Savanna News
Innovative ExGlo Foundation Sparks Positive Change In 2 Towns
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ExGlo Foundation shines Bright.
In a spirit of giving and teaching how to fish, ExGlo Foundation once again stepped out into the regions. This time around, the beneficiaries were the Tamale Girls Senior High School in the Northern Region & Srafa D/A Basic School/community, in the Central Region. As an organization operating on the principle of meeting the real needs of people, the activities in these two regions were based on a needs assessment conducted earlier in the year.
ExGlo Foundation has previously been involved in paying school fees for students from deprived communities, donating school supplies such as tables and chairs for staff and students, health screenings and talks, career guidance, and equipment for processing raw materials such as shea nuts, among other things. The foundation continues to strive in diversifying its impact projects and supporting livelihood ventures.
ExGlo Foundation in Tamale
The needs assessment found that young girls in Tamale had a high tendency to start their own businesses after high school when they are not able to continue their education. However, with little to no skill acquisition, this desire did not always materialize for people who lacked financial resources. ExGlo Foundation was there to fill that hole by teaching these girls for free.
ExGlo Foundation in Srafa
The situation for the Srafa community was different yet precarious. In a farming community, girls unable to pursue higher education join their parents on the farms to support themselves and their families; and given that farming is a seasonal occupation, the women become idle when the season is over. With most women being housewives, skills acquisition could put them on the path equip to financial freedom.
The Goodies ExGlo Foundation delivered
The ExGlo Foundation team visited these two regions on different dates; on the 12th of November 2022, students of Tamale Girls Senior High School received their skills training in Liquid Soap and Bead making.
The ExGlo team later travelled to the Central region on the 18th of November 2022 to visit the Srafa Community. The visitation was in 2 phases. The first phase was the donation of some essential needs of their basic school to facilitate learning as well as the provision of materials to enhance good menstrual hygiene. Items donated to the school included markerboards, sanitary pads, towels, soaps, African print cloths (to cover themselves with it in the washroom when changing), dozens of panties and a cupboard was delivered.
menstrual hygiene items can be kept. ExGlo foundation also repaired the spoilt hand wash basin in the washrooms and fixed the markerboards as well.
The second phase involved the entire community, but primarily the women. They were taught how to make shampoo, liquid soap, and pastries, which was a huge success. The women were equipped with these skills to help them generate extra income to support themselves and their families.
This year’s Skills Development Training was sponsored by St John’s Hospital and Fertility Centre, Tantra Hill roundabout, as part of their corporate social responsibility, Best Western Premier, Accra Airport Hotel, and other benevolent people, ExGlo once again moved to impact lives. Special thanks to all who supported making sure these two programs were a success, especially Mr Michael Sandow Ali (the chairman of the board), Mr Abeiku Aggrey Santana, Prof. Joshua Y. Abor, Prof. Mrs Vera Fiador, and other family & friends.
Despite targeting the Central Region, Northern Region, Upper East Region, and Upper West Region for the Skills Development Training of 2022, ExGlo had to limit the number of locations to 2 due to financial constraints. However, the organization continues to seek support from the general public, other NGOs, and organizations to help execute this cause and reach out to more beneficiaries.
ExGlo has been dedicated to ensuring that vulnerable people in the rural areas of Ghana, especially the Central Region, Upper East, Upper West, and Northern Regions, enjoy access to decent education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihood projects to improve their lives. This mantle it has carried since 2012 has always been timely and ingenious.
This year’s Skills Development Program was coordinated and led by Ms. Nancy Abena Manko, the project manager for the foundation, with oversight provided by the Executive Director, Dr. Patience Aseweh Abor.
Volunteers for this year’s projects were;
Ms.Priscilla Wiah
Ms. Hannah Ampomah
Ms.Winifred Bakari Soale
Ms. Rahama Issahaku
Ms.Jennifer Yaa Andorful Wilson
Nana Tawiah Gaisie
Mr. Kwesi Ohene-Djan
Mr.Samuel Quansah
Mr. Moses Quarshie
Ms. Alberta Koffuah
For support, donate, or seek further information, please contact;
infoexglo@gmail.com
0264234016/0245581612
www.exglo.org
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Afara’nga is here.
