DONALD GWIRA, AN ANGEL IN HUMAN FORM
Many who have monitored my education and, if you like, career, keep wondering why I ‘betrayed’ my first love’, journalism, and veered into something else soon after graduating from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). Till date, a lot these people who knew about my level of obsession with journalism keep asking what could be keeping me away from the career I was so passionate about, growing up.
That
is another story to be told. Today, I simply want to tell you about some really
refreshing experiences that have come to convince me beyond doubt that angels
exist in human form right here on earth. If you haven’t encountered any, I
have.
In
2009, I had a golden opportunity to join the corporate communications
department of Zain Telecommunications Ghana (which later transformed into
Airtel Ghana); my job title was PR Coordinator and I was mainly in charge of
Media Relations - a role I really fancied at the time.
The
people I met in there and the interesting learning experiences I went through
have been the most compelling set of factors that influenced what I still consider
a prudent switch from journalism (my first love) to Public Relations.
Mr. Donald Gwira was one of the bosses I was privileged to work with. He joined the company as the head of the Communications Department around the time I was wrapping up my stint with the firm and so we parted company just around the time our paths crossed. I don’t remember working with (or under) him for more than three months – I had to go and I left. He knew very little about me so I didn’t really expect him to do me any favour.
Unbeknown
to me, this man had spotted something in me and took special interest in my
career. It was a pleasant surprise when I had a call from one of the breweries
to come for assessment for the role of a communications officer, based on
Donald’s recommendation. Guess what, I missed that big opportunity narrowly
because of some basic errors in the script I produced during the written
assessment. 'The thing pain me oooo'.
In
my estimation, I had embarrassed him and shredded the confidence he had in me
but he proved me wrong and drew even closer. The relationship grew stronger;
Donald will not stop pampering me like his own son. He kept showing me the way
to the top of the PR profession and throwing more offers at me.
Toward the mid of 2018, I had just resigned from my job due to ill-health and was shuttling between hospitals fiercely fighting my way back to good health. I was gradually mending but there was no immediate plan to return to full time employment. Then the call came from one of these finance companies that someone had strongly recommended me for the position of a Corporate Communications Manager. I couldn’t escape the conclusion that Donald was architect behind the move. A call to him would later confirm that.
Despite
that fact that I was trapped in an ailing body, I was hesitant giving him
excuses so I prayed about it and consulted a few friends including 'that boy' called
Paa Kwesi Forson to pick their brain on my dilemma – to go or not to go, given
the challenges at hand. They were all like ‘go”, don’t allow the sickness to
hold you down.
I
attended two interviews; saying they were grueling will be an understatement,
but I came top of the candidates and had my offer letter waiting for the agreed
date to start work in a new environment and a new sector that promised to be challenging
and equally rewarding.
While
I was relishing the prospect, I had yet another call from a leading brand in
the media space and the news was that someone had recommended me to take up the
role of CSR Manager. I attended that interview too. In essence, I had these two
opportunities to choose from. I settled for the former, after thorough
consideration and took up the Corporate Communications Manager role in May
2018.
You
won’t believe that Donald drove, on many occasions, to my office to see how I
was faring and offer some tips to enable me excel in the role. I can go on and
on and on.
I
think Donald believes in me more than I do myself. When you have people like
this around you, you can only reach for the skies. It is this belief in me that
makes me feel like I can be (and will be) the next UN Secretary General from Ghana.
I have started working on that dream, and bigger ones.
Folks,
do convey gratitude to Donald, and remember to tell him I said I will make him
proud one day.
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