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Gutta Soles' name is inspired by Ghana's open gutters and the idea that although they may be filled with rubbish, there is treasure to be found.

For founder Kromanteng, there is added symbolism in that Ghana's gutters are open - not closed, which means there is an opportunity for everyone to pull themselves out of their current situation.

The Gutta Soles brand has its operations in Accra, Ghana. The shoes are made from car tyres, ntuma (cloth), organic cotton and rubber. I spoke to founder Kromanteng about his brand.

All images used with the consent of Gutta Soles. The music featured in this podcast is called 'Di Asempa' and comes from Atakora Manu & His Sound Engineers.

If you missed the first segment, click this link to listen.
Part 1: https://youtu.be/NLd0Ao1R8SA
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGEIyiVVqCA
Part 4: https://youtu.be/Glu1hOWmnXw

Visit www.guttasoles.com for more on the brand. 

For more content like this, visit: www.msbwrites.co.uk; www.akadimagazine.com for more or follow on @misbeeewrites or @akadimag on Instagram

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

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Part 2: https://youtu.be/-SfuHG1wIlY
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGEIyiVVqCA
Part 4: https://youtu.be/Glu1hOWmnXw

Visit www.guttasoles.com to find out more. For more content like this, www.msbwrites.co.uk; www.akadimagazine.com for more or follow on @misbeeewrites or @akadimag on Instagram

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to AKADi Magazine book review series with Abena Serwaa .

This series takes books by Ghanaian authors or books about Ghana and deconstructs them according to their content and information value, while hopefully encouraging you to read them too.

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the book: ‘Daughters of the Trade – Atlantic Slavers and Interracial Marriage on the Gold Coast’ by Danish historian Professor Pernille Ipsen.


- A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana from the 15th to the 19th century by Akosua Adoma Perbi

- The Grand Slave Emporium: Cape Coast Castle and the British Slave Trade by William St Clair

Film trailer: Gold Coast by Daniel Dencik and Kwame Boadi
Film review: Gold Coast: A lucid look into Denmark's past

Also check out:

·       Two Views from Christiansborg Castle Vol I. A Brief and Truthful Description of a Journey to and from Guinea, by Johannes Rask (Author), Selena Axelrod Winsnes (Translator)

·       Two Views from Christiansborg Castle Vol II. A Description of the Guinea Coast and its Inhabitants

A Description of the Guinea Coast and its Inhabitants, by H.C. Monrad edited by Selena Axelrod Winsnes

·       A Danish Jew in West Africa. Wulf Joseph Wulff Biography And Letters 1836-1842 by Selena Axelrod Winsnes, Paperback | Indigo Chapters

Visit our monthly AKADi Magazine Connecting Communities Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Buzzsprout or wherever you listen to your audio to listen to all our podcasts. 

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

Send us Fan Mail

Maxwell Ayamba MBE is a PhD research student in Black Studies at the Department of American & Canadian Studies at the University of Nottingham, whose research explores the trajectory of ‘race’ ecology and environmental justice in the UK.

Maxwell is passionate about the countryside and increasing access for Black, Asian and other global majority groups and refugee communities, which is why he co-founded The 100 Black Men Walk for Health Group and established the Sheffield Environmental Movement.

He was honoured in the UK’s 2023 New Year’s Honours List with a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to the environment and to the community in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. 

In this episode, Maxwell explains why access to the countryside is so important for Black, Asian and other global majority groups, and why in 2021 he was named as one of the 70 most remarkable people in the history of the Peak District National Park.   

To listen to more content like this, visit our monthly AKADi Magazine Connecting Communities Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Buzzsprout and wherever you listen to your audio. 
 

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

Send us Fan Mail

The UK premier of 'School Girls, Or The African Mean Girls Play' by Jocelyn Bioh, started on 8 June and runs until 15 July at The Lyric Hammersmith in London.



It's set in Aburi Girls' Senior High School in Ghana's Eastern Region.



And if like cast member Jadesola Odunjo and playwright Jocelyn, you went to a boarding school, this play may bring back some memories.


We speak to Jadesola, who plays Nana - one of the girls in the play - to find out more.
 

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

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Did you know that the West African game, known as ampe in Ghana, is more than 200 years old and is recognised as a sport in Ghana?


We spoke to two filmmakers - Claudia Owusu and Ife Oluwamuyide - whose film 'Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl' explores themes around girlhood, womanhood and the power of play.



Find out more in the interview.


See ampe in action:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1828019/13016564-s4-ep6-in-conversation-with-the-filmmakers-behind-ampe-leap-into-the-sky.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-13016564&player=small


Image © Amber Marolyn

 

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

Send us Fan Mail

Trauma and motherhood were strong themes in this book but in my reading of the novel, I never saw the women as victims. Rather, these women were heroic, misunderstood and extremely strong.

Ada’s Realm is linguistically rich – at least four languages (Ga, Twi, German and English) appear in this book – not to mention an old English dialect too. The book was replete with Ghanaian phrases and references that most Ghanaians would be familiar with. 

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we’re reviewing ‘Ada’s Realm’ by Sharon Dodua Otoo which has been translated from German to English by Jon Cho-Polizzi.

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

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Welcome to Connecting Communities - an AKADi Magazine series that profiles Ghanaians making transformative change in their communities.

In this episode, Abena Sɛwaa speaks to the director  Sarah Amankwah and cast members of DRUM - Benjamin Sarpong-Broni (who plays Mike Eghan) and Joshua Roberts-Mensah (who plays  James Barnor).


The 80-minute-long play was created by Jacob Roberts-Mensah and captures a reimagined interaction between iconic photographer James and broadcaster Mike.


https://www.akadimagazine.com/post/play-immortalises-james-barnor-mike-eghan

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag

Send us Fan Mail

Read It. Read It! is an AKADi Magazine segment aimed at book lovers.


Our goal is to get you reading more books by Ghanaian authors, poets, illustrators or books about Ghana.


We want you to share your thoughts on these books and hopefully, instead of us urging you to Read It. 

You’ll be telling us you’ve Read It!

In this episode, we’re reviewing ‘Ada’s Realm’ by Sharon Dodua Otoo which has been translated from German to English by Jon Cho-Polizzi.


This book is an exciting exploration into four worlds through the experiences of four women that share the same name – Ada. We meet Ada number 1 in 1459 in the fishing village Totope, some 50 miles from Accra. 


We meet Ada number 2 during Nazi occupation in a concentration camp in Germany in 1945 where she has been forced into prostitution. 

And later in Stratford-le-Bow, England in 1848, Ada number 3 appears as a married woman and mother with an unbridled gift for calculating mathematical equations.


Our final Ada can be found in Berlin in 2019, after migrating from Ghana to the UK and then Germany. When we meet her, she is heavily pregnant and looking for somewhere to live.


Apart from their names, what unites them is a golden bracelet.

The music in this episode is made exclusively for AKADi Magazine by Kyekyeku and the Super Opong Stars and is called 'Life No Dey Easy'.

AKADi Magazine is a digital publication connecting Ghanaians in Ghana and the Diaspora, visit us at www.akadimagazine.com , www.akadimagazine.co.uk and www.msbwrites.co.uk for all your community news.

Join our socials here: https://linktr.ee/AKADiMag