TIPTOPSTARS

It’s fair to say that where one is born becomes the starting point in shaping our world view. Those born in urban spaces are generally open to various ways of gaining knowledge and skills to “get ahead”compared to those who are from rural areas. This does not mean that people from the rural areas can’t dwell with urbanism or become urban dwellers themselves. This piece only looks at those in rural areas since it defines a large section of our populations in Africa.

Note that those in the rural parts of our continent sometimes migrate to urban areas. Here too they have to grapple with their new environment; cope with new information from this strange environment while trying to succeed in their venture. The speed with which they succeed depends on how quickly they are able to unlearn some of their earlier “conditioning” that they have lived through, which continue to define their lives into the future.

In most of Africa where the word “entrepreneur” could be as strange as cheese is to some, their immediate environment and the way they relate to it becomes the only defining panels on which they can write their own experiences of how to succeed. “Conditioning” as it is used hereis how anyone with these rural experiences has been limited by their surroundings and their ability to gather, organize and use knowledge is limited as well. This has nothing to do with inherent entrepreneurial spirit – their ambitions and traits acquired when exposed to new and thriving environments in an urban setting.

The limits of information, the availability of vital clues, the understanding of how information can be used in this day and age, has them at a disadvantage. This contributes to how well they compete in the global space of building a small business. One is tempted to think that they didn’t push orwork hard enough; didn’t have enough ambition, but the limits exist within the context of how much they are exposed to. Their last resort is to come to the city. However, they are still confronted with their limited knowledge of accessing the information they need to get ahead in life or to build a small business.

How long they take to adjust to this new space and fit the elusive pieces of the “success” puzzle depend on their earlier “conditioning” which is a great hindrance in forging ahead. This could partly be the reason why entrepreneurship is struggling to take hold in most of Africa. Those living in the information drought conditions will often hear: “Study hard so you can get a good job” which prevents“think like an entrepreneur”. To me, the “study hard” notion is one of the worst things anybody can say to a child. What if we reverse it and propagate it in the same spirit? Study hard so that you can invent things; start a business; create new things that don’t exist now.

I am sure it will also create new “conditioning”, one that is tilted towards creating new things and/or entrepreneurs capable of taking on the frontiers of global commerce. Could the “study hard” conditioning be a hindrance to how most black youth think in most rural parts of Africa? My suspicion here is that the development of “gut feeling”, the killer instinct which are key traits of an entrepreneur is suppressed through this conditioning that takes place during the early formative years. Considering that Africa will have the youngest population in the world by 2040, how our youth is “conditioned” today to take on the world, to become global citizens, and to dare to dream, becomesthe corner stone on which our future success will be built.

From author : Solomon Atah is a Small business advertising specialist, a Personal Brand expert. He is alsothe Author of #HelpHope 7 Quantum Humanomics – Follow Twitter: @SolomonAtah: Instagram: @solomonatah

Editor's Note :Solomon Atah is a venerated broadcaster who provides valuable inputs to Apex 1 Radio. He is also a conference speaker and civil society promoter. He resides in Johannesburg, South Africa

Rita knows how much I hate dying minute invitations but she keeps sending them. Someone invites you for a party as though they wanted to send off an extra invitation which they did not want to waste.

EDITOR”S NOTE  Ifaana – The Jotter is a specialized column on TIPTOPSTARS that addresses common society issues that works enormously on our understanding and perception of people, places, events, etc. The columnist, Ifaana Qualar, a young Cameroonian communicator and actor, is a keen observer of her society’s evolution. This evolution comes along with a whole lot of phenomenal trends that never escape the writers attention. She is known to move along with a mini note book in her hand bag. Each day she steps out of her home, this note book records ever ‘insolite’ (odd) that comes it way. Translating it into pieces of publishable writing has been Ifaana’s most recent professional assignment and the Doula-based reporter finds infinite pleasure doing that. You may like to share your stories with her as well. Contact the writer at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it     Ernest Kanjo

The current most valuable Cameroonian actress has declared that she was far from being an ‘A Lister’ in the industry, when she was contacted to play lead character in Kiss of Death, the movie that has catapulted her to the top. From the said movie, Onyama Laura won the best Cameroonian actress award at the 2016 Ecrans Noirs film festival.

