Monday, 22 August 2016

I have a dream, I am capable of more than I can possibly dream...

I am the story you will read some few years to come.
I am not the next Maya Angelou or Malala Yousafzai.
I am the first Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong.
A young and promising woman who is passionate about issues concerning women and children.
I have a DREAM, I am capable of more than I can possibly dream.
I believe in being a VOICE, not NOISE to the voiceless women and children.And above all, helping such voiceless women and children find their voice.
I believe one day, God through me will raise a generation of WOMEN OF VALOUR.
Women who will no more speak with tears in their eyes, but with much respect, humility and power over themselves.
A generation of such fearless women is emerging.
The story of the woman will soon be rewritten.
Victoria Ascerta, Victory is assured!


Read more on ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com
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Email: joycekwapong@gmail.com
Contact:+ 233(0)267968373

Saturday, 20 August 2016

TOO MUCH TO FORGET

I didn't realize how powerful being young was
If I could turn back the hands of time
I would replay and delete all those terrible acts I did
All those I did during my formative years
But now, what can I say or do?
I made my peers lead my life
As I traced their footsteps into a shameful life
Indeed, there's too much to forget.

I didn't realize how beautiful being young was
If only I could open up the chapters of my youthful days
I wouldn't have made men mess up with my life
The bells of "IF ONLY"
The cymbals of "I WISH" keep ringing in my ears
The drums of "HAD I KNOWN" is beating
Beating so loudly that my ears ache
Indeed, there's too much to forget

I didn't realize how glamorous being young was
If only I could move back into the days gone
If only I could retrace my steps into my past
Goodness me! This time around,
I would have seen glamor
What makes a glamorous woman these days?
I lost that glamor in my prime
Indeed there's too much to forget

Family, friends, classmates alike
Heard laughter always
But those were not sounds of happiness
Those were the laughter that only a bitter youth can cry
They saw me smile daily 
But those were not smiles of joy
The smile that only a disturbed youth can frown at
They heard me sing
But my heart could hear me weep
There's so much missing as I'm old
My smile, my dignity, my worth
It took me a while to understand what youthful days are
But it will surely take me forever to forget what it was to me
When advice and correction was not heeded to
Oh yes! It will take forever
Because I learnt nothing from the school of hard knocks
Indeed there's too much to forget



Poem written by:
Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+233(0)267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com
Activist, Women and Children
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus
Read more on my blog:
ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com



   *** I believe this poem will inspire you and I              to make good use of our youthful days
        Together, let us make hay whilst the sun             shines
        So that if there's too much to forget, those         memories will be positive ones.
        



        
        











        





 MY DAYS WON'T FADE

Even when my enemies unite as one front
And friends plot to destroy me
I have an only friend who will always be there
My days won't fade

Even when my presence is unnoticed
And my voice is never listened to
And my name never mentioned
One day, I will be celebrated and called before kings
My days won't fade

Even when my ribs can be numbered as a one, two, three, four and five
And there's nothing to feed on to survive
With starvation becoming a norm,
I believe! A time is coming
When there will be more to eat, share and store
My days won't fade

Even when my academics won't work for my good
And my grades keep telling me stories of failure
My brighter days are ahead of me
My days won't fade

Even when my debts are high
And my accounts go bankrupt
And my creditors deny me of my sleep
Surely! Currencies will one day be in abundance in my life
My days won't fade

Even when my tears won't cease 
And my smile suppressed so deep down my throat
And my heart so grieved with pain
As I cry myself to sleep each day
Someday, my pillow will be dry
Oh yes!
Someday,my handkerchief will no more be soaked with tears
My days won't fade

Even when my body grows cold
And my blood runs dry in my mortal remains
And my breath goes dead silent
Generations will remember me
For my love, my impact, my legacy
Men will smile and proclaim
"She emptied herself for humanity"
My name would forever remain
And my light will eternally shine
My days won't fade



Poem written by:
Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+233(0)267968373
joycekwaoong@gmail.com
Activist, Women and Children
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus
Read more on my blog:
ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com


*** I believe this poem will make an impact in your life and that of generations unborn.
In every circumstance you find yourself in, cheer yourself up
And always remember to inspire and motivate yourself by saying,
Whatever my lot, My days won't fade.

Sunday, 14 August 2016

Their Failure, Our Failure

          THEIR FAILURE, OUR FAILURE!!!

To them, the street was home.
The leftover and decays were food.
The floor was bed and the trees were shelter.
All these secrets they won't tell.
For fear of being deprived of these
All of which they deem as privileges

At night they lie down and tremble with fear.
At sunrise,they are attracted by the sound of loud music
And flashing lights of flashy cars break the darkness of the night
They would watch and longingly imagine
The pleasure you must be having
And the luxury within which u live.

