The Role of Twi in Shaping Ghanaian Culture and Identity x Twi Learning Center | S6 Ep.1 (Premiere)

[00:00:00] Hey everybody, welcome to The Sound of Accra podcast. We're back in Accra filming another season.

[00:00:06] I got by the name of Adrian Daniels and this is the show where we chat with top Guardian founders,

[00:00:12] entrepreneurs and creatives worldwide with the aim of leaving you behind with meaningful takeaways

[00:00:18] that you can apply in your life, business and career. Just some housekeeping for today's show

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[00:00:55] crossed a milestone. All of you who have been following us all these years, it's now been four

[00:01:00] years since the podcast has been running. I just want to say massive thank you for being on this

[00:01:04] journey. Today let's get on today's show. Today I'm joined by Emmanuel and he is the

[00:01:10] founder of Tree Learning Center Ghana and he's going to tell you a little bit more about

[00:01:15] what they do. But of course it's quite obvious, you know they do tree lessons and he's going to

[00:01:22] tell you a bit more about what they do in just a moment. But before we get into that Emmanuel,

[00:01:26] my brother, it's a saying. Oh, of course. Well you had some lessons with that too.

[00:01:32] I'm not surprised you can respond to that. Thank you. So yeah, I mean I did take

[00:01:36] some lessons with Emmanuel. I think it was two years ago now over Zoom and yeah,

[00:01:41] he's been great. So we actually met at Accra Connect. Accra Connect. I think this was Christmas 2021.

[00:01:48] I think it was yeah, Christmas 2021. And it was just down the road right? In the airport.

[00:01:54] With that place. Yeah, Volta Place. Just down the road right? A lot of things happening in this

[00:01:58] area and yeah, it's been great since then because I think since then we connected and

[00:02:06] you sign up for the classes, the group classes and then you've done what I still remember

[00:02:11] some of the key things that you learned. I mean being able to access the saying and then

[00:02:14] probably to say we'll call something at the time and train with us as well. You've done well.

[00:02:18] Like keeping it. I mean it's two, three years now and you still remember. Thank you.

[00:02:21] Thank you. That's for the Boccois. I've always known the Boccois. I didn't need to go back

[00:02:27] and refresh myself from the Google Drive classes. But yeah, it was great. That event

[00:02:33] was great. Shout out to Accra Connect who are tied to Ghani in Londoners who put that event

[00:02:38] on fantastic event. I was blown away so much networking that we didn't have enough time to

[00:02:43] meet everybody. But yeah, I mean since then I'm sure Tree Learning Centre is growing quite a bit.

[00:02:49] You're really busy now. I mean you've got a lot of classes going on. We're going to get into

[00:02:54] the classes, the types of classes that you do, how you connect into the diaspora and Ghani

[00:02:59] means to their roots and their culture through Tree Learning Centre and so much more.

[00:03:06] But before we get into that, talk us through why is it called Tree Learning Centre and how did you

[00:03:12] start Tree Learning Centre as one of the founders and the team leader?

[00:03:17] Okay. So thank you so much for this opportunity. So the Tree Learning Centre, we chose the name

[00:03:23] Tree Learning Centre because when we wanted to start everything, the focus was on Tree.

[00:03:28] And we all know what Tree is. Tree is actually a language. I mean one of the account languages

[00:03:33] where it's a widely spoken local language in Ghana. And so sometimes you've been someone based

[00:03:38] in London for instance, you meet someone and say, well you're a Ghani and they say yes,

[00:03:41] I'm a Ghani and then he acts like a person. So if the person is able to respond,

[00:03:44] probably you know you've seen your brother. So Tree has a widely spoken local language and

[00:03:48] really plays an important role in our lives and our culture as well. So I mean we chose

[00:03:55] the name Tree because we wanted to be catchy. We wanted to ring in everybody's mind. As soon

[00:03:59] as you say, oh I want to learn Tree then we're going to the Tree Learning Centre. That's why we

[00:04:02] chose the name Tree Learning Centre. So that is it and then that's something small about

[00:04:07] yes, the Tree Learning Centre and why we chose the name Tree Learning Centre.

[00:04:11] Yeah, I mean I think it's quite you know self-explanatory and I like the fact that it's a

[00:04:16] free letter acronym so TLC. It's easy to remember right? And you know I like how you use in the

[00:04:24] Ghana's colours as well. Red, yellow, green. It's perfect and then you've got the

[00:04:28] Blackstone and the letter L. Yeah, every time we're Ghana because it's about Ghana,

[00:04:32] Kocha, everything that is that's what we are trying to project so that is what we're training now.

[00:04:36] It's perfect and you know it looks like you know the Ghanaian flag and I love it.

[00:04:40] It's just such an easy name to remember. Okay cool. So talk us through your team like I mean

[00:04:45] how big is the team growing? How many people are in your team now in terms of like and how

[00:04:50] does it work in terms of running this Tree Learning Centre? What's the logistics process like?

[00:04:55] Okay so so far since we started in June before since we started so soon but

[00:05:00] June before yes we started the Tree Learning Centre. The team is growing very fast and very well as well

[00:05:06] outside our students population. We are also trying to make impact in people's lives as in

[00:05:11] our teachers and so not just our tutors, behind the scenes people like the technical staff,

[00:05:16] IT people, the video editors and other people that are working very hard to help the TLC

[00:05:22] achieve what we are trying to do. So we have a total of 17 people. Wow. Yeah it's trying to

[00:05:29] help connect people back to their roots to tell a story in the Ghanaian way, not like what has

[00:05:34] been projected some time ago because we are trying to tell the story in the Ghanaian way and so

[00:05:39] so far I can't do it alone. My last things can't be alone so all together 17 people

[00:05:45] trying to connect as many people as we can back to their roots. It's not just about the 17

[00:05:50] people. I mean we are trying as much as possible to add more. It's not just about meals, it's a

[00:05:54] gender balance thing. We have meals and we have female, we have about six female teachers

[00:05:59] and workers in the TLC and then there are people to be in meals as well so we are trying to balance

[00:06:04] so that everybody can have a fair share of the cake and to see how we can make impact in people's

[00:06:09] lives especially with our unemployment issues in Ghana here too. We are trying our best to see

[00:06:13] how best to help people. Okay great and you mentioned unemployment issues here in Ghana.

[00:06:19] How is Tree Learning Center helping with unemployment in terms of creating more jobs?

[00:06:22] Yes, we are adding more people to our team because the demand is very high these days. A lot of

[00:06:29] people want to connect back to their roots and then they want a genuine and trustworthy

[00:06:34] learning platform when they could do it and that is what we provide. We provide a genuine

[00:06:38] and I mean a well-flexible pace learning platform for people especially in the Asper to

[00:06:42] connect back to their roots and so there are more people come see them or we bring in more

[00:06:46] teachers to be able to also get something for their family to be able to support their family

[00:06:50] financially and so on. So yeah that is what we are trying to do now by I mean expanding our

[00:06:56] reach and getting more teachers on the board and also getting more students on the board as well.

