A few months after launching his men’s clothing business, Tailored Hands, final year student Ezekiel Hormeku ‘19 hit a bump that many start-ups encounter – funding to grow and expand their business idea. 

With orders coming in faster than they could serve, Tailored Hands had to expand their equipment, team and production base to cater for their growing clientele. And so Ezekiel turned to an initiative at Ashesi aimed at helping student entrepreneurs solve this exact problem – the Ashesi Enterprise Fund (AEF).

“We were able to secure a loan from the AEF that helped us acquire more sewing machines,” he said. “It was a huge headache taken care of; and this helped us focus on other important parts of the business, such as properly establishing a supply chain for our materials, hiring more tailors and creating some structure within the organization.”

Through soft loans, with little to no interest rates, the AEF has helped support over twenty students like Ezekiel through their entrepreneurial journey. And it has only just started. 

“The Ashesi Enterprise Fund was set up to bridge the financial gap students face in starting and running businesses on campus, and also to promote the student problem-solving vision of the university,” shared faculty Dr. Sena Agyepong, who helped lay the foundation for the fund. “We realised that most of the entrepreneurs who were coming out of Ashesi could be better prepared and needed more opportunities to pick knowledge along the way. So the AEF is part of the work we are doing to set up an ecosystem that can drive this on campus and beyond.”

Starting from their first year, Ashesi’s curriculum was remodelled to engage students and introduce them to the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem early; through the year-long Foundation of Design and Entrepreneurship course, that teaches them the ropes of entrepreneurship, and then with added support from initiatives like the Enterprise Fund, the Ashesi Venture Accelerator, the Ashesi D:Lab and the final-year Entrepreneurship Capstone program.

“When you have a really great idea that you believe can grow in impact, but don’t have access to funding to launch it, it hurts,” shared Ifashabayo Dejoie , who started an annual concert in his home country, Rwanda, focused on helping strengthen the nation’s history and culture through connecting the youth and older generations.

“When I heard about the AEF, I reached out, and after going through their application and pitching process, I secured enough funds to hold the inaugural concert – which saw support from several key leaders and voices in Rwanda.”

In addition to supporting student start-ups, the AEF also connects students to leading industry professionals, led by the fund’s governing council made up of representatives from Corporate Ghana, who help advice on growth and sustainability.

“The fund has grown steadily, primarily from the support of entities and individuals from across the world,” shared Dr. Agyepong. “This not only helps sustain our student businesses, but also helps establish a pipeline for bright students and promising businesses to engage with these companies and individuals.”

“The fund is a dream enabler,” said Audrey S-Darko ’19, who also received support to start an on-campus food service. “It rekindles a dream or desire you’ve had to build or start something.”

For more information about the fund, please email aef@ashesi.edu.gh

The beginning of the year is a great time to get into new habits. However verbal to-dos rarely make it to the list of completed tasks. Have you ever wondered why for many of us, it is almost an annual ritual, repeating the same resolutions over and over again? Here are a few pointers from members of our community on making 2021 a productive season.

Strike that Balance

For Samuel Fordjuor, alumni, sports enthusiast and former member of the student’s basketball team, maintaining a healthy balance between academia and sports or extra-curricular activities boils down to time management. 

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was really little, and it never interfered with school work because I made it a habit to do all my academic work before I head to the court,” he shared. “Sports has been beneficial to me because it’s trained me to think strategically. On the court before you make a move, you need to think about it first, then execute, and you need to do it quickly. So, off the court, it’s become a part of me to plan what to do and do it how I plan it out.” 

“For people who want to get fit, I would say, just get up and do it,” he continued. “I believe doing things within the time you’re in, is far more effective than planning too far ahead. So if you focus on accomplishing your daily goals, and do it consistently, you would more likely achieve them.”

Staying Healthy

Also on our list of suggested goals for the year is staying healthy, especially on the back of the holiday season which was characterized by a lot of indulging and binge eating.

“We need to take better care of our bodies” shared the Nurse Administrator of the Health Center, Bridgette Abakah.“When you take good care of yourself, you have less stress-related symptoms and more easily prevent diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and even mental health issues. A few tips for students is to take things easy; get more sleep and rest, stay hydrated, eat well and exercise. Lastly, we need our students to have safe sex. Use a condom, be faithful, or abstain if you want to, but ensure you stay safe. Also remember that the health center is open, and you can walk in any day for counseling for sexual health and reproductive issues.” 

Financial Discipline 

“Interestingly, how you manage your personal finances tends to correlate directly with your ethical behavior or integrity,” shared David Kadeh, Director of Finance. “If you are unable to stick to a budget, you are more likely to engage in unethical activities to help maintain your life style.”

“You make the most of your finances when you control lifestyle choices that have the power to increase or decrease your expenses. For example, instead of taking a taxi, we can take the bus. A good philosophy to live by is to set aside at least 10% of your sources of income for future eventualities or investments. In doing this, you will be able to operate within any amount of money that you receive.”

Take advantage of resources at your disposal

“Ashesi has access to a good batch of resources, so make the most of them” shares Nina Chachu, Head Librarian. “Between our electronic resources and stacks of books in the library, there’s so much available. If we don’t have what you need, you can actually make recommendations, and we’ll get them.”