Pain wraps their souls the more
As they continue to live in misery
And it feels like playing with hot coals and thorns.
In their hearts they cry,
"All have neglected us"
They feel torn apart with trouble and pain.
They hope to see the light
But darkness overwhelmed their pitying souls.
Life is not as sweet to them as others
Thinking death would bring them gain.
They starve as food and thirst as water
Hoping to say goodbye to the saddest world in which they live.
Yet, live each day hoping for a better tomorrow

Our lives is not important except in the impact it has on other lives
In our attempt to give,
We remember the dark side of giving
Forgetting we could be such as they are
Forgetting we have been made rich to reach out.
Not remembering that we have been made who we are
So as to make these ones who they are meant to be.
Why can't we make a difference in their lives?
Doesn't it hurt to see them suffer in pain and agony?
When we have more than we need?
Doesn't it hurt to bargain so hard with them as they tread on an empty stomach all day
Carrying on their heads all sorts of items?
Tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs, onions, pear, fruits
Just to earn a living?

It is about time we think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege as rightly said by John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Matt Kahn made it right when he said,
"You give to yourself by giving of yourself"
And Mother Theresa,she made it all complete when she made the assertion;
If u can't feed a 100 people, then just feed one

Let us wake up
Ye privileged and fortunate ones
To attend to our young and needy.
To attend to the rejected and abandoned.
Let us turn to the streets
To the street corners
To every nook and cranny of society
Let us not turn a blind eye
To the deprived areas in our society.
Let us not loose sight of the helpless orphans

We need to try and be a rainbow in their clouds
A rose amongst their thorns
A lily in their valley
A moon in their night
A light in their darkness
A smile in their sad hearts
And a restoration to their lost joy

Realizing there exists a needy world
Realizing a bleeding heart needs love
And a feeble hand needs help
Knowing a sleepy and homeless head needs shelter
And a hungry mouth needs food.
We've got to challenge ourselves
Dare to stand out of the crowd
Set an example for others to rise,shine and lead
Set an example for others to love,care and share

In your formative years,
People spent time and resources to help and bring you up
Or perhaps you may have joined this world
With a silver spoon in your mouth, Probably not!
You may have lived contrary to luxury
But in a gentle and caring way,
You and I can shake the world and impact lives
Yes! You and I
We can show love to these ones
Who need more love than we ever received.


Poem written by:
Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+233(0)267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com
Activist, Women and children
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus
Read more on ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com












Saturday, 13 August 2016

Periodical Guilt

PERIODICAL GUILT is a poem I write to emphasize on the saying that, "Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about the things that matter".
Let us not die out of silence, rather let us RIGHT THE WRONG of our friends, families, society and all other things that surround us.
Be a VOICE not NOISE to someone each day in your life.
Let the instances in this poem "Periodical Guilt", not be your story
Take a read....


  PERIODICAL GUILT



She never got what she liked
Perhaps she liked what she got
She now deeply regrets
As she reflects on the events that led to her plight

She yearned to move from the scorching sun to warmth
She hoped her tears would give way to smiles
But it was rather unfortunate
What she went through was a sad way to start life

She got hooked up to him
Like a bait on a hook
She is now being used as a cautionary tale
She now fights to live
Her life is one that now never knows joy
She cries herself to sleep each day
Pain has consumed her heart
To everyone, she is an object of ridicule
The drugs she took, so deadly
Yet, her baby still lived

Initially, her dress so skimpy and inviting
Now she bears a child
A child conceived out of rape
A child whose dad cannot be traced

You! her friend, perceived this will happen
But you never gave her a prompt
You never stopped her
You never gave her your counsel

She's on her sick bed
She groans in pain
She remembers her past
She wonders if she will breathe her last
Leaving her child an orphan
She remembers you, her friend
A friend who silently watched her go astray

She struggles to say her final words
Thinking her words would be of love
That would leave memories no one can steal
You plead with her to speak
Her last words left a heart ache no one can heal

"YOU'RE GUILTY! MY BLOOD CRIES BECAUSE YOU REMAINED SILENT ON MY DEEDS"
And now, your life is full of periodical guilt


Poem written by:
Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+(233)267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus
Activist, Women and Children
Read more on my blog ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 10 August 2016

ADVANCING WOMEN AND CHILDREN!

PART 1:

9th August, 2016

Why will a child be made to labor and not enjoy the joys of childhood?
Why will a child be handed tools to EARN a living and not pens and pencils to LEARN?
The issue of CHILD LABOR.....


Each day, the streets are flooded with children who are engaged in various trading activities that harm or keep them from attending school.
Some of these children are found engaged in slavery-like jobs that threaten their physical, mental, emotional, moral and social wellbeing.


Society may have forgotten that these vulnerable young ones deserve better than to be handed to the streets and market centers to labor for what to eat and drink for survival.
These children are forced out of homes like sheep being sent out to a pack of wolves.
What more do we expect of such a rampant situation, if not an increase in illiteracy rate, teenage pregnancies, social vices, child prostitution, illegal drug dealing and many other dangers associated with such childhood encounters?  


A great man asserted, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children"
It is in line with this quote that I inquire, Why will we make life on this earth unbearable for the custodians from which we borrow the land?


Why would we subject and place our young ones into such heart bleeding positions?
A position where if they do not go out to labor, they will have nothing to eat.
A position where if they do not go out to labor, they will be rained with insults and beatings from the very people who have been irresponsible in their actions yet occupying positions  at home as parents, guardians etc.