[00:06:59] Excellent, I love what you're trying to do here and in terms of your team what does it consist

[00:07:04] of? Is it teachers and? Yeah so we have teachers like well-trained teachers, experienced and I mean

[00:07:11] professional teachers not just we don't just accept anyone as our teacher no or our fan to

[00:07:15] teach our no we make sure that we get people who are well equipped and resourceful and people

[00:07:22] who have experience of teaching the language not just someone who can speak and understand no

[00:07:26] people who are well trained know the phonetic, the color, the lezjo color, the language

[00:07:30] color, the language you know we speak with emotions and so you have to know where to

[00:07:35] make the tone higher what to make the tone lower and all those things and it goes beyond

[00:07:38] your speaking and understanding. You have to be trained you have to study it in this professional

[00:07:42] way to be so that is some of the requirements to get somebody to work with us so probably if you

[00:07:47] go to the university to study three language or neocard language that we need your service we

[00:07:53] interview you we see that okay you are good for the team yes and then we take you on board to

[00:07:58] also help you get something good for your family gets something good for yourself as an individual

[00:08:02] because if you work you need to be paid and so that is what I'm trying to do now.

[00:08:06] So we have professional teachers not just anyone and when I say professional teachers people born

[00:08:11] and bred in Ghana so they speak three they bath three they eat three people that are not that

[00:08:17] wonderful I've heard them eat sleep and eat drink sleep or eat sleep breathe. I don't know how to

[00:08:23] bath eat bath and sleep. I mean I'm just trying to say that they're generating three okay all right

[00:08:27] so like people who have studied you know people have studied and they go on to just teach

[00:08:31] so sometimes when you are speaking you could hear the tone now the phonetic color

[00:08:34] aspect of the language they really pronounce it becomes a little challenging but there's

[00:08:38] people are people that were born with three all right so they were born into three homes three

[00:08:41] environment three communities and they have studied it in addition to it so they are professional

[00:08:46] they are experienced and well they can also attest to it the teachers that taught you when you

[00:08:50] were in the learning center so I mean that that is the kind of team that we have so regardless of

[00:08:56] your level regardless of your your pace you know people are slow learners people are fast and

[00:09:00] we are regardless of your pace your level we have the right people that can help you

[00:09:04] achieve your goal by speaking a language. Fantastic that's incredible and what impact

[00:09:10] has having people on the team hiring them as they're made to some of their lives because

[00:09:16] they said oh I want to help unemployment yeah you know I mean and I think that's an important

[00:09:20] thing and I like how for you it's not just the business it's about you know helping to connect

[00:09:25] people to the roots and also help the unemployment issue in Ghana yeah has there been anyone

[00:09:30] particular where you've hired them and then you've literally made a difference to their

[00:09:33] family in terms of the money they've been able to make through your platform. Yeah yeah we have a lot

[00:09:38] of stories about that well I mean sometimes I get a little bit mushy when I'm speaking about that

[00:09:43] because a hard one student called me and said um they called me boss and said boss if not you

[00:09:49] I would have dropped out of school because he was studying school in the university he wasn't

[00:09:52] invested by then and working for TLCSW on part-time basis so he called me and he said

[00:09:58] because of you I've been able to further my education because I would have dropped out because

[00:10:02] of no funds no support and anything they asked quite a few people that we also help them get even

[00:10:07] laptops well right so that you can we equip them with the necessary resources that you need and

[00:10:13] you know if you get your laptop as in mid-after use a laptop for only TLC you can use it for your

[00:10:16] personal staffs with studies and other stuff so also we get people that say oh I've been able

[00:10:21] to do this because of coming to TLC and TLCSW is not just like come and work and go it's an

[00:10:26] experience right we try to help you we groom you sometimes we bring your expects to come

[00:10:31] train our people in terms of communication in terms of personal growth even financial literacy

[00:10:36] to know how to I mean help you achieve something good from what you're earning from TLC so TLC is

[00:10:45] an environment where we help people thrive not just like coming to work for us and just go and

[00:10:50] we know we make sure that we have that kind of bond that kind of chemistry that kind of vibe

[00:10:55] where you when you are in there you feel comfortable enough to do what we want you to

[00:11:00] in your personal life as well fantastic so it's more than just a job it's more than just a business

[00:11:04] as a family exactly it's a community as well and this is what draws people to you because there's

[00:11:09] a human element behind it rather than just all of us come give us money and we'll give you

[00:11:14] the training lessons yeah beautiful um what I want to talk about is during our conversation

[00:11:19] Emmanuel you mentioned how certain tree words or phrases there's some emotion there's some tone

[00:11:25] that is brought out of it right um can you give me an example of maybe some certain phrases certain

[00:11:31] words wait in tree where you can't just say it you have to put certain emotion behind it yeah

[00:11:37] yeah so if you look at even the word aquaba aquaba yes right so when I come to your house and

[00:11:44] it sounds too normal all right like get a welcome all right but if if I say

[00:11:49] me my work for about all right you could see that vibe like you feel welcome

[00:11:55] rather than just saying aquaba all right so when I come to you also and so aquaba

[00:11:59] it feels like it's just a normal thing that you're saying but I so old later mentioned them and say

[00:12:09] I said that emotional connection that's like how sometimes we meet somebody agree the

[00:12:14] person I do what it is that kind of connection then you know oh the person is from Ghana probably

[00:12:18] the person have been to Ghana because mostly we do this when we greet you like I greet you like that

[00:12:23] and I do exactly so that is a connection thing that I mean connect people back to their roots

[00:12:29] and that is some of the things that you focus on and you know because tree is more or less

[00:12:34] on tone basis the way you speak to people that is why most of the tree words are

[00:12:39] dramatic expressions so I don't just say straight so let's say somebody passed on

[00:12:44] just like how I've been English you see aqua grass aqua grass like he has gone to the village yeah

[00:12:50] all right most of them used to for chiefs and kens and people in Ghana like that so Nana aqua

[00:12:55] I mean Nana has gone to the village just to say for people not to know that Nana is no more

[00:13:01] Nana was person so it's that is how we do it I mean because you speak with emotions so you

[00:13:05] have to manage your tone you have to manage the kind of ways you use and even in the palace the

[00:13:09] kind of things you have to say and other stuff as well so for instance if you come to the tree

[00:13:13] learning center just about teaching you how to say or to say what call aqua bain and those

[00:13:17] no we teach you some of the culture norms we help you understand the culture settings

[00:13:22] and everything you need to know to survive when you come back to Ghana and connect back to

[00:13:26] your roots because tree and Ghana particularly is a cultural country right regardless of how you

[00:13:32] say the aqua values are very very high that is why when you come here you hear a lot of yes please no

[00:13:38] place yes please the culture and the culture is the way of life of the people all right so we make

[00:13:44] sure that we teach you based on our experience because we live here we have stayed here our entire

[00:13:49] life all right I have some of the teachers even doing master's and other stuffs in local language

[00:13:53] like tree and fancy well right so somebody like that who has stayed in Ghana for like his entire

[00:13:58] life for like 35 years 40 years living in Ghana 20 of 28 years 30 years knows everything that you need

[00:14:04] to know so maybe you are coming back to your roots or coming back to Ghana you might not know so many

[00:14:09] things but that person knows so we teach you during the lessons we blend them the cultural

[00:14:14] aspect the history and the language aspect so it's a full package that we give to people when