Kundivi Mahama, formerly Zazzy, has released yet another beautiful composition. The song, Afara’nga, furthers his agenda to dominate as a live performer with an enviable repertoire. Afara’nga is currently available to stream across all digital music platforms.
The song is off his yet-to-be-released album, scheduled for late 2024.
Kundivi Mahama’s Stature
Kundivi Mahama, who resides and operates from the Upper East Regional capital, Bolgatanga, is one of the top five vocalists in the region. His stature is undoubtedly high. His dexterity as a lyricist, vocalist, and live band performer remains peerless. His consistency as a stellar musician remains his call to fame.
In the last few months, he has been on a streak; he released songs that offer fans an idea of what to expect on his album. The songs released have so far exhibited the characteristics of a world star in the leagues of the Youssou N’dours, Angelique Kidjos, and Wiyaalas.
Songs from his Album Released so far
Afara’nga follows Yineme, featuring Soorebia, Sheiwuna, and Taafama, which have solidified his rise. Other songs like Pon Dem Case and Echanga also make listening unforgettable.
The Above songs marked his journey when he rebranded from Zazzy to Kundivi Mahama. The new persona came with his desire to bring back the sound and rhythms of Uppers International Band, which reigned in Ghana from the late 1960s to the early 2000s. He pursues this feat with the touch of an original self; thus, fans get a feel of two worlds.
According to Kundivi Mahama, Afara’nga is a tribute to the Uppers International Band.
A more detailed profile about the life and music of Kundivi Mahama is coming soon.
CHECK SAFE WAYS TO TRAVEL AROUND NORTHERN GHANA HERE
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Dr Paul Azunre’s Mission in Accra
Dr Paul Azunre will be in Ghana for the first edition of nhyAImu, an artificial intelligence conference. The event is a collaboration between NLP-Ghana and the Academic City University College in Accra. Scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 12th, 2024, from 10 am to 12 pm, nhyAImu will focus on ‘Unveiling the future of African Languages with the Khaya AI.’ As the name implies, it will be an event that prioritizes Africa’s foremost Language Translation and Speech Recognition AI tool, Khaya.
About NLP-Ghana & nhyAImu
While NLP-Ghana has been around for some time, many do not know enough about their scope of work. That includes the useability of Khaya AI and how to integrate its API into other technology products.
This conference will therefore cover topics that include the following:
- Introduction to Ghana NLP and its mission
- Overview of engineering pipelines emphasizing MLOps
- Detailed demo and guidelines on using Khaya AI’s APIs
There will also be a Q&A session.
Understanding the vision behind the creation of the Language App
Khaya AI has proven to be an amazing tool created and built by Dr Paul Azunre and his team at Algorine Inc. and NLP-Ghana. The artificial intelligence tool is capable of translating African languages to others and has speech recognition capabilities. These two features and the deliberate emphasis on African Language make the tool unique.
Currently, some of the African Languages Khaya can effectively translate and recognize include Twi, Dagbani, Ewe, Fante, Ga, Gurune, Kikuyu, Kimeru, Luo, and Yoruba. The Algorine team is still working with partners across Africa to ensure that African languages are an integral part of the digital and technology space.
In contemporary times, artificial intelligence is facilitating many things. From improving timelines for task execution to offering alternative ways to execute tasks, AI continues to make strides. Thus, Khaya AI as a tool for African languages makes it easier to preserve, learn, understand, and integrate African languages on platforms to make them user-friendly.
Even though Khaya AI has been around for the past few years, the creators have yet to give a massive demonstration of how it works. They have done a lot online, but with this conference, they intend to bring to the fore its actual usage—not only the usage but also to introduce the App to AI enthusiasts and people building products that can benefit from this app’s integration.
Twi is a language used in the Khaya AI App. nhyAImu is a Twi word that means “a gathering of people.” Thus, this event is a gathering of AI enthusiasts, including students, lecturers, business owners, tech entrepreneurs, and a host of others.
Dr Paul Azunre is a Tech entrepreneur and rapper who goes by name Dr Pushkin.
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What Wyldthang brought to ‘Winning’?
