Thank you Lord for everything and this new age. Your grace and mercy has brought me this far. I will celebrate for the Lord has been good and faithful to me. I live because
A chosen vessel…God’s baby❤️🙏🏽 stepping into the Higher heights God has ordained for me
Still in shock… I genuinely didn’t see this coming.
Taking on the Coordinator role came with so much uncertainty at the start, but I’ve been surrounded by the most incredible people who made the journey meaningful and impactful.
To my network, partners, comrades, GroundWork, our funders, and everyone who has supported this work, thank you. This recognition belongs to all of us.
To those who nominated and selected me, I’m deeply grateful. Thank you to @leadingladiesafrica
And above all, thank you God for grace every step of the way 🙏🏾✨
Grateful. Humbled. Encouraged to keep going.
CROSSOVER
Before you #cross a road, what do you usually do?
You look to the left then to the right, and sometimes you look again. The #goal is simple: to make sure there’s no oncoming vehicle that could #harm you. Or even to ensure that you don’t end up causing an accident.
The traffic lights also guide us. They tell us when to stop, when to get ready, and when it’s #safe to cross. You already know all this, so let me get to my main point.
As we are crossing over tonight into a new year, how #prepared are you?
Have you looked into 2026 and begun to make your plans?
Have you looked left and right, just like when crossing the road and put everything in place to ensure that you crossover the right way?
Even after planning (looking left and right), there could be unexpected things like a sudden vehicle on the road.
When they come, how prepared are you physically, spiritually and mentally?
Have you identified what you need to stop? Are you getting ready to make those moves and not procrastinate, letting go of procrastination and actually taking the steps you need to take?
Prepare your heart and your mind and cross over the right way!
Enter the new year with a renewed spirit and mindset!
May God be with us all and Happy New Year in advance.
REFLECTIONS FROM COP30
#COP30 ended with some #wins, but like every other COP, there's still so much room for improvement
Lots of people have shared summaries and reports of how it went and the wins and things that we need to further push for at the next COP.
Mine may not be so different but I want to share a part of my own #experience.
I was personally involved through AFRICA JUST TRANSITION NETWORK, our partners, members and other comrades in activities that contributed to one of the major wins being discussed: the #JustTransitionMechanism.
This was driven by sustained civil society pressure through the push for the #BelémActionMechanism (#BAM).
The Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) was pushed by #civilsociety because global #JustTransition efforts are currently disconnected from real climate and social outcomes.
"No one left behind" is easy to say, but in reality, people are still being #leftbehind.
While “just transition” language is everywhere, many initiatives remain unfair, poorly coordinated, and sometimes not fit for purpose, leading to confusion, and limited impact, especially for #workers and #communities in the #GlobalSouth.
I remember a co-panelist from a just transition panel I was on joking that "everyone at COP30 is just using #chatgpt for their talking points but do they really mean what they are saying".
We all laughed, but that was the truth, most of us do not really understand what the Just transition truly is and how we can practically have a just transition.
#BAM was proposed as a way to fix this gap between #principles and #practice.
At its core, it is designed to turn Just Transition from a negotiated concept into a coordinated system for delivery.
BAM focuses on aligning existing initiatives with the Paris Agreement and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, strengthening knowledge-sharing, and providing practical support to countries through #matchmaking, #technicalassistance, and access to non-debt-inducing #finance and #technology.
This is why #CSOs pushed so hard for it: because #climateaction cannot be just in theory alone, it has to work on the ground, in context, and at scale.
This pressure was
FIRE AT COP30
I just had a very #scary #experience with many others at #COP30
We were having our co-organised side event at the #Africa Pavilion and I was part of the #panelists. Pato Kelesitse Michael Harry Yamson Tedd Moya Kudakwashe Manjonjo Blessing Manale
I remember when we sat down the rep. Speaking for Ghana, Mr Michael Harry Yamson said, as the only lady maybe sit in the middle rather than the far end. He probably saved my hair from fire!
As the conversation was getting better and maybe hotter, we saw the audience point in our direction in a #frozen state. We turned only to see #fire coming from the corner I was supposed to be seated at.