[00:14:19] you come to the tree learning center and we're trying to help people connect back them to

[00:14:23] interesting you seem quite passionate as well in terms of what you're doing yeah do you think

[00:14:31] in terms of the culture because you mentioned the culture quite a few times do you think the

[00:14:34] culture is at risk and in terms of the Ghanaian culture right now yeah the way the west is

[00:14:40] influencing the Ghanaian culture you see this young especially the young people as well

[00:14:44] you seem quite interested in certain things maybe not speaking tree as much maybe speaking

[00:14:48] English more especially for those who know how to speak English do you think the Ghanaian

[00:14:52] culture is at risk of you yeah to me from the lenses I'm wearing I see that's a very big risk

[00:14:57] not just at risk I see that we are having a little bit culture inferiority we see most

[00:15:05] especially when people need resting a lot of people don't even want to speak their local

[00:15:09] language not just a tree yeah all right and when when you see those things it's like

[00:15:14] you're losing our identity it's not just about losing the language we are losing our core values

[00:15:19] our identities all right when we're young and we grew up in a typical account communities

[00:15:25] it's not just your father that can discipline you because your father is not only your father

[00:15:28] right anybody old enough to be like your father is your father that is why when I greet you by

[00:15:33] saying my chain you say yeah if the person is a male adult a job is a name for father

[00:15:39] but yeah they're referring that to yes your father you're referring that to

[00:15:42] anybody who would have to be like a father and so you're losing your language means it means that

[00:15:47] you're losing your identity there are a lot of people in in a Christ especially like when you're

[00:15:52] going to buy something you say um meh ta wa ta I don't know if you've heard something before

[00:15:58] but here people say meh ta wa ta just ensue the person doesn't know how to say it and when it

[00:16:03] happens that way you ask yourself what are we trying to do to ourselves because I always

[00:16:08] tell people right I also have a background in communications or I didn't international relations

[00:16:12] all right and to survive in every country you go you have to understand two key things it's not

[00:16:17] about even having money it's about two key things the system and the culture the system has to do

[00:16:22] with how things are done in the country all right Ghana is still in many countries so compared

[00:16:26] to other countries these are the systems I always tell people Ghana will teach you patience

[00:16:31] that's the one key thing that Ghana will teach you regardless Ghana will teach you patience

[00:16:36] aside the system the most important aspect of it is the culture and when we say the culture

[00:16:42] the culture is a way of life of the people which has to do with their food their language

[00:16:47] their way of life and everything now our food is not changing well the singing a bed because

[00:16:52] you have pizza we have other things yes those are part of it because culture is dynamic it's

[00:16:56] not static right yeah but when it comes to language which has to do with the core values

[00:17:01] and you are trying not to speak it if you don't speak it it means that your kids won't know won't

[00:17:07] know how to be outspoken and you being Ghana you feel like a stranger in your own motherland

[00:17:12] which is not helpful like some of my students said I came to Ghana and I felt like I'm a stranger

[00:17:18] in my own home why because I didn't understand what they were saying and I just want it and when

[00:17:24] I hear I feel very sad that is why I'm very keen to helping a lot of people to go back to their roots

[00:17:31] by helping them bridge that gap taking the barrier out there so when you come home you can have that

[00:17:36] sense of belongingness but if we here in Ghana it's trying to we are trying to lose our identity

[00:17:42] the whole happens to the people trying to come back home so I see our culture being at high

[00:17:47] rakes and I think that every family has has a role to play churches I mean religious bodies

[00:17:54] and other places have called um quirky and very important role to play to help our culture values

[00:18:01] to be sustained to be preserved for the future right just like how Mandela said he said that if

[00:18:06] you speak to someone in the language he understands it goes to the mind but if you

[00:18:10] speak to the person in the language he speaks it goes to their heart all right so we don't have

[00:18:15] to let our culture values and identity go away we have to maintain it you have to pay

[00:18:20] 70 for the future generations and we are losing it I know you've experienced it so far you are

[00:18:25] speaking to someone in three and the president want to respond I'm not saying I just speak three

[00:18:30] you can speak in a Ghana whatever language is your local language speak three happens with

[00:18:35] the wireless working or can choose sometimes it's people second language third language because

[00:18:39] they have their basic basic ones already but you have to like mean hold out in it very

[00:18:43] high esteem because that is what we have to make us different from other people a culture makes

[00:18:48] people different that is why if you see somebody from India you know this is from India why because

[00:18:53] of their cultural values and so we don't have to lose our identity just to look like the western

[00:18:58] people no we have to maintain our cultural values because that is what makes us unique

[00:19:02] that is what makes us feel like we are Ghanians and that's what makes our people say oh

[00:19:07] these people are Ghanians because of how they live their life yeah so I think we all

[00:19:10] have a role to play not just me not just TLC but even you have a role to play as well absolutely

[00:19:16] yeah um hopefully this is my role by doing this podcast there's Ali yeah but yeah um

[00:19:23] very powerful insights and you know thoughts that you shared I really appreciate you sharing

[00:19:27] a manual or thing up to me um I do see that we are importing a lot of foreign culture here in

[00:19:35] in Ghan and the recent news out of February 2024 happy new month for those of you who are watching

[00:19:43] you know I had news that now the countries can be opened up they're going to open up the

[00:19:48] you know the country to all Africans you know visa free you know entry for any Africans in

[00:19:55] the country and they're giving more visa less entries to other countries as well so

[00:20:00] for me it's an interesting one because there's a lot more I feel like Ghan is a lot more at risk in

[00:20:06] terms of a lot more other cultures coming in coming in and it could as a result erode our own culture

[00:20:14] which I really you know which is which I hold dear to my heart because you know I've lived here

[00:20:19] I've gone to school here everything you know so I understand I've grown up to learn and

[00:20:23] appreciate and understand and love the culture um but yeah this is powerful powerful stuff I mean

[00:20:28] you can go on and on and on but let's talk about Trina this ends a bit more so talk to talk us through

[00:20:32] the lessons so I mean what kind of what kind of classes do you have I know I know I took the

[00:20:37] beginner class review for those of you maybe from the diaspora or those of you who can't speak

[00:20:42] true you want to speak true maybe from another country you know this is a great place to start

[00:20:46] the beginner the beginner course I think and talk us through the other other classes and

[00:20:50] courses that you have yeah so um in a trill and inside we have different different classes

[00:20:55] just like how you just mentioned you have the beginners one for people who want to start from

[00:20:59] the very scratch right you have nothing I mean they've been a scratch business one focuses more

[00:21:05] on the pronunciation because language has to do with pronunciation and listening I always tell

[00:21:11] people that you should approach language like an a skill you are acquiring all right if you

[00:21:16] don't approach language like a skill you are acquiring trust me it's going to be very difficult

[00:21:20] for you to be able to speak the language because it's something new that you are being

[00:21:24] I mean exposed to and so just like how if you're learning to be a driver you have to go

[00:21:31] for meetings you have to go for trainings continuously before you become a perfect driver

[00:21:35] that's how it's supposed to be like for language so we believe from the foundations right that

[00:21:39] is why we have the beginners one at 12 weeks all our lessons are 12 weeks

[00:21:43] plan so they are 12 weeks so 12 weeks we help you the beginners one where we start from the scratch

