… more than 30 will contest

It’s expected to be the biggest youth’s show for Ghanaian men in Italy – Ghana’s most handsome youth contest in Italy 2009.

This appears to be the men’s version of the Miss Ghana in Italy beauty pageant, to be contested for in two stages, the first in Brescia on 7th March and second in April, and it has more to do with education against drugs, illicit sex, and involvement in gangs than parade of some of the most handsome faces of the Ghanaian youth in Italy.

The show is being organised by U&I Entertainment Promotions and the brain behind this newly formed entertainment label are young dynamic Ghanaian Radio Presenters in Italy - Kofi Anokye Damte, Joshua Mends, Patrick Faakye, Grace Siaw Oduro, and Elder Oduro.

Speaking in an interview, Kofi Anokye Damte, said the purpose of the show is to educate and inform the Ghanaian youth in Italy about the dangers ahead in involving themselves in the use of drugs, thuggery and having unprotected sex but to strive for academic excellence in other to fit into the ever growing innovative and creative dynamic world we live, through entertainment. “We are now seeing the kind of characters being taken by some of the Ghanaian youth in places like U.K and Holland involving; stabbings, rape, drugs and gangs, something which was not associated with Ghanaians abroad and we are having fears the Ghanaian youths here in Italy may copy such characters so we decided to put up this show, likely to be a yearly event, to educate them against these criminal acts,” he said.

Thirty contestants have already registered to participate and the list would be short-listed to 15 in the second event to determine who walks away with the 1st prize of a full one year sponsorship deal with the Ghana Aids Commission to tour Ghanaian communities in Italy and counsel them about the dangers in the use of drugs and also distribute drugs to AIDS patients. The winner also gets a 42-inch Plasma TV from Sony and a free return ticket to South Africa. There will be other prizes for the second and third place as well as consolation prizes for all the contestants.

Explaining further the details of the event, Kofi Anokye, says the contestants will have to introduce themselves to the audience in their first act on stage, they will then go into a second round where they will pick and act on an entertainment by singing, dancing or speak about an interesting topic which is educative.

In the third stage for the contestants they will face questions from 3 judges on topics which cover various aspects of life - religion, politics, education, health etc. The fourth appearance will see them facing the audience and give their views about combating youth crimes and what can be done to enhance their education in order to achieve higher status in the society they live.

The program will be laced intermittently with artistes performances and among them will be Obrafour, Reggi Zipi, Bante Bee, Black Mountain and gospel songs by Anita Obeng - based in Italy. It’s reliably learn’t some Italian distinguished personalities and special invited guests from Ghana would be speaking at the event so also would be celebrated football coach, Jose Mourinho of Inter AC, Ghana’s football stars, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, Ampima Barusso and Brazil’s star at Inter AC, Andriano.

Kofi Anokye further revealed, U&I Entertainment has contacted a number of sponsors in Ghana which includes MTN, Tigo, Guiness Ghana Limited, Ghana Aids Commission and some Italian companies and they are likely to respond towards the success of the program. He also pointed out, co-operate organizations and philanthropists who care so much about the youth can contact U&I at uientertainments@rocketmail.com or through the phone lines: 039-329.0372.704/ 039-320.8160.607

The following persons can also be contacted for more information about registration for the contest and contributions: Naaku Glover (in Pordenone) – tel. 039.3881.722.092 Nana Tuffuor (in Verona) – tel. 039.329.101.5340 Grace Siaw (Bassano, Vicenza) – tel. 039.329.1270.111 Obed (Brescia) - tel. 039.327.0870.824 Jenefer (Modena) - tel. 039.327.0870.824 -