Ghana@64: Ogelle sets up US100,000 creative entrepreneurship fund for youths

Announced at midnight on the 6th day of March in 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African nation to declare its independence from colonial rule. Ghana's freedom ignited a wave of decolonization throughout the African continent, as many who were already in the process of regaining their freedom became more determined to push through to a new dawn.

This year marks the 64th year since that glorious declaration from Kwame Nkrumah. In commemorating with the great people of Ghana, Ogelle, Africa’s first user-generated video content sharing platform, with 100 percent focus on African content has designed a program to support the Ghana creative industry especially the youths dubbed, “Ghana Youth Freedom Project” which is a serial economic empowerment project that will run during the course of the year with variant grants and cash rewards for the winners at no cost to its participants. The project will target specifically undergraduate film makers in various universities and film academies.

“In support of the economic activities of the present government to ensure the nations post covid-19 recovery especially in the creative industry, we have cemented the plan to inject $100,000 United States dollars in grants and cash rewards to youths in the creative arts departments throughout the country at no cost to the students. This will run as series of programs in collaboration with academic institutions, public figures and influencers in Ghana. Ogelle is African, let us build our community,” the Founder of Ogelle Osita Oparaugo, a UK trained Nigerian lawyer communicated to the press today.

The leading African content curator Ogelle was launched on 18 April 2019 with the announcement in Lagos, Nigeria and press launch in Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda respectively. Ogelle, dubbed the “YouTube” of Africa, is the first only African content user-generated resource and entertainment platform that pay African creators regardless of their location globally according to views on their videos and has more than 30,000 videos with over one million users.

Available content on Ogelle include films, music videos, comedy, documentaries, Reality Shows, Cuisine, Vocation, Lifestyle and a community blog full of fun showcasing the diversity in African content.

There is no better time than now for Africans in Africa and in the Diaspora to change the negative narrative about Africa by embracing the creative industry. Content shape the world and with this program, Ghana youths in the creative industry has an opportunity to tell their side of the story.

The story about their Ghana, cultural heritage and values through various forms of works of art. No one can tell the Ghana story better than Ghanaians as no one can tell the African story better than Africans.