[00:21:52] you teach you the alphabet the sounds the pronunciation and everything the vowels combinations

[00:21:56] sorry which is the vowel sequence the consonant combination the vowel a and o sounds

[00:21:59] you know the vowel r which is the adder we all know half two sounds people don't really know

[00:22:04] about that but it has it has two sounds like the are in aquaba and they are in ejuma the same

[00:22:10] are much different pronunciation so we have to teach you how it changes and I read them and I said

[00:22:15] we have expects we understand what we are doing and so we have the beginners one classes we have the

[00:22:20] beginners two beginners with small as like exposing you to the conversational aspect

[00:22:24] so now you've built your pronunciation right so you have to expose you to the lesson

[00:22:27] and aspect which is the conversations we drawing that's to we bring in videos in G we try to

[00:22:33] explain them to you make you watch them and then we explain them to you so that

[00:22:36] you can improve your lesson skills all right then we have the beginners today helping you

[00:22:42] complete the sentence right so we know we teach you where to form the the pronoun

[00:22:46] where the conjunction is to be where the classes should be and how to start that's for the beginners

[00:22:50] today so the entire beginners is like three levels wow and after that you move on to the

[00:22:54] intermediate the same three levels hey this one is very easy one two beginner one two three

[00:23:00] one two three yes yes so as I was saying you say it's not about just like teaching people and so we've

[00:23:06] thought to be all right we always believe that we have to help you achieve why you came to us

[00:23:13] all right and if if we want to help you we know your problem and so you have to find an antidote

[00:23:19] to your problem yeah all right so we have to make it in a way where he's going to help you

[00:23:24] get what you're looking for right and so we don't have to rush I always tell most of the people that

[00:23:29] come to us that we don't force you to rush I mean rushing into the learning no we take our time

[00:23:35] teach you the language help you get solutions to your problem so when when they when you come to

[00:23:41] Ghana you are speaking the language and people oh you can speak to now like how some of our

[00:23:47] students share their social stories all right some of times we even share on our social media

[00:23:50] pages and then you can speak to me now I feel so it's a new thing oh I feel so happy I have that

[00:23:56] sense of belongingness now when I come back to Ghana that's what we are looking for and when it

[00:24:00] happens that way so oh why did you learn it well I learned that three learning center at least

[00:24:03] you've also told someone and the best form of advertisement is through a word of mouth from

[00:24:07] a satisfied customer all right so we have to focus on how to help you not just rushing if

[00:24:13] you rush yes we can decide to just teach you and when you finish just go away take our money

[00:24:17] but that is all what we are trying to do yeah we are trying to make a lasting impact in life yeah

[00:24:23] by getting you help you get the language that you're looking for that is what we are looking for and

[00:24:28] that is what we are here to achieve so yes it's a breakdown for beginners from beginners to beginners

[00:24:33] three years though we have people from beginners one they are still even intermediate third they

[00:24:37] are still with us they've been with us for more than one year wow they are still with us so once

[00:24:41] I'm fancy family it's even a family in the state they are learning fancy they are still with

[00:24:46] us we have people three beginners one beginners two beginners three so it's not just three it's

[00:24:50] other languages yes you have three and fancy all right I'll fancy because we have a lot of people

[00:24:56] who are fancy descended outside of Ghana and so we hope you to a draw and a tree because it's a

[00:25:00] wireless you can look at me so even if you're an ever your guy you are any other tribe and

[00:25:04] we still want to have conversations with Ghana just like how I said if you made a friend or

[00:25:09] somebody in the UK any European country or US and you see I'm from Ghana the very first person

[00:25:15] acts you at the same or they design which is three so although the person might be an ever

[00:25:21] the person must be a guy the person might be a non-nour but the person acts you something

[00:25:24] intriguing yes you know whether it's true you're from Ghana or not and so three because the wireless

[00:25:28] we can look at in fancy because a lot of people have fancy descendants or they are descendants

[00:25:32] of fancies out there so we help them connecting back them to their roots so yeah we have people

[00:25:38] who have been with us more than one and a half year and they are still with us wow and they

[00:25:40] are doing well I mean even kids like our kids classes I had a family I spoke to a certain

[00:25:47] man in Canada last week and I'm so impressed because even her she was a little bit skeptical

[00:25:54] she wasn't very sure whether she should take the lesson for the kid she was having this she

[00:25:59] was asking can I pay something small to see if he would like it or he can learn it or something

[00:26:04] and here's the biggest one I was there last weekend she called me and said I want to book

[00:26:08] the biggest tool for him because he's doing well someone who was even not sure whether the

[00:26:13] kid can learn when I joined the classes to supervise how it's going trust me I love it

[00:26:18] he's doing so so so well just six years old six years old six years old yet he's doing so so well

[00:26:24] so I mean we cherish and prioritize you helping you achieve what you are looking for not just

[00:26:32] the breakdown and take your money no and that is what we are focusing on that is what

[00:26:36] is our priority and that is what you are trying to achieve I love how passionate you about the

[00:26:40] language and in terms of well how you're talking about culture you're definitely playing a part

[00:26:45] in terms of keeping the language in the culture and helping others to learn it

[00:26:51] in terms of that topic do you think tree is in danger I've asked this question to one or two

[00:26:56] people do you think trees in danger of being extinct because of the way the world is moving

[00:27:02] because the way God is moving right now yeah I wouldn't say it's in danger but use a word corrupted

[00:27:09] ooh why so yes like corrupted you see if you look at french we don't have broken french yes we can

[00:27:15] have in a way though but tree is losing its core values because of how people bring in other

[00:27:25] things in communication we say the informal type of it likes mixing two three languages mixing

[00:27:30] three and english yeah just like how fancy is yeah all right so um a fancy will say I can't really

[00:27:37] speak fancy though but I know it was a milk or chapel instead of going to mekwaseo mekwaseo

[00:27:42] way all right it's a maker chapel and that is what even now people from their 2015 they are

[00:27:50] supposed to so then they don't even know the tree word or the fancy word for chapel oh so so

[00:27:55] it's being corrupted makes it makes up english yes and that is a challenge currently we are facing

[00:28:00] some of the people that come to us you teach them the right word and they think that what they are

[00:28:05] hearing is the correct one so if you don't chapel is normal rather than saying exactly yes exactly

[00:28:10] so you have to you have to take your time to um help people understand that it's being corrupted

[00:28:16] all right I wouldn't say it's a rax because for tree I don't think tree would ever disappear

[00:28:21] from the system because regardless we still have people who still hold it into highest like

[00:28:27] the achantes you know that kind of tribe that can't group is the biggest right and from the entire

[00:28:33] achante region they are our accounts yeah part of 15 region part of western region so these are

[00:28:38] big big big regions in Ghana too as well and people it's not everybody that is in a crowd

[00:28:43] it's a crowd that is being corrupted more but if you go to kumas if you go to other places

[00:28:47] the only thing that you find it challenging is how they speak they speak very fast because

[00:28:50] it's a native language yeah but aside that I don't see it being at risk the only aspect I have

[00:28:56] as a problem to me is a corruption aspect that has been corrupted in a way where they add english

