The office of Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, in partnership with Agrihouse Foundation, has announced the kick-off of their “IT IS POSSIBLE” Agribusiness development-training programme targeted at the youth of Ghana.

The 3-day intensive and practical Agricultural Capacity Building and Business Set-Up Roadshow (NAGRICA) tagged – It’s Possible – carried out a selection process three months ago, in October.

The project is now set to commence its first leg of the training programmes for beneficiaries in Greater Accra region. Training sessions are expected to take place at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel from Thursday, December 16^th and ends Saturday, December 18^th.

Seven hundred and eleven (711) applications were received in the Greater Accra region. A hundred and fifty (150) applicants were shortlisted from the screening, with 20 extra beneficiaries from the physically challenged community.

The upcoming 3-day training programme, will cover practical training lessons on mushroom Farming, rabbit and snail rearing, with the snail rearing reserved solely for the physically challenged amongst the participants. The training topics will focus on areas such as Rabbit, Mushroom and Snail Production; Processing and Packaging; Accounting and Book-keeping; Stock Distribution; Nutrition, Feeding, housing, Marketing (Branding); and other Leadership and Mentorship sessions. At the end of the training, each participant shall be equipped with Starter packs, such as: 6-room cages, 2 female rabbits (does) and 1 male rabbit (duck); Training Manual, as well as certificates of participation.

Activities of the Day 1 will include an opening ceremony and a general overview of the sessions that will take place, such as Accessing funds, operating a livestock business, highlights on existing standards, compliance and certification programmes, sales, marketing and improving visibility, among other related mentorship sessions. On Day 2 participants will go through  a comprehensive competence-based and practical training on Rabbit, Mushroom and Snail productions commenced; whilst on Day 3- the training continues, and includes Branding and Advertising, Marketing and Sales, Accounts and Book-keeping, Communication Skills, Entrepreneurship; Processing and Packaging; and management of Cooperatives.

In a recent joint press release, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, and Agrihouse Foundation, noted that the initiative will help the hundreds of young Ghanaians acquire skills in rabbit, snail and mushroom farming, processing, as well as marketing. “This will help them make money to support themselves and their families. It will help reduce unemployment, empower women, and ultimately help reduce poverty in the society,” the release said.

The statement further reads, “the whole idea is to have a the value chain circle in place that will create a market linkage system, and we are very happy that Parbs Meat is partnering us, with the intention of buying  off the produce from the beneficiaries of this project.”

Supporting institutions to this life-transforming programme includes Jodi Constructions, Kofi Vinyo,  AMG Fertilisers and Parbs Meat,  who have entered  into an agreement with the programme to offtake the output of the trainees; meaning that the graduating trainees already have a sure market waiting.

In Ghana, about 400,000 youth join the labour force annually (ACET, 2020), with a greater part of that figure not finding jobs. This has led to the formation of unheard-of associations in Ghana like the Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana, Unemployed Nurses Association, and Unemployed Persons with Disability Association, Unemployed Teachers Association, and the likes. Hence, the responsibility of urgently coming up with effective and sustainable turnaround solutions, more than ever before, continues to weigh heavily on the government, corporate organisations, educational institutions, and individuals to create formidable partnerships towards creating and providing job (entrepreneurship) opportunities for young women, and the youth in general. This will help reduce the rate of unemployment among the youth and ensure they live happy and fulfilled life.