Bollocks to poverty

Global Sounds: Introducing KyeKyeKu - the Ghanaian Ed Sheeran!

Guest blogger KyeKyeKu shares his musical journey below.

"Ghana is a small former British colony in West Africa and that’s where I come from. One of our greatest passions (alongside football and religion) is music.

Like many Ghanaians, I love music so much and in my childhood days I knew music was a big part of me. In the village where I lived, I would draw imaginary instruments in the sand beside my grandmother and pretend to play a song for her."

Listen to KyeKyeKu's music (CheCheKu)

"My father, with whom I did not live with until eight years old, was a church organist. He taught me to play music for real. I’m now 28, but for a Ghanaian child, I was lucky to start at this age as instruments were difficult to come by in those days apart from local percussions.

Everyone expects the child to grow up and become a doctor or a lawyer. Making a career in music was considered with little seriousness as most of the ones to look up to were either drunkards or poverty ridden and getting chased every now and then to pay debts.

My father’s belief that music makes one smart coupled with my passion, drove me to pick up things fast, soon I played the organ, guitar and harmonica. I stuck to guitar as it satisfied me the most.

When I made it to the university I met one of Ghana’s greatest folklorists and guitarists Koo Nimo. I began to study and work with him for the next five years in the department where he taught African studies.

With him I got to know a lot about music in several parts of the world and how it unites the world as a cultural tool. Through these orientations, I got influenced by Brazilian music, flamenco, Indian music and several forms of music that carries a strong regional identity.

Through music I flew to several places where I had never been before and as I listened and learned to play, it made it easy for me to relate well with people from different parts of the world. Some of these influences feature heavily in my music which can be described as HIGHLIFE / AFROBEAT/ PALMWINE music from West Africa especially Ghana and Nigeria.

The acoustic guitar is my main instrument but I add in a few afro-Brazilian percussion every now and then. I love to perform with a group, at other times I do solo stuff in which case I do looping which is one area African musicians are getting into with African music.

After university I made a decision to pursue music further and develop that side of my life. It’s been well so far even though I have bigger dreams. Soon after I made this decision, I was booked to perform in the UK at Latitude The Big Chill festivals. It was a big experience for me and I enjoyed this part of the world so much, its people, food, music and energy.

When I returned to Ghana, I made a song about Twickenham, the area where I stayed in London, called ‘GOOD OLD TWICKENHAM’. This place made a big impression on me about the order and beauty.

Somehow I feel sad also about my home country Ghana because its miles away from this order that I speak of. But I have also found the need to make people in my country aware that with hard work and seriousness we could elevate the human living experience to a good degree.

I am doing this through my music, volunteer projects with kids and an environmental protection awareness project known as ‘INSIDETHEMOSKITONET’" Watch a video about the project below

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Ghana part 1: This place will blow your mind

When I found out that I was going to be visiting ActionAid projects in Ghana I did that thing at work, you know trying to act cool like I get told this kind of stuff all the time "me really? wow ok thank you very much."

Then I got out of work, ran home, called all my family and my mates then jumped around my flat - off the beds and the walls like a hyper 5 year old overdosed on Haribo.

You could say I was slightly excited. It's pretty rare for us on team Bollocks to Poverty to get these opportunities, so I felt really lucky to have been chosen to go on the trip.

I wanted to share with you some of my experiences in Ghana and how going on this trip and meeting some of the young people ActionAid works with in a poor country completely blew my mind.

Welcome to the REAL Africa

I thought that I had been to Africa before when I travelled to Morocco for a holiday earlier this year, but when I told the taxi driver this in my journey from the airport he politely informed me that "Morocco is not real Africa. Welcome to Ghana, this is the REAL Africa."

It was a really exciting time to be in Ghana, as I arrived smack bang in the lead up to the national elections. Wherever you went naturally you could not escape the hype and debate in the offices, people's homes and in the streets.

You could feel and hear the build up in the air with the chants and air horns of the two main parties NDC (National Democratic Congress) and NPP (National Patriotic Party) activists groups in the streets and piled out the back of their 4x4's around the city.