[00:29:02] to read and you are trying to teach the person a right word I've had a student even argue with

[00:29:07] me that no this is how it's supposed to be wow yes and I was like oh really

[00:29:12] there's a student against the teacher student teacher the teacher exactly yeah so and

[00:29:18] you have to take your time to explain and also as I said we also have the um the oral aspect

[00:29:26] which sometimes sounds different from how it's being written all right like the word aqua da

[00:29:31] aqua da yes the word is the spelling is aqua da aqua da ake wa ah ah yes ah ah kef

[00:29:39] ah ah ah ah ah ah ah yes I'm an intentist it's like aqua da aqua da but you hear people saying aqua

[00:29:53] okay aqua la aqua la but you have to really extend your way yes certain things they're right

[00:29:59] away in aqua da aqua da so if you look at all those things those are some of the few things

[00:30:03] that we have even like something like um a fa and all those stuffs we are trying to tell people how

[00:30:08] it's being pronounced correctly and then they're also saying this or that but aside that

[00:30:12] the tribe being corrupted in a way I think it's it can lose it at identity for that one

[00:30:17] is a cultural values that we are losing yeah the way we speak the way we respect being polite

[00:30:23] yes place no place is there but sometimes you see that we are losing some key things

[00:30:28] that we are supposed to have those days like you are in a car and then you see an elderly

[00:30:32] person don't have any seat you don't have to sit for him to stand those days you can't

[00:30:38] but these days it's becoming more common yeah you go to the bank you see an old person standing

[00:30:43] there and you're sitting down and you see we are all in a queue why should I stand up yeah those are

[00:30:48] cultural values that I mean make something different and unique but these days they are all

[00:30:51] going away so that's another culture value that we're losing in terms of respect for elders

[00:30:55] so we've talked about respect for elders we've talked about the language we've also

[00:30:59] what else have we talked about what what what cultural values do you see do you think

[00:31:03] we're losing at the moment so far I think that the respect aspect and even addressing

[00:31:12] addressing to definitely these days especially the university campus yeah it's difficult even

[00:31:19] a church religious but it's where you think this is church so people have to dress decently

[00:31:23] they dress anyhow and then click as always my body you know and they will tell you that

[00:31:27] God is in the heart so in all these aspects yet the Bible plays a role but you also have

[00:31:34] cultural values right yeah where you can you can do things behavior the way we say things even

[00:31:39] relationship marriage everything is changing it's changing because of even telling values from

[00:31:43] the western world people just watch those things and they want those fictional things

[00:31:47] to manifest in terms of validity which is a big problem right so it's causing a lot of

[00:31:53] issues a lot of problems so addressing the way we speak even our food now if you want to take

[00:31:59] somebody out on dates and you say I want to take you to this place because I want to eat something

[00:32:02] local with you I was saying no I mean eating local in the house or the island to eat something

[00:32:06] continental so yeah you're losing a lot of things actually we are trying it's true it's true

[00:32:10] it's that that is it it's sad but yeah we will try as much as possible I always say it's all about

[00:32:16] letting people know that you have self identity you didn't lose it all right if you have self identity

[00:32:23] and you lose it it means you don't know where you are because that that culture thing that you are

[00:32:28] trying to learn whatever country you're trying to learn the western line is where you want to live

[00:32:32] your life they don't accept you as them part of them and here to your losing it so you don't

[00:32:37] know your identity if you lose your culture identity yeah wow that's a that's a big statement

[00:32:44] huge statement yeah I think one of the lessons you really just take that in

[00:32:48] really really just just just take that in wow well classic because if you lose identity that's all

[00:32:54] wherever you want to copy they don't see you as part of them and in your motherland or in your

[00:33:00] homeland you don't have you've lost your identity so why are you then it's like it's like you're

[00:33:05] bleaching yeah you're not dark you're not chocolate and you're not white so why are you there

[00:33:11] so it's like that so it's sad but that is a reality we are losing we are losing our identity

[00:33:17] yeah we are losing it we're losing our culture i'm losing our language i think there's a three

[00:33:20] key things that we've talked about um this has been a fantastic conversation Emmanuel um it's

[00:33:26] really got me thinking about so many different things and I think you made me realize how important

[00:33:31] our language plays in the heart of all of these areas culture that you know identity

[00:33:37] a way of life even our business life yeah because I always I always ask people I always tell people

[00:33:44] that do you know why the Indians the Lebanese the Nigerians come to get on the flourish like the

[00:33:50] tribe they do well by Ghani in the diaspora come back home and he started business and

[00:33:54] he's not working do you have you asked yourself that question have you have you sat down to

[00:33:59] analyze things it's just because when an Indian comes when the Lebanese come when the person

[00:34:04] from the Arab country comes Nigerian comes he tries to understand he messes himself in a Ghanaian culture

[00:34:10] he tries to be like the Ghanians all right he tried to learn to understand the Ghanians

[00:34:15] yes and so when you learn to understand the Ghanians which is the culture you know how to live

[00:34:20] with them and you know how to live with them that's when you can sell your product or service

[00:34:25] to them to get some good things from them true but if you try to come and you say oh this

[00:34:29] is what I learned in the western world I want to bring it to Ghana don't forget you can

[00:34:33] change the system and the culture you can't just like how you left Ghana to the diaspora

[00:34:40] and you fit you got you and you changed the way you were doing things to adopt that the new system

[00:34:45] to fit in when you come here try to do that as well yeah if you don't do that then I'll frustrate

[00:34:52] you and you won't succeed it's not it's on magic it's not about how rich you are you can

[00:34:56] bring the entire money you have in the world here your money can't change the system and

[00:35:00] the culture yeah so if you if until you try to learn on and learn things to fit in a Ghanian

[00:35:06] culture you would never succeed so the culture thing is not just about oh our way of life even

[00:35:11] becoming successful business person has to do with that yeah understanding our culture that is

[00:35:16] why the Indians if you go to a cross-country is an indian zelebanese they have the people

[00:35:21] having good money and their business is going on well why because I some of them were my students

[00:35:27] I had a student from India he's the overall boss I don't want to promote mention his business

[00:35:33] and the company though but the what he's doing is something common that when you go to when you go

[00:35:41] outside from your room you will see whatever that he's producing out there his business is

[00:35:46] striving how is it thriving you are purchasing it because he understood your culture he tried

[00:35:53] to immense with the Ghanian culture so that it hasn't frustrated him but what I've realized

[00:35:58] that people come back from diaspora to Ghana they don't want to immense yourself with the Ghanian

[00:36:03] culture they want to live their life like how they were living there trust me if you even

[00:36:07] stay here for six months it's that is that is a miracle it will frustrate you all your mind

[00:36:12] will get finished you have to run back you will you will and that is why a lot of people can

[00:36:16] move back yeah because it's not copy paste exactly you have to adapt you have to change

[00:36:20] some things to adopt yourself in the system because when you leave Ghana towards what to the state

[00:36:24] or to the western world Ghana teaches patience but I play that it teaches patience so you have to

[00:36:29] also learn to to wake up at dawn do your things very well you know you have to get to work at

[00:36:34] sector 730 you have to be there at 730 but here her traffic days that that so

[00:36:40] you're not teaching to patient but that plays as it teaches you so if you go they have to

