The Savvy Dial

The UNYA is bi-annual event that brings young people from all over the world to the United Nations Headquarters in New York to discuss global issues. This year's summer event was held last August and gathered approximately five hundred young people from several nations under the UN to the venue. I had the opportunity to represent Ghana this year and had one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.

My UNYA journey began with a three-day program called the "Social Ventures For Social Development" (SV4SD) at the Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. There, we had the opportunity to learn everything about building social ventures that are able to solve some of our national and global problems. We were also able to get to know each other and forge great friendships among ourselves. I met some of the most amazing, most enterprising young people here. The program ended with a corporate visit to NOVARTIS pharmaceutical company and other social venture companies in the Newark community in New Jersey.

Then we moved on to New York for the main Summer event. Among the places we visited and had other sub-events in New York were the UN Headquarters, Pace University, Times Square, New York University (NYU), Columbia University, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, among others. In short, this whole event was the highlight of my entire summer. Scroll down to see my experience in pictures.

Corporate visit to NOVARTIS and other places in Newark

Day of presentations at FDU

Group Selfie!

Group presentation at FDU (Group 5)

Group 5 ties for 1st place

Certified Delegates

Times Square, New York

View from inside the UNHQ

First day of Youth Assembly

UN Security Council

Day two at UNYA 2015

A guided tour of the UN

Countdown to the end of the MDGs

"Do unto others as you'll have them do to you."

Last day of meetings at the UNHQ & Group 5 presentation at the UNYA

Culture night at Columbia University

Headed to the farewell cruise dinner

Our cruise ship on the Hudson River

Before the actual party began on the cruise

My best shot of NYC from the Hudson river. Lol

Yesterday, my sister and I decided to volunteer with an organization called "Feed My Starving Children" for our birthday. It is a great Christian organization that packs meals for hungry children all over the world. I came across this organization while searching the internet for places to volunteer in Arizona and I'm glad we went with this one. We had the best time packing our batch of meals for kids in the Philippines.



The best thing about this charity is that kids can volunteer here too. I'll totally recommend FMSC if you're looking for a great cause to support with your friends and family. So if you have as little as two hours to spare in a day, you can register for packing sessions at your nearest FMSC location and help pack food for hungry kids across the globe. Visit fmsc.org to register for a session, donate or find the nearest place to volunteer.



Also, you can click the banner at the bottom of the page to donate your next birthday to charity: water and help in the global effort to provide families with clean water.

Dear Ghana, this is in anticipation of our 58th independence anniversary. May these words ring true in our hearts and steer us in the right direction.

The Ghana Flag

Statue of a veteran returning from war and silhouette of the Great Black Star

The Independence/ Black Star Square

Emblem of the National Pledge

The Pledge
I promise on my honor
To be faithful and loyal to Ghana my motherland
I pledge myself to the service of Ghana
With all my strength and with all my heart
I promise to hold in high esteem 
Our heritage won for us
Through the blood and toil of our fathers
And I pledge myself in all things
To uphold and defend the good name of Ghana
So help me God!









(Images credit: Google)