The November Project - J C Positive Initiatives

J C Positive Initiatives is an event management company with wealth of experience in organizing family and other events that bring together people from all walks of life. As part of events lined up for 2013, J C Positive will organize The November project under the theme “Live well, Live strong”. The November is a weekly work out session meant to help Christians to reduce weight, de-stress, network, bond well with their family and have a nice time. As part to efforts to increase participation and drive the interest in this noble event, we will incorporate side attraction such as garage sales, medical check up/blood donation, an open day on the Rev and Rab show and a waakye party. The schedule for the event is as follows: Week 1 (2nd November)- Exercise and a health talk on the Rev and Rab Week 2 (9th November) – Exercise and Family talk on the Rev and Rab Week 3 (16th November) – Exercise and Blood donation/health screening Week 4 (23rd November)- Exercise and Garage sales Week 5 (30th November) – Waakye party and Open day- on Rev and Rab Show So join us at the premises of Sunny 88.7fm every Saturday morning in November from 6.30am to 10 am. This event is powered by J C Positive Initiatives (+233233689857).

Letter to my unborn child- 24th April

Letter to my unborn child 24th April. Hello Winner, It’s been a week since I wrote to you about your development and the matters arising. As you may be aware, unfortunately you did not survive the full term. Doctor Senyo tells me it happens sometimes to couples who seek a baby through fertility treatments. We are hopeful that we will succeed if we continue to try harder. I have gone back to taking my fertility drugs in hope that we will scale this huge obstacle God been our helper. Your appearance has given me and mummy hope that it is possible. Like I wrote on my Facebook wall, your are “Gone but Not Forgotten”. Have a peaceful rest although you were not fully formed before you left us. Have a peaceful rest my child. Your expectant dad (still) BREAKTHROUGH.

Letter to my unborn child

18th April Hello, How are you doing? I finally got the chance the start typing these letters to you. I decided to write to you these letters as and when i want to chat with you to update you on your development in mummy’s womb and activities out here in Ghana. To start with, I heard about your arrival on Monday (15th April) after I spoke to Dr Senyo on phone after a pregnancy test at the Tantra Community Hospital a day before. Before, I had suspected your arrival. Mummy told me she felt a cramp two weeks to her menstrual period due date which was a bit unusual considering the fact that cramps normally commence a week to her period due date. So went onto the internet to check what could be happening and lo and behold I found out that mum was pregnant. I did not tell her anything until the hospital test confirmed it. I must say she was a bit worried because a pregnancy kit test revealed that pregnancy was negative. That made her a bit worried that evening but Dr Senyo’s confirmation made things a bit relaxed even for me. We were sadden this morning when mum started bleeding today. I was worried for some time and felt Dr. Senyo lied to us when he told us mum was pregnant. I felt he said that for us to think everything is going on smoothly and feel disappointed when the reality sets in. But I read from the internet that this occurrence is quite normal at this time because that is when you are implanting yourself in your mum’s womb. I hope what the internet said is right. If not I am afraid we may lose you but I have prayed to God to protect you and see you through all the difficult period of your journey. Once you cross your first three months in mum’s womb, you will be ok. I will do all I can possible to ensure you survive this harsh world. I am looking for a name to call you when you arrive. Nhyira? Aseda? Adom? Ayeyi e.t.c are common names now. I want to chose a twi name that depicts appreciation to God but with little popularity. Between the two of us, l will call you Winner. Hope that is cool? I am sure I would have settled the best name by the time you arrive. Fight the good fight of faith my child. God be with you. Your’s expectant dad, BREAKTHROUGH.

Renting a house in Ghana- J C Positive Initiatives

Renting a house in Ghana- J C Positive Initiatives. Most individuals and couples in Ghana have in one way or the other gone through some disturbing processes of acquiring a house to rent. It is no different for second timers who seek to change their place of abode after the expiration of their current rent agreement. You will consider yourself lucky if you get the right house, at the right place at the right time within your available budget. Most people are exploited by "estate agents" who charge them processing fees, take them from one house to another to waste their time and indirectly make money from transportation e.t.c. If you are lucky and they get the right house for you, mostly at the fifth attempt, you have to pay them 10% on the total rental cost instead of the approved 5%. J C Positive Initiatives has been set up to make life easier for clients looking for houses to rent. J C Positive Initiatives is more professional compared to the individual estate agents, we charge the approved 5% and also go beyond mere rental to providing financial assistance to rent a house.