[00:36:43] fit it if you come here yes I'm a bad it we don't have to let it go on go on go on

[00:36:48] but it takes time for you to change you have to know that everything takes time to change so

[00:36:53] you have to adapt yourself fit yourself in then gradually you play a role in changing it but don't

[00:36:58] just come and just say you want to change it all at once it's going to work it's not working

[00:37:02] it's not worth work and you would frustrate you and you go back yeah wow I don't even have

[00:37:08] a personal experience but no yeah but everything you're saying is right I mean I've been through

[00:37:12] all of that you know I've been through all of that you know I've you know in the past I've

[00:37:16] come with my own pride for you know high horse diaspora thinking self saying I can do what I want

[00:37:24] I have this money I'm from this country and it humbles you yeah God it humbles you

[00:37:29] you know I've been humbled at the airport I've been humbled certainly I know this person

[00:37:34] what are you doing you know I've been humbled right you know you're right everything you're

[00:37:39] saying is right honestly Emmanuel you really need to adapt yourself into the culture and

[00:37:45] society otherwise it really saves you from overspending sometimes I had a student

[00:37:51] I think the last two months or the last three months just said oh just Debbie Debbie saved me

[00:37:56] from pain too much so I that is when I realized that people shouldn't take that lightly yeah

[00:38:04] just Debbie Debbie all right Debbie Debbie is I just no no no no in tree so the person was

[00:38:11] I mean you know when you can go to some places we have prices for people coming from outside Ghana

[00:38:16] people are not Ghanians and Ghanian prices as well yeah so the person wanted they wanted to charge

[00:38:21] her the different one because probably she's speaking slangs so Debbie Debbie I'm a Ghanian why

[00:38:26] trying to and then yes the Debbie Debbie so are you a part of us yeah like oh I didn't even

[00:38:32] add airport sometimes it's bad though but sometimes somebody will say oh did you bring

[00:38:36] us anything from the state as of did you bring us anything for like Christmas give us

[00:38:39] anything it's all deputy as soon as you hear they hear that then you know we are part of them so

[00:38:44] don't even frustrate you don't delay you just let it go but as soon as you say these tough speaking

[00:38:49] and slangs and ourselves we have something we say cut off a fro abansum cut ice crab so I say

[00:38:55] cut off a fro abansum like there's a new crab in the water that's what it means yeah and when

[00:39:01] there's a new crab in the water everybody wants to bite to get it fresh fresh of the cake

[00:39:06] yeah and it's like that it's like people want to cheat to you and other stuffs so it's not just

[00:39:10] about the language just to speak it but it's going to save you from so many different different

[00:39:15] things yeah all right so the language and the culture really plays an important role in your

[00:39:21] finances in your life your case life your identity your everything even the way you see

[00:39:26] things you're thinking because Ghani will harm you Ghani will teach you patience Ghani will

[00:39:29] teach you so many things but only till you understand our culture it will always frustrate

[00:39:33] you yeah to all going to frustrate you all day so I mean the language and the culture really really

[00:39:39] has an important role to play in our everyday life either outside Ghani as Ghanians or back

[00:39:45] to Ghani as an expatriate because we have people moving from Jamaica moving from the state moving

[00:39:49] from so many parts of the world coming together to stay here because they find peace they find

[00:39:53] comfort they see Ghani as a home and other stuffs yeah well well what a hand what a mouthful

[00:40:00] of a conversation we've had honestly so many thoughts to take away so many talking points wow

[00:40:07] I mean I've really been blown away Emmanuel do you have any announcements for the listeners

[00:40:13] is there anything that you wanted to share the listeners yeah so that is what we have

[00:40:19] for this year our goal for this year is to to officially start a general group in person

[00:40:25] classes and we are starting the very first one in March that is March 22 at Jolu probably in the

[00:40:33] heart of a craft so March because March is like if you're the Ghanamans that is when

[00:40:37] Ghani getting independent so we try to do if you are connecting you back to your roots or

[00:40:41] he means yourself to Ghanian culture then I mean you think you have to do it in a way

[00:40:44] to align to history so we are doing it in March 22 and it's when we are Jolu

[00:40:50] okay it's just a few slots okay and it's not just about the lessons it's about connecting

[00:40:56] meeting new people networking it's even a way to even tell people about your business what you do

[00:41:02] yeah because the in-person classes have hard-wired family friends some friends I mean

[00:41:08] running hands together to start a tree lessons I was so amazed with the kind of people I met

[00:41:13] some of the product I've been using since childhood I met the founder I didn't even know

[00:41:18] I've met people from different different backgrounds from various states from their own businesses

[00:41:23] working for big big institutions so wherever I mean people that you need your service or your

[00:41:29] product you can meet them in the class wow that is what I've realized with the group lessons I had

[00:41:34] with some friends all right we have people from different different backgrounds coming to

[00:41:39] that to learn so just coming there to learn it's not just coming there to learn we are coming

[00:41:43] there to network to meet new people to practice the language to seek people with your same level

[00:41:49] learning together and that is what we are trying to do so it's not just about lessons but an

[00:41:54] experience we are trying to create for you that memorable experience that's why I met this

[00:41:59] person to get like how I met you to a crack connect I met this person to the one students met

[00:42:05] um the fiancee in one of her group lessons wow the group lessons not the person when they're

[00:42:12] down line the guy is in the state the lady is in yuki wow and they are so talking when they come

[00:42:17] together I see them I meet them they in the yard yeah all right so it's it's a way I mean I'm

[00:42:23] not just trying to say I want you to come there you meet your partner though but it's a way

[00:42:27] to meet new people get to connect network and to learn to as well so I mean when you come

[00:42:33] there to you get to know people where they are coming from their background and ask them pressure

[00:42:37] questions to us well probably you can't even get somebody who will also offer you something in

[00:42:40] terms of a discount and other things as well so it's not just a learning this is an experience

[00:42:45] that we're trying to help people who won't see amazing so the Indian culture and people who

[00:42:48] have moved together because that is the people you are meeting there most of the people that

[00:42:51] you're seeing are people who have moved together company owners people who have their

[00:42:56] businesses people working for top companies oil and gas whatever it whatever so I mean that

[00:43:02] is what I'm trying to do and not going to be a lot of people as I said it's just 10 people in the group

[00:43:08] so 10 people in a room just for I mean so we have group one group two group three so based on

[00:43:15] the number in which you fall for the time in which group you will be in and so we're trying

[00:43:18] to make it so small so we can have time for all the students help them practice help them learn

[00:43:25] to achieve why they are there and so that is a much less sense we're going to do the virtual

[00:43:29] one to imagine as well so if you're not in Ghana if you want to do it on zoom and so do that one

[00:43:33] as well you have the kids classes to ongoing fancy lessons ongoing conversational ways

[00:43:38] treat for travelers all right because if you look at the world status for data

[00:43:42] focusing on tourism in the year 2022 Ghana had over 900,000 people coming to Ghana

[00:43:50] and so you could see how people are coming to Ghana to experience our culture to experience

[00:43:54] our things so we have to help people understand and emails at the same when they come back

[00:43:58] to have a career for travelers cost well it's not a lot it's just like four weeks and two

