I Switched To Humanitarian Stories To Serve Communities - Kobby Kyei

Ghanaian blogger and humanitarian Kobby Kyei has revealed that his decision to move from predominantly entertainment-focused blogging to human-interest and development stories was driven by both his upbringing and a desire to fill what he saw as a gap in Ghana’s digital media space.

Speaking on the Big Convo segment of the Culture Daily Morning Show on 3Music TV and Pluzz 89.9 FM, Kobby Kyei said he became increasingly uncomfortable with the crowded entertainment-blogging space and decided to focus on stories from communities and people who often receive little attention online.

He said his interest in humanitarian work was influenced by his parents.

His father worked with the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Centre, where he helped make mobility aids, including callipers, crutches and wheelchairs, for children with physical disabilities. His mother also worked as a nurse at a Salvation Army hospital.

Kobby Kyei said growing up around children with disabilities exposed him to humanitarian work from an early age.

He recalled promising his father that he would help such children when he became financially successful.

That background, he said, later influenced his decision to change the direction of his work.

“I love humanity,” he said, explaining that he began looking for stories in communities outside the major cities.

Kobby Kyei said the transition was difficult because his audience had largely associated him with entertainment and celebrity stories.

He stopped talking extensively about entertainment and began deliberately following social and political discussions to build his understanding of the issues he wanted to cover. He also started travelling to communities to document stories about people facing challenges.

According to him, some of the early stories attracted only a small number of views and engagements.

However, he said encouragement from diplomats, corporate organisations and other stakeholders working on humanitarian projects helped convince him that the new direction was worthwhile.

His experience has since attracted international attention.

Kobby Kyei said his decision to focus on humanitarian storytelling had opened international opportunities, including an invitation to speak at the United Nations headquarters in New York and at a university in Texas.

His work has also included advocacy around access to basic services. In 2023, an advocacy campaign he mounted for a community facing difficulties accessing potable water contributed to support for the construction of a mechanised borehole.

Kobby Kyei also told 3Music TV and Pluzz 89.9 FM that he is also building two boreholes for his former senior high school, one intended for the girls and another for the boys.

He said the decision to concentrate on development stories was not necessarily a complete break from entertainment.

He continues to engage with entertainment stories and personalities, but wants his wider brand to be associated with social impact.

The change has also meant missing some of the privileges that came with being an entertainment blogger.

Kobby Kyei said he stopped receiving invitations to some major entertainment events as his new identity became more established.

Colleagues eventually began referring to him as a “developmental blogger”, which he took as evidence that the transition was working.

His experience reflects a broader shift in Ghana’s digital media landscape, where some content creators are moving beyond celebrity and entertainment coverage to focus on development, community and public-interest storytelling.

Kobby Kyei said the greatest reward for him is not visibility or material possessions but the impact his work has on people’s lives.

“What people talk about … when he’s no more, it’s about his work,” he said.

He said he would rather be remembered for the communities and individuals he helped than for the car he drove or where he lived.