Personal Branding Seminar

Join J C Impact at the Kama Conference Center on 2nd June at 9.30am for a life transforming Personal Development Seminar as we discuss the essence and importance of Personal Branding. Speaker: Em Bartels (Personal branding strategist). For more information call 0233689858. J C Impact, making a difference one life at a time!   Rapid changes in today’s business mean that Entrepreneurs and executives can no longer rely on corporate brands or excellent products and services alone to grow their business. Companies now are in a constant state of reorganization in response to the rapidly changing demands of the market. On a constant basis, you are working with different project teams, managers, and employees and corporate bodies. In a sense, you are functioning like your own personal corporation. And that means that you have the same need to differentiate yourself and build demand for your services among your target markets. Personal Branding has now become the platform which distinguished an A-level business person or executive from the crowd.     In this section, participants would learn how to: • Understand and develop their personal brand • Define your own brand, drawn from your personal values or Unique Personal Abilities (UPA’s) • Develop and Grow Your Personal Brand • Leverage on your personal brand to add to your corporate brand • Maintain an authentic, differentiated, and consistent personal brand. • Know how not to build your personal brand • Look at and discuss examples of International and local Personal Brands.   Seminar Section Title: “The Brand Named U’   Do you know how to: • Grow, Polish & Protect Your Future • How to Be An Authority by Getting Personal • Do you know your niche and your micro-niche? • Have you thought about writing a book or articles? • Do you have product? Are You a Product? • Do you 'Google well'? Whatever course you take, make sure you develop your brand and it continues to be authentic, differentiated, and consistent. In a world where continents, countries, cities, politicians and highways are branded, you need to think about yourself in the same terms. So build and nurture your brand, evolve your brand

A look at the Mobile Phone Usefulness in Ghana

A look at the mobile phone’s usefulness in Ghana

By Charles Amega-Selorm

 

Mobile phones have indeed changed the world like no technology has ever done before in history. It revolutionalised voice telephony in a very interesting way. In the early 2000’s, the number of mobile phone subscribers surpassed the number of landline subscribers. Back then, it was more about hardware and less about software but now, it has become the de-facto way of communicating in every aspect combining voice and data with some interesting and useful features for home and business users. This could only have been achieved by designing software that makes these handsets smarter and smarter.

The introduction of the “smart” phones provided additional impetus for the industry to grow further. Smart phones are those that allow you to surf the internet, download music and use other data services, as well as make calls and send text messages. According to Informa, a research firm, the market for smart mobile phones is expected to grow from $39 billion in 2007 to $95 billion in 2013, by which time they will make up nearly half of the handset market by value. Manufacturers like Nokia have stepped up their game to remain market leaders. Apple and Research in Motion (RIM) are the other competitors with i-Phone and blackberry phones respectively.

Because of the mobile phone’s usefulness, individuals, businesses and especially NGOs are using it roll-out products they have designed in various ways. It is a very useful way to disseminate information to a network of individuals and groups. Around the world, it is used to raise funds, monitor elections, send SMS alerts and for reporting news and mobile banking among others.

Ghana has not been left out in these developments. Individuals are using their mobile phones to surf the internet, store music, receive SMS alerts on international and sports news and even watch mobile TV. Ghana will be going to the polls to elect a new president and some political parties are raising funds through the use of SMS systems. Election monitoring will not be left out.

A research group, headed by the Coordinator of the Technology Assessment Project (TAP) of the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Amos Anyimadu took a study tour of some selected Districts in the Central Region of Ghana with particular focus on fishermen of Moree. It was established that the fishermen use mobile phone to communicate with their agents and customers from various parts of the country to find out where the prices of fish were more competitive. They also use the mobile device to establish the where about of their colleagues at sea. These information exchanges were largely communicated by voice. Information on weather and health are mostly provided to them mainly by local radio stations.

But one of the most significant initiatives in Ghana this article would delve into is Busylab’s TradeNet (soon to be rebranded Esoko) platform which leverages on the mobile networks and their extensive coverage. Interestingly, it uses basic mobile phone features and the web. Busylab is a private company based in Ghana and focuses on software development.