Everyone just started running out, it was indeed scary. I remember screaming ‘fire extinguisher, fire extinguisher’. The fire spread wildly in seconds. The tents were easily #flammable. Everywhere was #chaos!
All I can say is I am #grateful to God we saw it in time and got out in time. Thanks to Mr Yamson too, he was amazing. I hope everyone here is safe and no one got hurt.
Let’s see how this COP ends.
What a first Day?!- Brazilian G)b3 Highlight
First days can be a lot when it comes to events like the #COP, and this one was no different.
There were a few things I couldn’t help but notice regardIng logistics that I would like to share:
- #Transportation: it was difficult to get transportation to and from the venue especially the closing hours. Many people weren’t sure how the bus system operated, the buses were there, but no one knew how or if they could board them.
I think today will be better though as I have already seen a QR code showing how to access the buses.
- #Directions/Maps: As usual it was difficult finding places, meetings rooms at the venue. People were not sure of where to even find the map to the venue.
- #AccessingInformation: The volunteers weren’t positioned strategically, and the language barrier made it harder. It also seemed that many staff at the information centers didn’t have enough clarity on what we needed help with.
- #RunningOut: They ran out of water bottles, which were needed to use the dispensers, and even the cards required to purchase food and other items at the venue.
- #SystemDown: At one point, they couldn’t scan our badges as we exited.
Of course, it’s the first day, so these things will improve. But it was a great lesson for me in #eventplanning, and I hope we can all learn something from it.
Now, the biggest #highlight for me; the #food! 🍛
The meals were much more affordable than at previous COPs. I had a delicious, organic, locally sourced dish for just $8.
Even better, it included something we eat back home in #Ghana, popularly known as G)b3 (#beans and #gari). It made me feel right at home in #Brazil! 🇬🇭🤝🇧🇷
Hopefully the logistics for rest of the week gets better!
#COP30
#Ghana #Brazil #logistics
COP30 - A DIFFERENT ME
Tomorrow, #cop30 in #Belém begins.
In preparing for this week, I took a moment to #reflect and found myself asking: “What do I want to do differently from my last #COP?”
What should I be more aware of? What should I change and what should I keep?
Maybe it’s because of the book I started reading “Who Moved My Cheese?” on my over 40-hour flight, aside God also nudging me to pause and think.
One thing that came to mind quickly was that I shared almost nothing about my COP #experience last year.
It was as though I never gave myself space to breathe to reflect each day. I had to move at the pace of every thing happening around me and the work I had to do, which to be fair, was good.
I however missed an #opportunity to share #knowledge and learn from others. Maybe if I had shared more, I could have received #insights from a wider audience. My experiences could have also helped someone else one way or the other, who knows.
So for this year, I’ll be sharing more about COP. I will really do my best to keep to this, it is a personal challenge and I invite you all to join me. I will try and share some of the old stuff too that I still find relevant.
Don’t get too bored or tired of my #COP posts, lol. I’ll try to make them shorter than usual!
Another thing I realized was I took care of my #health less and was feeling sick and drained most of the time.
So this year, I’m keeping #healthy, #eating well, #resting, and staying #spiritually grounded.
Keep me in your prayers, and to anyone attending COP, please remember to take care of your #mental, #physical and #spiritual #wellbeing.
On that note let’s begin with some pictures from #COP29…and stay tuned for my posts over the next few weeks.
🌸 PLANTS
It’s been a while since I wrote something from the heart.
Recently, I found myself thinking about growth, timing, and patience. 🌱
Every crop, tree, and plant has its own season when it brings forth fruit.
There are plants that take three months to bear fruit and can, in a year, bear fruit twice or more. There are others you have to take care of for one to two years before they bear fruit. Some even take longer than two years but still bear fruit. 🌾
Some of these plants, after you harvest, you have to work hard again before you can harvest again. Sometimes after all the hard work, you’ll have a good harvest; other times, there will be losses. There’s also another group where, after over two years of hard work, you continuously reap the labour of your hands, with almost no more work to do again. 🌿
You see, we are all plants of different kinds or species. Life comes with its seasons.
There are seasons where you will work so hard, but it seems there is nothing to harvest. You’ll be making constant losses.
