How Social Media Has Given Nana Tea, KalyJay, Godfada And Other Ghanaian Youth A Voice To Impact Society

• Social media has evolved into an extremely effective tool for moulding society and influencing public opinion
• The platform has provided Ghanaian youth with a voice to advocate for or against social change to impact society
• Nana Tea, KalyJay, Godfada Gh Houston and many other young people have used their following to make a difference in people's lives

Social media has given Ghanaian youth a voice and provided a means to build personal and business brands which can be leveraged to earn a living and, most importantly, impact society positively.

Nana Tea, KalyJay, Sneaker Nyame, Jackline Mensah, Godfada Gh Houston and many others have used the platform to tackle socio-political issues, including helping people experiencing poverty.

How the youth are impacting the political scene

In 2021, KalyJay started a social media campaign under the hashtag 'FixTheCountry' on Twitter which quickly garnered attention from online users, particularly Ghanaians, who wanted the government to improve the lot of the citizenry.

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Thousands of social media posts, mostly from young people, highlighting challenges like corruption and irregular power and water supply were posted using the hashtag. They lamented the rapid deterioration of their circumstances, making it harder for the average young Ghanaian to make a good living.

The #FixTheCountry campaign dominated trends and became part of discussions for months. It even received the support of many celebrities as part of efforts to hold the government accountable.

Celebrities and media personalities such as John Dumelo, Efia Odo, Yvonne Nelson, Joselyn Dumas, Kwaw Kese, Nana Aba Anamoah, Serwaa Amihere and Lydia Forson joined the Fix The Country online protest.

They used their vast social media following to create awareness about important societal issues.

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KalyJay holds the government accountable via online protest and advocacy

KalyJay mobilised his large social media following, along with the impact of celebrity Efia Odo and, later, one of the conveners of the movement Mark Oliver Vormawor, to protest corruption, unemployment, inconsistent electricity and water supplies, and many other issues.

The #FixTheCountry campaign drew global attention from Ghanaians living beyond the country's shores. Many Ghanaians in Spain took to the streets to demand that the government alleviate citizens' financial woes. Hundreds of protestors marched on the streets of Spain, holding banners, posters and placards to express their outrage about the exploitative nature of the charges by the Ghana Embassy in Spain, including the excessive costs of passports.

On August 4, 2021, the BBC News Pidgin reported that the #FixTheCountry campaigners also hit the streets in Accra to protest against the country's social, economic and infrastructural challenges. These actions followed KalyJay's social media activism to demand an improvement in Ghanaians' living conditions.

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The FixTheCountry campaigners compelled the then-Deputy Finance Minister nominee, John Kumah, to speak on the concerns. He said the government was eager to address the issues raised and willing to engage in a dialogue to help it deliver.

''We are eager to address the problems. We want to fix it together, but it will be better with ideas… We’ve created over 2 million jobs in the last four years. This was presented to Parliament by the Labour Ministry. We are talking about jobs created in Planting for Food and Jobs, NABCo and so on,'' he had said, per Citinewsroom.

Using social media to touch the lives of the needy

Ghanaian Nana Tea, 35, who grew up in a rural area, now uses his social media presence to address issues affecting the poor. This has given him a solid reputation among many people, including celebrities.

The social media star is well-known for his numerous charity efforts to help the vulnerable in society, specifically the poor, those with physical disabilities, single mothers and widows.

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He recently raised GH¢14,000 for a bright but needy girl who had been accepted into St Roses Senior High School but could not afford basic educational supplies due to budgetary restrictions. Following the social media influencer's request for help, the girl received tremendous assistance.

Another Ghanaian using social media to impact society is a software engineer and the founder of the Facebook brand Inside Life, Godfada Gh Houston. He has touched many people's lives after emerging from great poverty due to his initial investment.

''I wanted to be a beacon of hope to the youth because I come from the streets. I am hoping to use social media to influence the youth and help them.

''I want the street to know that even though we've come out of the street, we care about them. This is what inspires me. Social media is one of the platforms I use to give hope to the youth, and it's working,'' he told YEN.com.gh.

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Godfada recently enrolled some twin boys in a school with his resources after learning about the boys' deprived living conditions via social media.

A video showing Godfada's benevolence

Ghanaian philanthropist Etwereso Mabaawa Hemaa also uses her following on social media to amplify the needs of the underprivileged in society. Many, including a visually impaired Ghanaian mom of triplets, have received donor support with her help.

The visually handicapped woman and the children's father received electronics, food and other significant items and over GH¢10,000 in cash to help them care for the infants.

A video of Etwereso Mabaawa Hemaa using her social media platform for social good

Using social media to address issues in the health sector

Apart from helping the underprivileged, Nana Tea uses his platform to mobilise blood donations to drive awareness of the problems of those in need of blood. The father of a set of twins has won hearts due to such kind deeds.

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All these are some of the many ways social media has provided a robust platform for Ghanaian youth to share their thoughts, interact with others and effect social change. While social media has its challenges, it continues to empower young people to drive change and impact society positively.

BECE girl who gained admission into St Roses SHS needs help

Relatedly, YEN.com.gh reported that a brilliant girl who received admission into St Roses Senior High School in Ghana struggled to afford essential educational resources due to financial constraints.

The girl, who earned impressive scores in the 2022 BECE, had been home due to financial challenges since the results came out.

In a Facebook post, Ghanaian social media celebrity Nana Tea said he had sent the girl GH¢1,000 in donations.

Source: YEN.com.gh