I was advised by my colleagues in Ghana not to draw attention to or take photos of these groups, but when I was in the capital Accra I only experienced what I would describe as a natural excitement and a peaceful protest which is what authorities try to promote heavily around Accra and the rest of the country.

A walk into Jamestown, the oldest part of Accra, led me to the beach with large fishing communities and slums and many sights reminiscent of Ghana's colonial past including the James Fort Prison and the unusual juxtoposition of the lighthouse in the middle of all of this built by the British in 1871.

I was only in Ghana for a short time and whilst I was there I wanted to take in as much of the culture and experience traditional food and everyday life as much as I could.

So I asked She, one of my colleagues in Ghana to let me try something traditional for lunch. "Are you sure?" she asked me "do you like spicy food" I said "don't worry my mother is from India, I grew up eating spicy food!" "Ok if you're sure Lisa?!" and they brought me back a plate of Waakye, which is rice, beans and fish with a spicy sauce.

This 'spicy' sauce turns out to be hands down the hottest thing I have ever eaten IN MY LIFE. Sh*t. It's 30 degree outside, I'm sat at a table with 5 new Ghanaian friends, smallest glass of water in the world, me trying to bluff my way this tastebud annihilating dish not knowing how I am going to finish it but I've seriously bigged myself up on the spicy food eating front so there's no going back. I'm not even half way through and I'm defeated. (Good work Lisa, good work).

So what does ActionAid Ghana do?

Alongside me experiencing a completely new and different culture, what was so valuable about this trip was the time that I was able to spend with the real people that my amazing ActionAid colleagues are working with so passionately and tirelessly with across Ghana to end poverty.

ActionAid Ghana works with with 1000's of poor and disadvantaged people on issues such as:

- Ensuring everybody including women and girls has the right to an Education
- Women's Rights and the prevention of domestic violence and other violence against women and girls
- HIV/AIDS - developing outreach programmes on testing and educating communities on the prevention and treatment of the disease

I never had to think about being a girl

Ghana is very much a patriarchal society and as a result in some parts of the country many women and girls suffer daily violence and abuse like abduction and rape, beating and female genital mutilation.

Girls often married off by their fathers and uncles and forced marriage and 'exchange marriages' is also very prevalent - where if your sister wanted to marry a particular man then her younger sister may be forced to marry his brother/uncle/friend as part of the 'deal'.

Many girls are also denied an education based on the deep rooted belief that they do not need to go to school to learn how to raise a family, do the cooking, cleaning and chores.

It was extremely upsetting and jarring for me to hear about what is happening every day to girls and women, many of whom are my age. Things that would never have even entered my thoughts growing up are huge part of their daily life.

It made me realise (weak as this sounds) just how little that I ever had to think about the fact that I was a girl when I was growing up and how this means for so many girls around the world that indefinitely they will suffer some form of violence and abuse.

I found it really hard to take in how these women and girls are forced to deal with this violence and injustice every day of their life.

However, in part 2 of my Ghana experience, I'll share with you some examples of of the incredible ways that ActionAid are fighting poverty and injustice in Ghana and introduce you to a couple of pretty inspiring young people I met along the way.

Medaasi (Thank you) Ghana!

It's was really hard when I was writing this blog not to go into a really gushing, over enthuastic, i'm on my gap yah, it's the best place in the world ever, travel writing mode etc etc... but, I just wanted to let you know how much I absolutely loved being in Ghana.

How the people just want to talk to you and get to know you better. How everywhere and everything is bright and nobody really wears black. How time is so relaxed and things 'happen when they happen'....

How the taxi drivers have no clue where they are going but they will still try their best to get you home even if they have to ask 25 (no lie) people for directions on the way. How the food is tasty as hell, even though the spices blow your head off....

How you can have a handshake with a snap with a 4 year old. How everybody wants to have their photo taken on your camera phone with you and then in 5 different poses without you. And how much people kept asking me when I am coming back, because now I have too many places to stay next time!

Thank you ActionAid Ghana!

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Bollocks to Poverty Christmas gifts for under £10!