[00:44:02] additional missions with sexist in total we teach you what you have supposed to know basic

[00:44:06] conversation now where it's buying and selling the culture history the culture norm so that you

[00:44:11] know that you don't have to be saying using your left hand something because when I'm giving

[00:44:15] something to you with my left hand and the person said Ghana and the kind of eye the person

[00:44:19] gives you to see that person's not comfortable with you giving up in the example you'll be

[00:44:23] left handed if you're left handed it's not a skills to give something to someone with your left

[00:44:28] hand or collect something from someone in your left hand that is not it's a polite it's a cultural

[00:44:32] loss yeah so we do all those things in the tree for travelers because we teach you all those things

[00:44:37] that's clever and then we help you to I mean so we are teaching you what you need to know

[00:44:41] about the Ghana culture sometimes you can't don't feel like a stranger and that is where I

[00:44:44] have focused on so all our lessons from the group beginners one in-person beginners one

[00:44:50] travelers kids fancy lessons everything yes I do manch yeah we have kids we are trying to

[00:44:56] help them they are the future leaders so they have to we have to preserve it for them and we have

[00:45:01] we have quite some some some a lot of people doing um um um kids kids lessons family book in

[00:45:07] their parents probably appearance understand yeah and then they the book for their kids because

[00:45:12] they didn't teach them and then uh we help them understand so they practice with them and then

[00:45:18] it goes on well so it's going well that's a shame isn't it I mean I mean I was one of those

[00:45:22] kids that wasn't taught tree by their parents even though the parents called sweet tree and I think

[00:45:27] that's probably one way we're losing the language that you think by the way it's not exactly yeah

[00:45:33] but hopefully people like you can help to rectify that yeah it's not the same it's not the

[00:45:37] same but you won't be flurrant straight away but it's really a bit of work but yeah I mean

[00:45:42] you guys must be busy you know yeah I see Apple watch going on every second you know you must be

[00:45:48] really busy like back in the night but that's a lot of courses a lot of classes you're running a lot

[00:45:53] of lessons and you must be running around but I think you're doing a great job too you know

[00:45:58] restore truth back to culture identity into the Garnier society um Amalia where can everyone find

[00:46:04] you yeah so on our social media handles we have a website as well like fielandinsendergh.com

[00:46:10] so just hit www.Fielandinsendergh.com right if you go to instagram it's 3.Lenincenter.gh

[00:46:21] okay or if you need to type Fielandinsender on instagram facebook

[00:46:25] even if I'm LinkedIn you see us and then we have an interesting aspect we are in this year

[00:46:31] we're also bringing what we call LEN3 with CLC it's like a series like content where

[00:46:35] we teach you basic basic conversation whereas on our social media platforms for free

[00:46:39] so I mean it's an opportunity also follow us so that you can also get advantage of that as well

[00:46:45] because it's for free so just post them there um you will learn if you have questions you can ask

[00:46:50] you just definitely assist you and all those stuffs as well we are we're making books um

[00:46:55] books as a external resource where if you if you if you sign up for our lessons you can get

[00:47:00] the package it's the whole package you can get the books but you just want the books because

[00:47:03] probably you understand she but you want to perfect it you can just get it for you

[00:47:07] and that's the different stuffs we are trying to do so it's a whole thing you are doing this year

[00:47:10] trying to help as many people we can to connect back to their roots and also help people imagine

[00:47:15] something like an income culture. Fantastic and what is your background how did you get so good at

[00:47:19] 3? Well I studied 3. Oh you studied 3? What is your university level? I studied 3 to high school

[00:47:25] um yes to high school and I did a little bit linguistics in twin university as well

[00:47:31] and then I was actually born and bred in a typical Akane area one I said Akane area is

[00:47:36] the place where we bath with 3 we eat with 3 we sleep with 3 we do everything 3 all right so um

[00:47:42] that is how I became very good in 3 so I realized that I just don't need I need extra things not just

[00:47:49] about speaking and understanding you have to understand the the phonetic color aspect

[00:47:53] the lezic color aspect the oral aspect the tonal aspect of the language all right so that is why

[00:47:58] I I felt that dedication in terms of learning 3 to understand it more so I can see how

[00:48:03] best I could help people and how even the children are coming about where somebody wanted to buy something

[00:48:09] in 3 and they didn't understand him and he also didn't understand that because he didn't understand 3

[00:48:14] yeah and so I realized that there's a big problem there which is that I can bridge and that

[00:48:18] is how the children came about is someone who wanted to buy something and then couldn't

[00:48:23] communicate well with their people because the local market too many understand English

[00:48:27] and he didn't understand 3 to us well so he was not able to buy what he wanted to buy oh well

[00:48:32] and I saw that oh and then COVID came so when COVID came uh myself as a volunteer

[00:48:38] volunteered me to teach 3 I taught 3 for like 6 months I had like so many people like almost 400

[00:48:44] people 400 people in the group yeah in the group was a group of one group today so many people

[00:48:50] I don't know whether you were a part no I think um Alex um yes Alex will really help me I don't

[00:48:57] know if you know him at all Alex yes he's a one who helped he is really really the one

[00:49:02] he's a great guy he did everything for TLC can call me 12 a.m one a.m he's a fantastic guy just trying

[00:49:08] to help me because I didn't know anything about content yeah all right I had the knowledge I had a

[00:49:12] resource but I didn't have the external things he did everything for me so at all it's my godfather

[00:49:18] in aspect I really appreciate him my real heart he's so dear to me yeah he's a good guy definitely

[00:49:23] I appreciate him yeah at the right time so I mean he really did everything for me

[00:49:29] and he helped TLC shape very well he's a professional because well I said earlier I was born

[00:49:34] and bred in Ghana so doing something to fit people outside Ghana was a challenge yeah because

[00:49:39] you want to do it in a way Ghanians do it yeah and they wouldn't like it of course so you

[00:49:44] need somebody out there to help you connect them to them and that is what he did so

[00:49:48] he really did a very good job for me and volunteering to teach for six months

[00:49:53] and then officially certain it's just after before my birthday because I was doing before

[00:49:57] my birthday okay and then I did it and then so the volunteer and help to you to kind of like

[00:50:03] fix all of the problems yes I learned a lot of things during that what to do what not to do

[00:50:08] yeah exactly when you start charging people you can yeah exactly know how to do it and then

[00:50:13] see how best because when I was I was in at a volunteer you know it's going to be

[00:50:16] difficult to get people on board yeah because you how do you pay them of course yeah so well in that

[00:50:22] aspect I got people I spoke to them through word of mouth first plain things to hear them oh this

[00:50:26] is how I want us to do it come on board once in a while somebody will do a donation then

[00:50:31] you give that person something to go so keep the body for a while of course but we can't

[00:50:34] keep on doing that it depends on people's donation what if people don't donate so

[00:50:37] of course what are they doing that's how we were able to expand to have like 17

[00:50:41] we were just two one I started just me then two and a 70 so was the plan for it to

[00:50:46] really grow into a business like this or it just happened well in terms of the business aspect

[00:50:52] it just happened all right because I had said earlier it was something like volunteering aspects

[00:50:59] but I realized I have to pay for the website everything that I was paying for and when I

[00:51:04] realized that the thing I'm doing is something passionate to me I would have to do it well

