21^st September 2010, at my desk, Oak Plaza Hotel, Accra, Ghana

My day began at 4am when the Akina Mama onsite coordinator called my room to let me know that I have to be ready for my TV interview and that Sister Darkoa was going to chauffeur myself and Solome to GTV (Ghana Broadcasting Corporation) at 5:00am for the Breakfast show. Now, this was something I had been fretting about since my arrival at the hotel the day before, so as could be imagined I continued my drama – I was imagining being asked a question and being tongue-tied aka muumuu. The worst my imagination conjured up was that I would probably run off the set. Funnily enough as all these images run through my mind I was physically extremely calm (ask Sister Darkoa).

At GTV, I had to come to terms with the ridiculous amount of make up the “make up artist” had to put on my face. At the end of the pancake smear on my face, it was time for the interview, which lasted about 3 minutes, and to my surprise I was calm, collected and I was able to answer all the questions. Though the first question caught me of guard, by the end I was thinking…is that all? It’s that simple!

After breakfast, it was time to meet the participants who were from different countries in the sub-region. Different accents and different personalities from West Africa all in the same room. Here, again I was surprised at my self; I found myself starting conversations with other participants and actually sustaining a conversation, walking up to participants to have conversations, smiling and waving; I think I did quite well. Isn’t it funny when ever you mention the name of your organisation everyone asks if they could come for a grant? Anyways I answered yes and they could drop a proposal and so far I have two proposals for the AWDF!!

The opening ceremony; had a keynote speaker in the name of Angela Dwamena-Aboagye who spoke eloquently on the topic ‘Women’s leadership in Africa: The magic bullet?’ What struck me about her speech was that the “personal is political”- the private person cannot be disassociated from the public person, these two personalities make up the same person and that the mark of a true leader is character.

The greatest part of my day was receiving a call from my grandmother who was screaming on the other end of the call because she had seen me on TV and had called an assembly of her tenants to watch me on TV.

And that was my first day at the AWLI!!!

By: Thelma Owusu-Boakye

Programme Assistant

African Women’s Development Fund

P.S: The AWLI is an innovative leadership programme for young African women run by AWDF grantee, Akina Mama wa Afrika