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Meet Korkor & Jerry: The developers working to solve teacher absenteeism

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Software and application development is one of the fast growing areas in the technology industry and more young people continue to bring out the creativity in them in this regard.

Last weekend, about 30 trainees who had acquired skills in software development converged in Accra to showcase mobile and web applications they had designed to tackle specific issues across different sectors.

Some of the applications demonstrated included: ‘Alodie’ an application that allows people to send money into mobile money accounts without using USSD codes; ‘FundFair’ which connects low income earners to donors to allow them pay off medical debt; ‘Sparky’— a platform that connects start-ups to investors; ‘Go Legal’ — designed to connect clients to lawyers, and many other applications which are not yet available to the public.

Another which could be of immense benefit to stakeholders in the education sector, is a mobile application intended to solve teacher absenteeism. The developers, Korkor Mensah and Jerry Gasu, spoke about their inspiration for the project and the prospect of the innovation they were looking forward to implementing fully.

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Application

The partners in an interview with The Spectator said they took up the initiative because “the absence of teachers tends to negatively impact teaching and learning in schools.”

“Teacher absenteeism affects the confidence of parents and leads to low turnout of students so we decided to build an application that does a real time tracking of the teacher’s presence or absence,” the duo noted.

The application, according to the developers, “allows a teaching staff to scan a Quick Response (QR) code with his or her mobile phone and logs in with identification (ID) which has already been generated for him or her.

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 “After the teacher successfully logs in, he is automatically seen on a dashboard that is monitored by the administration of the school. The application then records the number of teachers who reported on time, those who reported late as well as those who did not show up at all,” they explained.

Collaboration

Korkor Mensah

Ms Mensah is a Quality Assurance Test Analyst at Ecobank. In her role, she ensures that mobile and web applications and systems “are tested to ensure they are fit for purpose or do not have any defects.”

She had enrolled her two children at Codetrain, a Ghanaian tech company that trains individuals to become software developers, but was compelled to eventually take up the course and acquire the skills herself.

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Jerry, on the other hand, started teaching himself how to code at home but realised there was more to learn beyond the self-taught approach he had adopted and, therefore, signed up to the structured courses that were being offered by the institution.

Jerry Gasu

It was during the one-year intensive training at Codetrain that they both decided to work together on the teacher absenteeism application which they hope to fine-tune and make available to schools across the country.

“This is a demo and we have not rolled it out on full scale. We are open to other ideas and collaboration because this [application] solves a social problem. Our hope is to be able to roll out to schools in Ghana and possibly across Africa.

“If teachers are absenting themselves from classes then we will never get the quality education we want to give our children so this application is going to solve a challenge in the education system and we hope to partner other organisations to make this a reality,” Ms Mensah said.

Beyond Codetrain, Jerry intends to start his own business and continue to solve “real world problems” with his expertise.

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Insight

The partners admitted that there were other applications that dealt with absenteeism but this did not stop them from coming up with their own innovation or solution.

“We know other well-established organisations have applications they use internally to track attendance of staff but in our research we do not think teachers are scanning QR codes to log in their attendance; they still make use of a notebook or a register.

“There are other applications solving the same problem but there is never a single solution to a problem. We decided to focus on the educational sector because we know ours will be unique,” Ms Mensah stated.

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She was one of the few females among the graduating cohort. She said her aim of becoming a Quality Assurance Engineer in future would require programming skills hence the decision to join the course at Codetrain which she described as insightful.

“I work closely with application developers; the developers make the application, then my role is to test it. So I believe the skills I have now would help me to become a good Test Analyst.

“A year ago, I did not know how to code, I could not write a single line of code.  My 10-year-old son brought a coding assignment home and I could not help him. I was really embarrassed and felt I had let my son down so weeks later I enrolled at Codetrain and a year down the line, the journey has been rewarding,” Ms Mensah recounted.

The developers encouraged individuals to sharpen their technology skills and explore the opportunities as well as solutions they could provide within the sector.

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Ms Mensah advised young women to aspire to fill the existing gap in the technology industry while Jerry also urged aspiring software developers to be patient and remain focused because their efforts would eventually yield results.

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Dierre Doors names King Promise as Brand Ambassador for Ghana campaign

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Italian premium security door manufacturer Dierre S.p.A. has named award-winning Ghanaian Afrobeats and Highlife artiste King Promise (Gregory Bortey Newman) as the face of its new Ghana and West Africa marketing campaign.

The partnership, managed by Regiments Management Company Limited, forms part of Dierre’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the West African market.