A child is meant to LEARN and not to EARN.
A child is to be given BOOKS to learn and not TOOLS to earn a living.
Children have only few years to be a child but have their whole lives after childhood, to work a profession or job.
More so, education is the birthright of a child.
So why deny them their rights, childhood joy and privileges?  


There exists certain laws, measures and standards that have been put in place to eliminate child labor.
The Constitution of Ghana sets the minimum employment age at 15 years, with 13 year olds for light work that cannot harm him or her as well as his or her education.
The law is also against making children work at night, making provisions for fines and imprisonment for violators.
However, these Constitutional laws have proved futile as child labor is woefully ongoing in various countries of which Ghana is not an exception.
We have children who are made to carry on their heads load of heavy goods that are meant for a truck not human.
We have children who are exposed to harsh weather conditions and made to stay for days and nights at sea to fish.
There are a number of young children in Ghana sweating blood in stone quarrying and construction activities.
Today, it is common to see children as early as 5 am on the streets, begin their daily activities of running helter skelter to sell 'pure water', plantain chips, boiled eggs, oranges, what have you?


Poverty, parental irresponsibility, limited or no access to education, high rate of unemployment, limited laws or prohibitions regarding child labor, amongst others are the obvious and global reasons for child labor being on the rampant.


Children and families living in abject poverty, who may struggle to get a piece of meal for the day may solely rely on sending their children out to trade for survival.


The high level of poverty rate in various countries have forced many children into positions of becoming child laborers.


The wide gap between the rich and the poor in recent years, have forcefully positioned millions of children to drop out of school into the labor force.


Education plays a pivotal role in putting the canker of child labor to check.
Children of school going age are totally denied access to their basic right to education.
Whilst others have to sell before and after school hours to cater for their basic needs.
Children with little or no form of education have the greatest likelihood to suffer from child labour than their counterparts who have received otherwise.


More so, parental irresponsibility on the part of some parents who do not make adequate preparations before producing children has placed financial constraints on such families and so, are left with no alternative than to send their children out to labor for themselves.
The responsibility of parents to cater for their children have been wrongly shifted to overburden children as child laborers.


In addition, a country with high unemployment rate, with keen competition for jobs by prospective workers and limited job vacancies in organizations in the country, may comply parents to send their children out in search of ways to attain their basic needs.
Wages or salaries received by some breadwinners may be too little to manage the home and as such may have to send their children out to work and complement their efforts.
Such children get engaged with various labor activities whether or not they are illegal, threatening, highly exploitative, hazardous...


Also, in some homes where old people dwell, especially those on retirement with no retirement benefits to fall on, send for children from villages to the urban areas to engage in menial jobs to cater for such elderly and retired ones.
Children as young as 10 years are sent from villages to urban areas to serve as domestic workers, who may have to labor on the streets to cater for the family.
This practice thereby leads to children becoming victims of  physical and sexual abuse in society.


To curb the issue of child labor, strict legal framework must be established to clearly identify, prevent and eliminate child labor.


In addition, labor standards of a country must be reviewed to protect the interest of these vulnerable children.
The Constitutional framework should make provisions for decent working conditions to children who are legally active to work, without any form of discrimination in terms of being guaranteed the minimum wage rate or possibly better.


The government must ensure that all children below the statutory required employment age are in school and remain in school.
Strict laws must be enforced regarding the protection of children against child labor.
Child labor is child exploitation and highly a crime. Perpetrators and culprits must be duly sanctioned as stipulated in the Constitution.


Each community must have a monitoring committee set up and tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that children below the required working age are not found going contrary to the Constitutional law.


Parents and guardians must exhibit much concern in regards to the welfare and education of their children.
They must take up responsibilities and not shift them to children to bear.


As asserted by one youth activist, E.K.D.Oppong "One core responsibility of parents is to invest in the minds of their children; educating them beyond the limited scope of schooling. A child's mind well nurtured with books grows to be a thinking adults. It is not magic, but a basic principle to personal growth and societal development"


Other stakeholders such as NGOs, Organizations, Activists etc must intensify their fight against child labor.


Children ought to enjoy their childhood days and moments and not to labor their way through life.


This article is a wake up call to the State, institutions, organizations and various bodies responsible for enforcing laws and protecting the interest of children to rise and deal with this absurd situation of child labor.
If we want to develop and ensure the progress of our country, then we should develop a bright future for the children of our land.
In a unified voice, let us say NO to CHILD LABOR.


-Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
+233(0)267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com           
Activist, Women and Children.
University of Ghana, Accra City Campus.
Read more articles....
Ohenewaa-Kwapong.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

WOMAN OF VALOUR

"WOMAN OF VALOUR" Inspires...

I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.
What a man CAN DO, a woman CANNOT DO it better.
Rather, what a man can do, a man can do and what a woman can do, a woman can do.
However, when the efforts of both man and woman are positively complemented, much can be done and achieved.
Woman, do not lose focus! Do what you can and offer your best in all you do.
Believe in your strength because,
Yes you can!


Joyce Ohenewaa Kwapong
0267968373
joycekwapong@gmail.com
Activist, Women and children
University of Ghana, Accra city campus
Read more..
Ohenewaa-kwapong.blogspot.com