In a discussion on the e-agriculture.com forum the “Mobile Telephone in Rural Areas”, Laura Drewett, Partner Director, Busylab said that “TradeNet runs off a single database where information can be shared across different countries, markets, languages, and currencies. In Ghana, the company currently has enumerators collecting data on over 20 commodities in 30 markets throughout the country. The enumerators not only collect information on market prices, but also record offers to buy and sell and profiles of key stakeholders in those markets. This data is available for any mobile phone or Internet user anywhere in the world in real-time”. To access it, the users need to register or have someone register their mobile phones on the platform and profile what commodities and markets they would like to receive information on. “Automatic SMS alerts are sent out either as they occur (offer matches) or on specific days of the week (prices). Other markets feed capabilities like weather and transport are planned for 2009”.

She added that “any group, business or individual can automatically build a profile on the platform that markets their goods and services to a national, regional or global audience”. Enterprises and producer associations can use TradeNet’s mobile service to send out SMSs to their customers, suppliers and member at a fraction of the cost to call or visit them. Messages sent out could include information disseminated on weather, disease alerts and extension services among others. With a database full of profiles, Busylab is also marketing services to companies that can advertise to previously inaccessible groups, reaching even the most remote smallholder farmer.

Since June 2008, there have been 1,322 offers to buy and sell posted in Ghana alone and there are 800 people receiving SMS alerts on a weekly basis. These are all people who replied “yes” to a user poll asking if they wanted to continue to receive these alerts.

The success stories are many. Anyone in the world can submit an offer to buy something and it will be distributed via SMS to registered farmers and producers. According to a Balancing Act story, TradeNet has had people in Japan and the USA find traders in Abidjan. A buyer in Yemen found an organic fertilizer seller in Lagos and onion producers in Burkina Faso found buyers in Accra. This opens the Ghanaian market to other external markets. The TradeNet service is now available across Africa.

In an impact survey in Uganda conducted by partner organization, Foodnet, it was found that 68% of farmers regularly access market information based on the Tradenet Market information platform.  Up to 91% of farmers indicated that receiving information from the platform had a positive to very positive impact on their business.  Farmers regularly using marketing were found to make gains of 12-20% on prevailing market prices, whereas, farmers using market information in groups made gains of 20-34% on prevailing prices.

There is more to come. M-Pesa – a money transfer service through mobile phones – is likely to be introduced in 2009. Vodafone has bought majority stake in Ghana Telecom and would seek to introduce this service which has been an instant success story in Kenya. There are initiatives yet to be developed and deployed. There is one to use mobile phones to give micro-credits to rural folks. The idea is to transfer money coupons to the mobile phones of these folks to be retrieved at rural banks and pay back when it is due.

With these developments, there is the need to train mobile platform developers. Already, Nokia has introduced a new mobile internet course to a number of African universities, including Ashesi University College in Ghana. The Mobile Internet Programme (MIP), is an initiative borne out of partnership between Nokia and EPROM (Entrepreneurial Programming and Research on Mobiles) by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which aims to encourage university students to develop mobile phone applications for use in emerging markets such as Africa. Because of the open source nature of most of mobile software, students do not have to re-invent the wheel. Prospects can build business cases around existing software, for example Apple provides powerful tools to develop software around i-Phone’s software.

The mobile phones are here to stay and we can only tap into the opportunities they present to aid in all aspects of our lives.




A prelude to the Mobile Phone Fair 2012.

Mobile Phone Fair 2012

J C Positive Initiatives, an event management firm, is expected to organize a Mobile Phone Fair before the end of the year (2012). The fair will bring together players in the mobile phone industry to exhibit and sell their goods and services to the general public for a stipulated three days. Participates expected at the fair include mobile phone dealers, telecom operators, firms that render mobile phone base services and mobile phone users.

A seminar will also be organized to educate the public on the mobile phone security, health and the yielding benefits of the talk time tax.

This initiative comes behind the backdrop of the role that mobile phones play in your lives.



For more information and sponsorship please call J C Positive on +233-264-689858

J C Positive Initiatives ..........beyond expectations.