“Additionally reading your emails and messages on social media also helps to keep up with what’s  going on and be able to take advantage of resources and opportunities available. Even if you don’t think the email is important, it’s good skim it, and then pin it, unread it or flag it, if you think you might need it later.”

Enjoy it while it lasts

Our final tip for the year is to enjoy it while it lasts because once it’s over, we’ll never get it back.

“I worked throughout undergrad because I had to pay for everything,” shared Abdul Madhi, Dean of Students and Community Affairs. “For the most part, many students here have been blessed and they don’t have to do that, but these four years are some of the best and most important time in their lives. So I would encourage students to be more courageous and involved in more student activities. Read books, attend seminars, enjoy these four years because, you might never get them again.” 

The final semester of college can be pretty nostalgic. It is the time to say goodbye to all the things that have become special to us over the last four years; our college friends, favorite professors and hangout spots, even our cramming sessions and all-nighters, knowing that in only a few months, you will be leaving the place you have grown to call home.

For Amiineh Tabicca ’18 who now interns at the university’s library for her national service, the quality of seniors’ last semester’s experience at Ashesi, depends on how well they plan out their semester.

“Final year can either be stressful or fun but it all depends on you. A great hack that helped me through my last year was creating a schedule for both my academic and extracurricular activities and making sure I stuck to them. It was definitely one of my best years because I learned to organize myself better and so had more time to spend with the special people in my life.”

Resounding the age-old advice, to enjoy the college experience while it lasts, Kirk Caesar ’18 expressed how important it is for seniors to strike a balance between academic work and relationships. 

“It is very important that you spend quality time with your friends, because it becomes really hard to connect with them after you graduate. Also, make more connections with your colleagues as well as your juniors regardless of if they’re in their first, second and third year because they become your network moving forward.”

“My last year was really fun but also a little emotional,” shared Kwabena Adu Darkwah ’18, Faculty Intern for Entrepreneurship.

“I quite remember on Seniors’ Day, I couldn’t help reminiscing over my first moments as a freshman, and how I had grown. In no time, I had completed four years and was on the verge of graduating. It made me start to think through what was next for me after school. So I explored activities beyond my normal scope of involvement, I met new people, and most importantly, I opened up about my career interests to my Faculty Advisor and Staff that I felt comfortable with. I urge each final years to seek advice from them. They are always helpful, and can recommended people and opportunities to you that can help shape your life beyond Ashesi.”

Amidst the sentiments, graduation is still only a few months away, and there is a lot of wrapping up to do. Keziah Fosu White ’18 reminds final years that there’s still work to be done. 

“No matter how lax the workload in your last semester may seem, just work at it like you have a quiz tomorrow because it tends to creep up on you. So relax but just don’t spend all your free days relaxing. Remember to use the extra time to study and work on your final year project.”

Nearly 20 years ago, when a young Patrick Awuah moved back to Ghana to start a university, he got connected to a handful of mentors; one of whom was Professor Stephen Adei, then the rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.

Already experienced in handling a tertiary institution in Ghana, the relationship with Professor Adei was one Patrick could depend on to quickly learn the ropes, and one he was hoping would help bring Professor Adei’s expertise and experience to Ashesi. Eventually, in 2015, Professor Adei joined the Ashesi team, first as a Professor of Leadership and Economics and then going on to become the Dean of Arts and Sciences.

“I was finally able to convince Professor Adei to join the team,” shared Patrick, heartily, at a reception held to celebrate Professor Adei as he retires from full time duties on the faculty and becomes Professor Emeritus at Ashesi.

As part of the reception, members of staff and faculty shared stories and memories of the professor’s time at Ashesi that deeply resonated with laughter and applause.

“I knew he was special; he came with all these wonderful experiences,” said Provost, Angela Owusu-Ansah. “We’ve been so privileged to have him. We’ve had a treasure here!”

Over his time at Ashesi, Professor Adei taught leadership and economics. He was also particularly influential in designing the building blocks for Ashesi Success, a seminar-style class aimed at helping freshmen transition smoothly into college life.

“I am thankful for my experience at Ashesi,” said Professor Adei who has been invited by the Ghanaian government to chair the National Development Planning Commission. “I was hoping to have a quiet retirement, only to be called to help think about and plan the direction Ghana needs to go. Nevertheless, I am thankful I was invited to be part of the Ashesi vision.”

“Professor Adei is one the few people of high station in this country, who places the interests of the country above partisanship,” said Patrick in a closing remark that also involved outdooring the Professor Stephen Adei room at Ashesi. “Professor Adei is a clear example of what it means to be a patriot. He cares about the country and everybody in it, and he gives advice as he sees it, freely, with confidence and humility. It’s a real honour for us to have his name on a space where faculty here can go to think about important matters for this university and for our country, and where a lot of magical things will hopefully happen. I’m thankful for all that he’s done for me, and for Ashesi as well.”

As Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, Professor Adei will lead a team that will advise Ghana’s President on development planning policy and strategy. He also remains part of Ashesi faculty in his new role as Professor Emeritus.