CV Convos (CV Conversations) is an Instagram Live (IG Live) series on navigating careers created by Circumspecte and the New Career Platform. Every week, career coach and Circumspecte founder Jemila Abdulai chats with an African young professional about their career path and the lessons learned along the way. For episode…
CV Convos (CV Conversations) is an Instagram Live (IG Live) series on navigating careers created by Circumspecte and the New Career Platform. Every week, career coach Jemila Abdulai chats with an African young professional about their career path and the lessons learned along the way. For the second episode of…
What digital marketing strategy or tactics should you pursue as a startup or small business in Africa in the era of COVID-19? As a Ghana-based digital strategist and freelancer, I have had conversations with fellow entrepreneurs and friends on this exact topic. Why? In the wake of COVID-19, digital has…
The days of spending long hours in the office are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Today, businesses can be run online and offline no matter your location, thanks to the internet. Working from home or remote work is often practiced by companies that lack physical offices, offer services within the tech sphere, or have…
In 2015, the global community set new targets for sustainable development. Among them, the objective of significantly reducing the percentage of youth not in employment, education or training by 2020, as part of targets under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8. 2020 is here with time running out for achieving the…
Why are two economists talking about babies? That’s the question we often hear when we discuss our book Pregnancy and Motherhood: Perspectives from Two Afropolitan Women. Our answer? Because when we had our babies, we realized that we were not prepared to become mothers – but who is though? We did not find…
My creative drive most often starts with a complaint. About thirteen years ago, my daughter was almost two and I used to read to her. She loved it! However the problem was that it was getting increasingly difficult to find books that she could relate to. To find characters with brown skin…
So much has been said, typed and printed about the Year of Return, Ghana 2019 initiative. The exponential volume of content corresponds with the level of popularity that the initiative has garnered within the year. As highlighted in this in-depth Circumspecte feature, the Year of Return, Ghana 2019 serves a…
Ticket – check. Accommodation – check. What next? Your itinerary for an epic visit to Ghana, of course! How can you make the most out of your Year of Return Ghana experience? Well, first off, we hope you read our Year of Return logistics guide and have your yellow fever…
Ghana has long been a preferred African travel destination for many visiting the continent for the first time. With the Year of Return, Ghana 2019 invitation, it is becoming even more popular. A year-long initiative by the Ghanaian government, Year of Return commemorates 400 years since the arrival of the…
Africans in the Diaspora return to their home countries for various reasons: nostalgia, a sense of responsibility, opportunity, family ties, love, familiarity, curiosity, optimism, reconnecting with one’s roots, and so on. What propelled me to return to Africa in 2010 was a mix of a sense of responsibility, optimism and…
There comes a time in an African Diasporan’s life when you have to choose: to stay or to go. For many, relocating can be a nerve-wrecking and paradigm shifting decision – and indeed, it is. You are literally uprooting yourself and setting up shop elsewhere. It may be ‘home’, your…
After weeks of fasting, prayer and reflection, Muslims will close out Ramadan with Eid-ul-Fitr; the Muslim “Festival of Breaking the Fast”. The first of two key Muslim festivals, Eid-ul-Fitr celebrates the end of a successful period of fasting, prayer and reflection as well as the renewal of one’s relationship with…
When Ami Yomekpe of MOD, formerly AfroMod Trends, reached out after reading my article on how to support Muslims observing Ramadan, I least expected it would result in Hidden Pearls – a full-blown modest style capsule and collaboration between herself, modest fashion stylist and blogger Shiella Yakubu, and Circumspecte. But…
“Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” While it is a seemingly cliché Oprah Winfrey quote, it perfectly captures Gloria Buckman Yankson’s journey to becoming a forerunner for the event planning industry in Ghana with PlanIt Events Ghana (PlanIt Ghana). Buckman Yankson grew up seeing herself as a…
She has built two successful businesses. Now, she’s dishing out business and health nuggets with her latest venture: Clean Eats Ghana.