Onyama was speaking on African Fiesta, a midweek magazine show on Apex 1 Radio (www.apex1radio.com) few days after Ecrans Noirs crowned her. “I got on this project by the grace of God, it was a miracle,” Onyama told the show.

Even when her name was pronounced as winner in her category, the Limbe-based actress couldn’t immediately believe. “I had always known I would win awards eventually, especially from Kiss of Death, but Ecrans Noirs was not on my mind,” she explained.

Onyama, in a non-negotiable display of determination, told Apex 1 Radio that she was ready to consolidate that title, regardless of its weight. “I know who I am, I’m equal to the task and more than ready to keep the best Cameroonian actress title,” the actress who doubles of President of the Limbe branch of the National Actors’ Guild of Cameroon, NAGCAM told us.

Onyama played Naya, lead character in Kiss of Death. The movie addresses the issue of early marriages and seeks to provide headway to this social problem that deters young girls from benefitting duly from their rights to education.

Before filming Kiss of Death and Dark Sunshine that were shot at the same time by the same team, the actress who has been the talk of her industry at least, within the past week, did other movies, including Decoded and Kumba Bread.

Meanwhile, Kiss of Death will officially see the light of day on September 24 this year, at a première billed for Dallas, Texas, USA. The movie is produced by Ala Leonard, with Edith Pikwa as Executive Producer and directed by Musing Derick.

Listen to Laura Onyama….

Merlisa Determined is a multiple award-winning actress with a household name within the American Independent films domain and African film industry in the diaspora. The Carribean American actress’ who is who status has been won, thanks to her immeasurable contribution to the amazing growth of the industry.

Merlisa shines in some of the most beautifully crafted African movies in the United States of America including the 2015 International Canadian Film Festival award-winning Pound of Flesh and Far, an Ikechukwu Onyeka film shot in Cameroon. On the other hand Merlisa is known for her fine-cut acting skill which has increasingly becoming irresistible to film producers and directors.

As if that were not enough, Merlisa’s other artistic gifts – on air radio performance (on KYND 1520 pm broadcasting in Houston, Texas where she hosts a Saturday show from 5pm to 8pm Central time) and hosting of live events have gradually come into the picture and are fast winning the admiration of many, including African entertainment promoters.

The latter skill is what fans of the actress and guests to the 2016 edition of the New Generation Awards (N.E.G.A) would be savoring come August. “Ever since it was announced that Merlisa will be hosting the second edition of N.E.G.A with Van Vicker, my excitement has increased ten folds,” Kelsie, a Cameroonian film lover based in Maryland told TIPTOPSTARS. The young admirer of the actress told us that Merlisa whips pleasure of great acting and hosting across her spines and she won’t afford to miss any close opportunity to watch her perform live. “That’s why I’ll be first to arrive at the Fillmore Hall on August the 6^th,” she promised.

Kelsie also told us that she has watched some of Merlisa’s TV show from Houston Caribbean Festival events on YouTube and enjoys doing so over and over.

“I can’t wait, I’m looking forward to meeting some of my best two actors as they host N.E.G.A,” Felwine, another Cameroonian in Maryland who says she hopes to get into acting soon, told us. Felwine had watched Far some late last year and fallen in love with Merlisa’s acting. “I can imagine how brilliant she would be at N.E.G.A, couple with the fact that she will be accompanied by another great actor,” she went on.

On his part, Freddy doffed his hat to the organizers of N.E.G.A. “What a pair!,” he simply exclaimed, referring to Merlisa and Vicker.

Talking to TIPTOPSTARS, Merlisa Determined explained that she was contacted by the organizers of Next Generation Awards to host the event.

N.E.G.A will not be the first hosting experience for Merlisa, who is also an Accredited UN Ambassador to Strategic Alignment of Like Minds - Insurmountable Woman since 2014. She is currently the television host of the Caribbean festival. She also hosted the Courage to Dare breast cancer awareness fashion event and many others.

The second edition of the New Generation Awards takes place at the Fillmore Hall in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA on Saturday August 6, 2016. It is co-organized by Inspires Africa (IA) and Perfect Production, a film production outfit run byBenadette Keyi . Merlisa’s co-host will be African A List actor Joseph Van Vicker from Ghana.