The two-week campaign, themed “Secure What Matters,” will run across digital, outdoor and influencer platforms, with King Promise featuring in a campaign film showcasing Dierre’s Prestige and Synergy security door ranges.

“Home is everything. It is where you protect the people and things that matter most. Dierre builds doors that reflect exactly that security, quality and style without compromise. I am proud to represent a brand that stands for those values,” King Promise said.

Founded in Italy, Dierre is a global manufacturer of armoured security doors, interior doors and fire-protection systems. Its products carry international anti-burglary certifications across Classes 3, 4 and 5, with the company producing hundreds of thousands of doors, locks and safes annually.

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King Promise is one of Ghana’s leading Afrobeats and Highlife artistes, known for his distinctive sound, international collaborations and growing global audience.

The partnership combines Dierre’s security and design expertise with King Promise’s influence in contemporary African music and culture, as the brand expands its consumer engagement in Ghana and across West Africa.

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From a room to a global enterprise: The Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye story

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• Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye
• Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye

From humble beginnings to building an enterprise with global ambitions, Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye’s journey is a story of discipline, independence, resilience and the belief that businesses should be built to outlive their founders.

Long before he became the Group Chairman of M&C Group, Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye was building from modest beginnings.

Mr Vanderpuye recieves a citation at the 100 Most Notable African Leadership Excellence Awards

His entrepreneurial journey did not start in a sophisticated corporate office or with a large team behind him.

At one stage, he was working from his room with limited resources, focused on turning an idea into a viable business.

That beginning became an important part of his philosophy: build the business first, then let the infrastructure grow with it.

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Michael Bartlett-Vanderpuye

Michael’s early experiences shaped his determination to become an entrepreneur. After university and periods of professional employment, including banking, accounting, marketing, packaging and logistics, he developed a deeper understanding of how businesses operate and how different industries connect.

 His exposure to mining advisory work, property and other commercial opportunities broadened his perspective and helped him identify opportunities beyond a single sector.

But the journey was far from easy.

He recalls the uncertainty of sending proposal after proposal without knowing which one would eventually open a door.

Even after establishing an office in East Legon, some people assumed he was working for someone else because they could not imagine that the business belonged to him.

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The confidence and corporate presence associated with success today were built through years of uncertainty, rejection, experimentation and persistence.

His evolution from working out of a room to leading M&C Group reflects a broader philosophy that has guided his business life: do not build an image before you build the substance.

For Michael, entrepreneurship is not simply about owning a company. It is about learning how to turn knowledge, relationships, opportunities and resources into sustainable value.

He believes professionals in every field can develop an entrepreneurial mindset by creating assets, building networks, investing in opportunities and developing additional sources of value alongside their careers.

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That philosophy has influenced the way he approaches business expansion. Rather than viewing companies as isolated entities, Michael sees opportunities to create connections between industries, people and services.

Strategic partnerships, in his view, can create greater value than treating every other business as a competitor.

His approach has also been shaped by research and international exposure. He argues that entrepreneurs must understand the markets they enter rather than simply copy businesses they see succeeding elsewhere.

Behind every successful enterprise, he believes, are structures, regulations, relationships, research and decisions that may not be immediately visible from the outside.

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As his business interests have grown, so has his ambition. M&C Group represents a significant chapter in that evolution, reflecting his drive to build an enterprise that extends beyond a single venture.

His vision is rooted not merely in personal wealth, but in creating businesses capable of generating employment, developing people, building partnerships and contributing to the wider economy.

Michael is particularly concerned about the role of the private sector in addressing unemployment and creating sustainable opportunities. For him, a successful business should ultimately do more than enrich its owner. It should employ people, develop skills, support suppliers and create opportunities that extend beyond the founder.

That long-term perspective is central to his understanding of success.

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He is cautious about equating visibility with achievement. In an age where social media can make a business appear larger than it is, Michael believes the real measure of an enterprise lies in its systems, customers, assets, operations and results. The brand should be supported by substance.

His personal journey has therefore become a lesson in patience and discipline. The man who once had to convince people that the business was actually his now speaks about building systems, protecting capital, understanding markets and thinking beyond the immediate reward.

And his ambitions do not stop with the present generation.

Michael describes legacy as something that should extend beyond his children to future generations. His objective is to build something sustainable-something that can continue creating value after he is no longer at the centre of it.

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From a modest room and limited resources to the boardroom and the development of a growing business group, Michael L. Bartlett-Vanderpuye’s story is ultimately about building before displaying, learning before expanding and creating something designed to last.

His journey is a reminder that global ambition does not necessarily begin with global resources. Sometimes, it begins with little more than an idea, discipline, persistence and the willingness to start where you are. – MyStoryMagazine

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