[00:51:10] right because I realized that if somebody wants to buy something and just because of language but

[00:51:15] when a person was unable to buy what happens to the millions out there you can't count the

[00:51:21] number of guardians in London but on 200 000 I mean I asked how you get landing and say hold on go to

[00:51:27] US go to Canada go to Germany they all want to come back home they come back home and they feel

[00:51:32] like strangers so you have to do something that's going to help them and the zoom came

[00:51:36] you have to pay for zoom so you have to look at all those things and then you get something from

[00:51:42] you have to also sustain yourself as well devote your time to doing pay the teachers there because

[00:51:47] they need money so that's how we all tend to business but I'm so passionate that is why

[00:51:52] I've never changed my price since I started really has been there since four years ago they

[00:51:56] were saying price why aren't you changing your price to fit inflation and the economic

[00:52:01] situation in Ghana yes I had a right time I would do that but for now once I said it

[00:52:06] was still profitable yeah to me okay cool because most of your classes online is that why

[00:52:11] because just zoom you pay zoom and that's it no it's not just zoom after my date of course

[00:52:19] data is very expensive in there you have to get wifi I have to get laptop yeah you know what I mean

[00:52:24] you have to get the necessary things to get all the equipment that you need to survive as a

[00:52:29] content it's like a content you're creating online right and the teachers too as well you have

[00:52:34] to pay them well because you know if they pay them well definitely they'll go so they have to pay

[00:52:39] them well you have to make sure they are okay sometimes I'm going to call you and say oh I wasn't

[00:52:43] expecting something I'm just can I get something you have to do it because it's like a family

[00:52:48] so but that said you've not changed our price because we are to me personally it's not just about

[00:52:54] the money I'm looking at the impact I'm making people's life yeah all right the impact that

[00:53:00] I'm making that is what is really dear to my heart yeah helping people by connecting them back to their

[00:53:05] roots and also making the impact in people's life by getting employment so that is a very key thing

[00:53:10] so even if things are not going on well for me personally my work is and the people I'm trying

[00:53:15] to help should be okay another something I relate I understand yeah I understand wow um that's really

[00:53:20] really powerful I mean what you're doing I mean again I think what's been a constant theme

[00:53:25] throughout the whole conversation is your passion and the purpose behind TLC Trina and I'm really really

[00:53:33] excited to see what you're going to do in 2024 and hopefully you put your prices up hopefully

[00:53:41] let's see how things go as long as your profitable as long as you're happy with what's coming in

[00:53:45] I guess that's yeah you have some good students sometimes I'm working on my

[00:53:48] my phone the big one somebody gave it to me as a gift yeah just one of her students

[00:53:52] giving to you as a gift probably you could see how impactful that thing you did for him

[00:53:57] has been helpful to him so I have a lot of people come and say oh what you are doing you might not

[00:54:02] see the benefit but we are benefiting from it and you know how you're helping us because while

[00:54:06] you come back together you have you feel like you're home you're not feeling like the stranger

[00:54:10] anymore yeah so I always tell people it's never too late regardless of your age how young you are

[00:54:16] how old you are yeah we have people in your cities in Alenny Center you have people as young

[00:54:20] as five in Alenny Center wow so it's about you most of the time you help people say that oh it's

[00:54:27] I don't have time right especially those who are very busy I don't have time to learn the language

[00:54:31] and other stuff that is why we have the one on one yeah the one one is flexible right so you

[00:54:35] book your own time in your own day the one that fits you you have a lesson if you're not available

[00:54:39] for a lesson they can risk a delete all right and then you'll take out make time for you to

[00:54:44] come and have a lesson radio so regardless of how busy you are and your time zones we have been

[00:54:48] doing this for a number of years now so we have the experience to help you and so there's no skills

[00:54:55] let me put it that way no excuse so to say I can learn three but approach it like an a skill you are

[00:55:00] it's a skill you are acquiring so if you approach it that way that's how you can achieve

[00:55:04] something good from it but if you say oh I want to go and learn things because I just want to go

[00:55:08] and learn yes you do our best but the comment can aspect is not from your end so it's not going

[00:55:12] to helpful to all of us so it's commitment it about I mean approaching like a skill and that is when you

[00:55:19] have to be committed and also you are velling yourself because you do our maximum best given all

[00:55:25] the unnecessary resources with the pdls the lesson notes even if you test any of our teachers on

[00:55:30] whatsapp they will definitely respond you're not too difficult to get to yeah regardless of

[00:55:35] what time test that you respond so um I mean we are trying as much as possible to best if

[00:55:40] it is brought out to you you make time for it and so if it's important to you for you to connect

[00:55:44] back to your roots make time for it of course I mean what what better way to end the conversation

[00:55:50] you know um because it's all about what's important and this is important if you really

[00:55:55] want it you will make time for that thing exactly man it's been a great conversation thank you so

[00:56:01] much yeah remind the people again about the social media yeah so the social media platform

[00:56:05] we have um a tree learning center on instagram the tree learning center ganna on facebook our

[00:56:10] website is www.treelearningcentergh.com um you can when you go to our website our whatsapp is there

[00:56:18] even on facebook too our whatsapp is there you can just click one it and then it takes you to

[00:56:23] our whatsapp well if you come to our whatsapp you get in touch with me I welcome you with a quaba

[00:56:28] to the tree learning center and then we take you from there regardless of your level regardless

[00:56:33] of I mean your time schedule regardless of your time differences we've got to cover it it's not a

[00:56:39] problem brilliant okay great and we have a discount code for the listeners don't we and so it's the

[00:56:45] discount code is TLCTSA2024 um we'll leave all the links in the youtube and the podcast

[00:56:52] player description below you guys can grab 10% of all of their courses classes whatever which

[00:56:59] a manual has generously you know offered to our listeners so make sure you take advantage of that

[00:57:05] and hopefully 2024 is gonna be your year to learn the ganna language tree or even FANTY

[00:57:12] in fact I'm FANTY I can't speak FANTY that well all I can say is OTANEN you know that's all I know

[00:57:18] so I probably used to get the FANTY one as well but I've definitely done I've done their classes

[00:57:21] you know I brought him on because you know I've been through their lessons and I've seen the

[00:57:25] passion and you know the desire this has this guy has to really propagate the tree language across

[00:57:32] the world so then once again guys for today's show notes please head over to the sound of a

[00:57:37] crowd.com forward slash TLC that's the sound of a crowd.com forward slash TLC for all of the

[00:57:43] reference the key links the nuggets the discount code and everything that we've discussed that's

[00:57:49] important in today's discussion and we'll see you in the next episode on your way out please

[00:57:54] like subscribe leave us a comment let you let us know what you think of today's episode

[00:57:58] and what do you guys think do you think we're in danger of losing tree are we losing our culture

[00:58:02] are we losing our identity in ganna let's continue the conversation you know join us

[00:58:08] on our social media platforms maybe we'll go live and discuss this with Emmanuel

[00:58:12] on one of our platforms but yeah we want to hear from you drop us the email info at

[00:58:17] thesoundofacrout.com if you have any inquiries if you have any thoughts you want to share

[00:58:20] us and we'll catch you in the next one thank you so much guys