Cool statement pieces, for a good cause, practical and from under £10. Yep, I think it’s safe to say we’ve solved your Christmas shopping problems.

Let’s start with the Bollocks to Poverty mug. The vibrant pink makes it easy to spot in the cupboard when you’re bleary eyed in the morning. And it’s very versatile - it holds all kinds of beverages – not just hot ones! Plus it’s emblazoned with one of the world’s best statements – Bollocks to Poverty. What’s not to love?

A steal at £6.99 (including package and postage)

Next up we have the legendary Bollocks to Poverty t-shirts. The first ever Bollocks to Poverty t-shirt was printed in 2002, so it’s fair to say they’re a vintage classic. And you don’t have to be a lover of pink to enjoy this one. They come in wardrobe staples black and white too.

Guilt free fashion for £15 (including package and postage)

And remember people, place your orders by 20th December for delivery by the 24th.

Not sure how well Bollocks to Poverty would go down with gran? Don’t worry we’ve got pressies without the profanity. Buy gran one of our Gifts in Action and you’ll be giving a gift to some of the world’s poorest people at the same time. Like the gift of a volunteer teacher in Cambodia, which costs just £14.

The perfect heart warming gift for granny from just £10

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We won! Supermarket watchdog will have real power

It's so exciting to be able to share some really great news with you.

Since 2006, we have been campaigning for supermarkets to pay their suppliers and workers in developing countries a fair wage.

We wanted a watchdog to keep supermarkets in check, and be able to hit them where it hurts (in the pocket) when they step out of line.

Check out this infographic of the story so far.

42,000 of you have supported our campaign over the years, including a recent final push to get a strong watchdog in place. And do you know what? It only went and worked.

Just this week, the government announced that the new watchdog will have the power to fine supermarkets who don't treat their suppliers fairly from the moment it comes into force.

We had been concerned that it would only be able to give them a stern talking to (we've all had a few of them, right?), which probably wouldn't do much to change their behaviour.

This was our final campaign goal, so we're just a little bit chuffed. Now we can't wait to see the watchdog in action, and start monitoring whether the new laws lead to real change in the lives of people like Gertruida who grow, pick and pack the food that ends up on our supermarket shelves.

Thanks to everyone who helped us win this campaign! *high five*

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Global Sounds: Congolese/Belgian Rapper Baloji

Baloji, whose name means "sorcerer" in Swahili, was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1978. At 4 years old, he moved to Belgium with his father and grew up in Liège.

Baloji spent most of his life in Belgium, but after initial success as a hip-hop artist he travelled back to the Congo to record with local artists.

Now, he mixes Congolese soukous with rap, soul, funk and R&B to produce socially conscious, thought provoking music and videos inspired by his life.

His latest album Kinshasa Succursale merges all these styles and more to create a collection ranging from traditional Congolese tracks to reggae, 1970s rock-soul and even doo-wop gospel!

Check out the video to one of our favourite tracks from the album Ya Bintou Karibu below....And if you like it, you can download it (or the whole album!) from our music shop

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Could this be the beginning of the end of AIDS?

It's World AIDS Day tomorrow, but this year something strange is happening.

I've been hearing whispers about 'the beginning of the end of AIDS' because there is a growing belief across organisations that are working to tackle the pandemic, that we are really close to a tipping point.

In 2003, just 400,000 people living in poor countries were getting HIV treatment. Today it's 8 million.

ActionAid's work on HIV and AIDS means there are now thousands of people like Judith who are leading change in their own communities by educating others and campaigning to break down the stigma of being HIV positive.

Amazingly we now have a simple treatment that could mean almost no babies are born with HIV, if it was globally available to all mothers.

So what's holding us back?

Governments around the world have invested millions in tackling HIV and AIDS over the years, but now budgets are being cut. We need to keep the pressure on, and keep telling world leaders that we want to see an end to HIV and AIDS.

1.8 million people died of AIDS related illness in 2010, and that's 1.8 million too many.

You can support the campaign to end HIV and AIDS by wearing a red ribbon, or getting involved with our friends over at the Student Stop AIDS Campaign.

And share this interactive graphic to remind others that World AIDS Day still needs our support.