There are rappers whose daily objective is to impress. However, there exist others who focus on being the best. But we know that seeking to impress calls for swaying to trends and what’s in vogue. However, perfecting your craft remains the standout factor. Such is the case of Wyldthang, the Houston rapper featured on the Remix of Dr Pushkin and Budukusu’s Winning.
He prides himself in “being Willie Good”; the phrase is about an Austin – Texas legend Willie Nelson. He is an American country singer, guitarist, songwriter, and activist. He has remained peerless in skill and style to the extent that at age 91, he’s still performing to fans. His kind of perfection is what guides his pursuit of music as a career. As a street poet, his lyrics usually reflect his emotions juxtaposed with a unique worldview. In the process, he has become a lyrical dynamo with a penchant for releasing awe-inspiring lyrics.
In a short interaction about discovering his talent, here’s what he said.
“Like everyone else, I’ve loved music all my life. On this journey, I believe everybody lives out their own story. Stories become songs. I tell my story through my songs.”
How he Met Dr Pushkin.
His relationship with Dr Pushkin started when the latter performed at SXSW 2022. He was awed by the performance. When Winning was later performed, Thang went wild with love for the song.
In a classic case of “real recognize real” the two artists, got a conversation going. The result of that conversation is a remix of Winning.
Previous Works
He is a lover of motorcycles. His passion for Bikes led to him making an entire album titled Motorcycle Music in 2021. The Album featured nine songs.
He also released another album titled RIZE.
The incredible rapper is gearing up to release another album, Graffiti City. If you loved his flow on Winning, you will be awed by his next project. The rapper has also teamed up with Vox Machina to form The 6th Street Rebelz. The 6th Street Rebelz is currently gracing all stages across the Austin-Texas area. He also has several singles out there.
The Story Behind Winning
Before this remix, Winning rode the tides of encouragement for all in pursuit of success. People are often scared to try or continue. A situation that stems from tying their gains to others. However, while the people around you can play roles in your life, knowing your ability is paramount. “Winning” thus encourages all to avoid self-inflicted doubt.
The ever-enigmatic Budukusu complimented Dr Pushkin’s resounding words of wisdom on the first version of the song. However, with this new performance on the song, Winning has been given a new feel that encapsulates two different cultures and worldviews. Call it the Americanised version of Winning, and you’ve got it right. While Budukusu combines dancehall/reggae vibes with the song, Dr Pushkin goes philosophical. Wyldthang then brings an impressive flow of uplifting words capable of winning American rap fans.
Winning was mixed and mastered by Lloyd Osei Baffour Peewezel-cue with Esi Hooper on the choir
Dr Pushkin and Collaborations
This song is Dr Pushkin’s second feature of an artist from the Austin Area. His first song was with Aggie, an artist from Austin. The song is titled Forgive Them and was released with a stellar music video resonating with the song’s quality and value.
Dr Pushkin known in academia as Paul Azunre is expected to speak at the Ghana Natural Language Processing launch of an AI Conference series later in June this year. The event is dubbed “nhyAImu”, a Twi word which means “a gathering”. However, the “AI” in the word stands for Artificial Intelligence. nhyAImu is a collaboration between Academic City University College and NLP-Ghana. Khaya Language App, Africa’s leading speech recognition and language translation AI tool will be the focus of this event.
Themed “Unveiling the future of African Languages with Khaya AI”, the focus areas of the conference include the following:
- Introduction to Ghana NLP and its mission
- Overview of engineering pipelines emphasising MLOps
- Detailed demo and guidelines on using Khaya AI’s APIs
There will also be an interactive Q & A session.
nhyAImu will take place on the campus of Academic City University College in Accra, on 12th June 2024. Time is 10am – 12pm.
Despite working tirelessly on his Khaya App, he’s gained a reputation for featuring artists worthy of the tag “artist”, and not necessarily trending artists.
Dr Pushkin is in the meantime readying a monster rap song featuring Kumasi’s finest rapper.
2024 has been a busy year for Dr Pushkin. Check out his releases for 2024 below.
Kundivi Mahama enchants with new single
Dr Paul Azunre to breakdown how to use Khaya AI; AN African Language Tool
Wyldthang Breaths New Fire on Winning with Dr Pushkin and Budukusu
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Savanna Music2 days agoWyldthang Breaths New Fire on Winning with Dr Pushkin and Budukusu
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