sole student in our school’s football club; the rest were recruited players. My joy wasn’t solely due to my passion for the sport but also because being on the school team came with special privileges. Our meals in the dining hall were distinct, and there were always ways to evade the consequences when we found ourselves in trouble. Alongside my sporting commitment, I actively participated in various school clubs, from the debating club to GUNSA and the rapping club. I even established a rap group. I held the position of Assistant Health Prefect, and I founded an informal NGO called the Bawku East Awareness Creation Team to raise awareness about the repercussions of violence. Remarkably, I also served on the Bawku Peace Council at a young age. However, my academic performance suffered, much to the dissatisfaction of my parents and my own concern. I even contemplated finding a way to exit the football team, which occupied most of my time. Eventually, I succeeded in transitioning from a player to the role of teammanager, providing me with more time to focus on my studies. During my time at Tamasco, I encountered one individual who would significantly influence my life: Alfred Kofi Appiah. The Seed of Change is Sown Our first meeting took place on a bus as I returned to Bawku from a holiday in Accra. He was the proprietor of Child Rights Africa, an NGO. It was a fortuitous encounter because I had initiated a club in school focused on children’s issues. Child trafficking was a prevalent issue in Bawku, a topic I felt deeply passionate about. WhenMr. Appiah mentioned his intention to establish a Child Rights club in Bawku, I didn’t hesitate to recommend my children’s club to him. That’s how the first Child Rights Africa chapter was founded in our school, and I was elected as the president for the Northern Region. In due course, we received an invitation to participate in a debate for Ghana at Fifty, a contest that our Northern branch secured victory in effortlessly. This experience ignited my determination to create an NGO. IceWater Entrepreneur While I was in secondary school, I endeavoured to take up part-time jobs during weekends or holidays to earn some extra cash. The idea was to alleviate the financial burden on my parents, especially when the school term resumed. I distinctly recall that my first successful venture involved selling ice water at the stadium. I had acquired the skill of tying water sachets when I spent a holiday with one of my cousins in Tamale. It was a pleasant surprise to realize that I could apply this skill in Bawku and transform it into a profitable business. In no time, I began to travel to various towns, fromBawku to Garu and other places, to try 19 The Birthday Journal
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