How to turn little ideas into big things: The Springboard Roadshow experience
The Springboard Roadshow, a series of annual nationwide career development seminars, has hugely impacted the lives of lots of youth across the length and breadth of the country
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The Springboard Roadshow, a series of annual nationwide career development seminars, has hugely impacted the lives of lots of youth across the length and breadth of the country.
The programme, which is spearheaded by Rev. Albert Ocran and his wife Comfort, has over the past 10 years, educated, inspired and moved lots of people to take that bold step needed to change their lives.
Students, young entrepreneurs and graduates across all regions of the country participate in the annual event, which involves career guidance, one-on-one mentoring and training workshops.
Additionally, millions are reached indirectly through related technological, media and social interventions birthed out of the road show.
This year the event, which marks its 10th anniversary, is being organised on the theme: ‘A Decade of Transforming Lives,’ and would, among other things, showcase the success stories of some of the alumni.
To mark the fourth edition of the new series, ‘Dare to Dream,’ on the weekly motivational talk show on Joy FM, two alumni, Mr Albert Ankrah, the Executive Director of Ghana-Gulf Chamber of Commerce and 2015 National President for Junior Chamber International, and Ms Priscilla Esinam, a staff of Ashesi University, took listeners through how their lives had been transformed through the Springboard Roadshow.
The ‘Dare to Dream’ series seeks to find the space, the lessons and the philosophy of people who have come through the springboard Roadshow over the years, and also explore the story of people who started little and made it big through the event.
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The beginning
Recounting his experience, Mr Ankrah, who was one of the 600 people who participated in the maiden Springboard Roadshow, said a passion to learn from experienced minds drove him to the Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian Hall, where the first edition of the programme was held.
While there, he said he realised a lot of zeal and enthusiasm in the eyes of the promoter, Revered Albert Ocran, which said “we will make this work.”
“I saw a burning desire, I saw a very deep passion to create a certain kind of change, to raise a certain kind of generation who believed in the country that they were born in, and believed that God had gifted everybody with something and it was their responsibility to find what God had put in there, water it skillfully and ensure that they bear fruit,” Mr Ankrah said.
He added that the words that were spoken to him that day were like seeds planted within him and the other participants, which he resolved to make bear fruits.
One good thing, he said, was the fact that all the speakers were young people, whom they, the participants could relate and connect with.
“I saw a new wave of people trying to do something with their lives. It taught me to believe in myself and believe in the abilities and capabilities that God had given to me and take the first step,” he added.
For her part, Ms Esinam said her Springboard story began at the Senior High School level after she had seen the advert in the Daily Graphic.
She said she had always been passionate about different things and always had the desire to connect with people, especially those experienced and older than her.
“I always tried to understand people and figure out what they were thinking and once I saw that thinking aligned with mine, I was inspired to know more and do more to be in a network with them,” she said.
“I did not know what I wanted to do. I did not have a particular dream or vision. I just wanted to connect with the right people so as I was looking through the Daily Graphic in the library, I saw the advert which said ‘if you wanted to connect with great minds and step up your game in your career and personal development, this was the programme to attend.’ I straight away told my friends I wanted to go for the programme,” she recounted.
She said she knew if she could tap into the knowledge of the speakers, it would be amazing for her and her career development.
Impact of Springboard
Mr Ankrah said the programme was very relevant to him, considering where he was at that time and picturing where he wanted to be.
“It looked like a very long journey. It looked like a very big gap but after hearing the messages that came out from the speakers, I knew it was possible. All the speakers hit on something that had always stayed with me,” he noted.
He said getting involved with the roadshow built his confidence and abilities, while exposing him to the ‘high and mighty’ in society.
Commenting further, he said he also learnt how to deal with people in authority to get them to believe in what he was trying to sell, and also boosted his ability to communicate ideas and motives.
For her part, Ms Esinam said her involvement in the roadshow had been a journey of growth, in which she had realised age did not matter but the power of the brain.
Advice to the youth
Ms Esinam advised the youth to be ready to breach the status quo if they were yearning to succeed in life.
“If you want to go far, you need to break the barriers around you. Sometimes there are mental barriers, visual barriers, internal barriers and you need to break them,” she stated. –