Accra may not be West Africa’s fitness capital, but there are a growing number of gyms in the Ghanaian capital. If getting into a gym is one of your goals for your year, our guide to 20 Accra-based gyms and fitness centres is for you! From the low-budget open air…
This is the second article in a series on Fitness, Weight Loss & Wellbeing. Missed the first? Read to find out what motivated Jemila to take fitness seriously. I am many things – the best athlete or sports person is not one of them. I have always had to work…
Many people don’t know how to ask for the help they need. Career coach Akua Nyame-Mensah shares her experience learning how to do so through coaching.
Looking for something unique to make an impression? Our 2018 ‘Made in Ghana’ gift guide offers some great ideas and options from beauty steals and yummy treats to memorable experiences. Did we mention those discounts?
Avid traveler and Circumspecte editor Jemila Abdulai reviews Ghana’s new state of the art Kotoka International Airport Terminal 3 (T3).
When it comes to obtaining visas, I’ve generally had a good run (knock on wood) as a Ghanaian passport holder. I’ve never been denied a visa and perhaps due to my track record of leaving x country before visa expiration, I’ve generally had a pleasant visa application and/or interview experience…
Circumspecte editor Jemila Abdulai shares her list of books to read, listen to and share.
Hashtags are a key feature of social media and the internet. Jemila Abdulai offers suggestions on how to use them effectively.
How do you effectively promote your event through social media to get people to actually register and attend? This is a question I’ve been asked numerous times. In this article, I share my secrets and go-to strategies for effective event marketing on social media.
Ramadan is a period of reflection and renewal for Muslims, and these Islamic apps (iOs and Android) will help you make the most of it.
What is the difference between a resume and a CV? When do you use what? How do you structure your resume effectively? Part one of this two-part series by Jemila Abdulai on writing resumes delves in.
World-renowned CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour has embarked on a new project – to explore sex and love experiences by women and girls across the world from an angle of “satisfaction and personal pleasure” in a documentary series called “Love and Sex Around The World”. She visited Ghana and interviewed a…
Gosh, who knew time could fly this fast? It’s been almost two and a half years since I started freelancing and living this solo-preneur life. Two and a half years since I pulled the rug out from under me and dove head-first into the murky world that is freelancing in…
“…When are we seeing your first article in 2018 on circumspecte.com?” That’s one of the questions a reader sent recently. I’ve been asking myself the same thing. Really, Jemi, when? Of course, once someone else asks that question, it does give some pause (and pressure). Are you doing this thing…
By ECHEZONAM SMITH I listened to Wyclef’s song Diallo as a teenager and thought it was a cool song. I loved the way Wyclef screamed “Diallo Diallo!” and the gunshots sounded so real. However, in all my sing-along moments and until I became cognizant of Black Lives Matter, I never…
Where does your food come from? Who grows what you eat? Does it matter? Do you even care? How do policy, climate change, global prices and consumption patterns affect farmers’ livelihoods? Better still, how do they impact the very foods you eat? Does it matter? Do you even care? When…
Growing up with three sisters and numerous female cousins, I had an early introduction to the world of sisterhood. I never questioned that my sisters – both biological and destined – would be there when I needed them, or that I would do the same for them. True, there…
In the early 2000s, my father gave me this book: “How to think about weird things: Critical thinking for a new age”. Although I flipped through its pages, I never actually read it – it was either too dense for my teenage mind or I was simply interested in other things…
The month of Ramadan is here and over 1 billion Muslims in Ghana and around the world are participating in what is regarded as the holiest month of Islam. Each year I get about the same questions from non-Muslims: How many days do you fast for? Can you drink water?…
Jemila Abdulai at Kotoka International Airport before its renovation At one point or another, everyone travels. Whether you’re walking down a couple of blocks to the supermarket to get your favourite snack, or you’re seated in an airplane thousands of feet above the ground, traveling offers an opportunity to experience…
Recently I’ve been involved in advocacy works to demand the rights of women and girls in Ghana. Some weeks ago, my colleague and co-lead campaigner Able Delalie sent me a message about why we should work on the luxury tax imposed on sanitary towels in Ghana. I learned about this…