UK-based Ghanaian model that represented Ghana at the 2013 Mr Africa International, Giuseppe Nkansah is ending the year on a high note.

The Mr Africa international 2nd runner- up won the Best Male Model award at the recent Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts Awards (BEFFTA UK Awards 2014).

He believes that winning the BEFFTA is a big step for him to take his career to greater heights. Receiving the award, he commented “I want to dedicate this award to those who helped me to become who I am today”.

Giuseppe has worked with several top fashion designers, photographers across Europe. He is also an up and coming actor, having starred in film production in Italy – written and directed by Nana Kwame Ishmael.

Giuseppe has inspired lots of black youths across Europe with not only his sense of style but his sense of culture. This makes him a perfect ambassador for Ghanaian/African culture.

Check out his recent interview on black history…

Living life as an individual and growing up here with immigrant parents in Europe has been a challenge colder, riskier, and sometimes more frustrating than the trending ice bucket challenge. What I make out of it is the greatness that comes with it. Like every challenge, there is always a positive force. Sometimes we do not want to be different, we forget that. There is power in the word different.

How boring will the world be if all we see is white or black? If all the buildings, cars, trees, street and the rest coated in white or black. Have you ever thought about that? I guess we wouldn’t even know that there is something we call colour blindness. We will all be visually impaired.

What does being different mean? It means, Not being afraid to challenge the norm; Being willing to take a chance; Asking questions; Making your own track, not just following the well-trodden path; Charting your own course and destiny; and being the person that you were meant to be.

Sometimes we work very hard to be like someone, a celebrity, a political figure, or any famous person forgetting that everyone is born unique. Sometimes the pressure that we face as an individual makes us conform to society so-called common sense. Unfortunately we forget that common sense is not good sense.

It is a great deal if we spend time, relax, look into our souls/lives and make an effort to develop the special assets we have in ourselves. Every day is a step to realizing our dreams. We are tested on a daily basis the effort we make to be better individuals in the future. What can we do as the youth? We have to read and develop a practicing spirit that will put us at an edge above everyone in the field that we are in.

I have realized that the greatest battle that the black community is fighting now is technology. We have turned the positive benefits of technology and instead of moving in a clockwise direction we are rather moving in an anticlockwise direction. We dedicate our time using the success of another individual rather than developing our own.

It was my dream to be in show business. I dreamt of it, it was my shadow. Most auditions that I went at the early stages were just not what I was expecting. I was sacked, insulted, called ugly and even I remember someone telling me I will never see this dream come to life. I didn’t make it deter me from pursuing the dream still instead I go home proud after all that incident knowing that I have taken a step closer to the dream I want to live.

Getting to where I am now as Mr Africa 2nd runner up wasn’t achieved on a silver platter. I worked my heart out. In other to achieve our goals and be the best in the field that we have chosen, we have to do extra hard in the learning process, practice extra hard, work extra than any of our colleagues, and push ourselves more. Remember no pain no gain.

Let us not forget that there would be people who will turn us away, push us aside, and throw insulting words in our face and many others. Look at all these as distractions that are pushing you away from your dreams and go for your dreams. Thank you.