) and “Fisherrr” (pronounced, ‘for sure), Cash is primed for his moment in the spotlight –– hitting 1M Monthly Listeners on Spotify, Top 3 NYC Shazam Charts, having occupied the #1 + #3 slots of the NYC Apple Music Charts, hitting #45 on the Urban Radio Charts and counting, and now landing Ice Spice’s third feature ever –– in the words of COMPLEX, “the summer of 2024 is looking very slizzy”. On the highly-anticipated remix, Ice Spice is simply in top-tier shape.
Adding her signature magnetic ‘it-girl’ flair, charming cadence, and instantly-coinable one-liners, she bolsters the lightning-hot single into astronomical territory with the opening lines –– “Got an attitude but I’m feelingless, so I ain’t mad at you, And I’m tatted too on this fatty-tude, I’m the baddest boo”.
The long-overdue collab from the two Bronx natives is seamless, with her being a tailor-fit alongside the ethereal, dreamy production and silky smooth verses from Bay Swag and Cash. With the recent releases of “Dunk Contest” (watch Genius ‘Open Mic’) and now the Ice Spice-assisted remix for “Fisherrr” (feat. BaySwag), Cash Cobain is using his collaborative momentum from last year to continue elevating his signature sound, showcasing its influential and ever-growing widespread appeal in the process. In the words of Cash:“It’s a beautiful record. It feels amazing, it feels like NYC is back stronger than ever with me and Spice -– two Bronx legends. Get ready for the song of the summer.”
Last month, Cash took over NYC with his birthday show, ‘Slizzyfest’ at Irving Plaza –– a night that was slated as a stacked lineup of NY’s finest, with rumors of an A-list superstar surprise set. After chatter spread online and the hype reached a fever pitch, the crowd became too much to handle and the show was ultimately canceled –– but Cash wanted to give the fans their money’s worth so he ventured into Union Square and threw a makeshift show with his crew, a Bluetooth speaker, and hundreds of adoring fans (read ‘I Went to Cash Cobain’s Slizzyfest and All I Got Was That Classic NYC Feeling’ via Rolling Stone + statement in Billboard).
Also in Billboard, Cash recently teased potential collaborations with Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Don Toliver (seen filming a music video here), Lil Yachty and more –– a surefire sign of the worldwide stardom soon to come. These recent releases arrive on the heels of a career-defining year in 2023 that closed with the production of PinkPantheress‘ “Nice To Meet You” (feat. Central Cee), which debuted at #20 on Billboard Hot 100 (he also starred alongside her in a nationally-syndicated Apple commercial for the new MacBook).
This was preceded by producing Drake’s “Calling For You” (feat. 21 Savage), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, DJ’ing at Travis Scott‘s Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet event, and releasing his critically-acclaimed debut solo album Pretty Girls Love Slizzy with Giant Music.
Please find links to stream the new “Fisherrr” Remix (feat. Ice Spice) below, and stay tuned for more announcements:
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Tobinco Pharmaceuticals LTD donates drugs worth GHc 155k to Lekma Hospital in celebration of World Malaria Day.
In commemoration of World Malaria Day, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited exemplified its commitment to healthcare by donating an anti-malaria drug worth GH155,000 to the LEKMA Hospital in Teshie. (more…)
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Celestine Donkor Sets the Record Straight on Weight Loss Surgery Speculation
Award-winning Ghanaian artist, Celestine Donkor has addressed speculations regarding her potential pursuit of weight loss surgery, clarifying that she hasn’t made any decisions in that regard. (more…)
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Akua Music unveils heartfelt music video for hit single ‘Miss You Bad’
Akua Music, the acclaimed singer-songwriter known for her soulful melodies and emotive lyrics, has just released the highly anticipated music video for her latest single, ‘Miss You Bad.’ The video, directed by Joseph Amino, captures the essence of the song’s message and showcases the singer’s raw talent and creativity. (more…)
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