There are some people who have had continuous wins, and others who have not had their wins yet. Some have won and now lost everything, and many more are in different situations. 🍂
The moment you give up on growing the plant is the moment it dies, and there’s no opportunity for it to bear fruit when its season comes. In the same way, the moment you give up on fighting and working hard in life, there will be no harvest for you.
Just know that, just like the plants, we all have different seasons. Your season will come. 🌸
Your season to bear fruit might be every month, for others every year, or even after many years, but don’t give up. Your time will come! 🌻
Every plant grows quietly before it blooms, maybe this is your quiet season. Keep tending your soil, because when your season comes, the world will see what you’ve been growing all along. 🌾💛
What season do you think you’re in right now? 🌿 #season #growth #life #plants
Photo Description: when the hotel you check into treats you with love. Beautiful memories from #COP29 #Azerbaijan
Thank you all for the beautiful birthday wishes. I feel very loved.
This year, I almost died. Yes, I almost died, but God said NO! Mercy said NO.
I made it to another age today only because of God. God has been so good to me that I can't even explain it. Thank you Father.
Cheers to this new age. It's going to be my best year since birth because God has given me a new life.
Thank you all once again for the love you've all shown. Love you all. God bless!
#birthdaygirl #gratefulheart❤️ #godisgood🙏
THE LOVE STORY
Yesterday I went for a church program with my family, which took place in Aburi Gardens
It’s been so many years since I went there, it looked better than I expected. The program was good, my nieces and nephews were so happy and having fun! We noticed a lot of tourists around, some in groups mainly black and african Americans.
I received a phone call that got me a little down later in the day and I was walking around in deep thoughts. A group of about 6 American guys were walking towards me from the opposite direction....
As they walked past me, one of them said something to me that sounded like “God loves you ya know?”.... I thought I heard wrong...I started wondering “is it so obvious on my face that I’m not okay”.
I stopped walking immediately to look back at him then he said “has anyone told you today that they love you today?”. I said no! With a smile on his face he just said “then I want you to know I love you”.
I surprisingly responded love you too with a smile on my face. We both then just turned and walked away from each other. I can’t lie to you, I just felt the worry that I was feeling escaping in that moment.
I felt hope, I felt faith and I felt love just because of what he did and said especially the first “God loves you”.
I have done evangelism a number of times and told people God loves you, I love you but never truly knew what impact I was making in lives until yesterday. After my personal encounter, I now want to let more people know how much God loves them.
So today I say to you all “God loves you so much and I love you too”.
Have a blessed day. #love #hope #faith #godlovesyou
What Should I Do Here?!
The UNFCCC Conference of Parties is one conference many in the climate, energy, environment and many other fields seek to partake in.
I humbly find myself in my 3rd COP this year by hardwork and grace of God and surprisingly still had this question lingering the beginning of last week.
In COP27, my first COP, I asked myself the same question and found myself doing a lot of walking around doing almost nothing.
It was very difficult understanding what was happening around. It took me a while to find my rhythm. Asking questions, reading and making acquaintances helped to do so. These are the same things that helped me in COP28 and now COP29 because trust me I still had/have that question lingering on my mind.
My 1st COP, I was a indeed just attending and learning. 2nd COP I got a speaking engagement and got involved in actions as an activist and coordinated a delegation of activists at COP.
3rd COP, I have speaking engagements and now planning sessions and actions for the AJTN as well as coordinating a delagation of activists again.
Do not feel frustrated if you are unsure of what to do or what you are doing when you are at COP. Just relax, wander and walk around, read, download the UNFCCC COP app, make acquaintances and go with the flow. You will find the rhythm with time, whether it takes 2 COPs like me or less or 5 or more COPs to get it, don’t stress!
If you have the “what should i do” question, then it means you really want to do something which is great. So embrace that question and feeling and do what you can.
This video got me posting here after a long break!
Tanzania, especially Zanzibar, is one beautiful place.
All Glory belong to God! Last week and weekend was possible because of Him. Thank you Jesus! 🙏..and heyyy you, remember, Hakuna Matata😁💃❤️
#zanzibar #forodhanidivers #stonetown #hakunamatata #tanzania
