Social Enterprise Ghana (SE-Ghana) with support from the  Australian High Commission through their Direct Aid Program has given out forty start-up kits to women-led Green Ventures including  Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) as well as refugees.

The handover of the start-up kit marks the climax of intensive training in climate-smart Agribusiness provided by SE Ghana under the “Investing in Women in Green Ventures” project which will enable 40 women who have received the training to start and improve their own businesses.

Globally, women make up 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force, yet around the world, including in Ghana, women face significant discrimination when it
comes to land and livestock ownership, participation in decision-making and access to farm inputs, credit and financial services.

Delivering a speech at the handing-over ceremony in Accra yesterday, Australia’s Second Secretary, Candice Hooper, disclosed that The project is one of 13 funded under the High Commission’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) in Ghana this year.

“The DAP is a small grants scheme that supports community-led development projects in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia Senegal and Togo,” she added.

Accordingly, the Second Secretary of Australia mentioned that 100 women-led Green Businesses will also receive six months of Business Development Support, including training in Business Administration, Financial Literacy and Credit Management.

Speaking further, Miss Hooper stated that the Australian High Commission is pleased to support this project because it aligns strongly with the core objectives of the DAP, particularly gender equality and female empowerment, as well as disability inclusion and climate action.

“It is, therefore, heart-warming to note that through this project, these women have received not only the relevant skills but also the equipment to start their businesses,” Hooper stressed.

Miss Candice Hooper, expressed optimism that about  200 new jobs will be created for young people and vulnerable women along the value chains created by these Women-led Green Businesses.

Miss Hooper, seized the opportunity to congratulate all the participants of the program for their hard work and determination. She also wished them the very best with their businesses.

“You are not only helping take care of your families but also contributing to your communities and to the growth of this country,” Hooper added.

Background

Social Enterprise Ghana through its Green Entrepreneurship Initiatives has trained and supported about 500 young women, women with a disability and female refugees to start and grow their green ventures in climate-smart agribusiness, sustainable forestry, organic waste management, plastic waste management, textile upcycling mushroom production, snail farming and seedling production.

SE Ghana through this project is providing support in the form of start-up kits to 40 women, to kick-start their green ventures.

The project also sought to organize six months of continuous business development support to 100  women-led green businesses in areas including business management training, financial literacy, credit management, digital literacy market access support, exhibitions and trade shows and investor readiness support.

On his part, Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, Executive Director of Social Enterprise Ghana, did indicate during an interview with the media that some of the start-up kits include; Shelves, Spawn, Sawdust, PVC Pipes, Compost Rubber, Staw mat, Shovel, Barrel, Sacks, Combustor, Spraying Machines, Snail, Drinkers, Feed, Feeders and Mushroom among others.

Mr Zu-Cudjoe, also indicated that his outfit will visit the beneficiary businesses on a regular basis to get first-hand information on how the various businesses are fearing after the training.

“Apart from the physical visits, we will call them regularly via phone to learn about their success stories as well as challenges they are encountering and also get to know which kind of change (s) the training, support and intervention have caused their businesses,” Mr Zu-Cudjoe emphasised.

He described SE Ghana’s monitoring system as strong and robust which ensures that for a period of six months, we remain in touch with these beneficial start-ups.

“We visit the businesses to make sure they are sustainable and growing,” he said.

Touching on additional support, SE Ghana’s ED, Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, disclosed that his outfit partners with various government institutions, the likes of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) to support and work with our cohorts to be able to access various international markets.

Mr Zu-Cudjoe also stated that start-ups such as the ones being supported today, who have expanded in course of their operations and wish to export their products to international markets, also would receive additional support.

According to Mr Zu-Cudjoe, Social Enterprise Ghana is able to support them through “handholding” throughout the process to get the relevant certification to develop the export market in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure that they are able to export their products and services.

He encouraged the teeming youth of Ghana to see Agribusiness as a change maker and a tool for economic empowerment; sighting the example of snail farming which does not require acreage of land before one can start.

“You only require a little start-up capital to start and be able to generate revenue to support not only yourself but the entire community by way of further employing others as the business grows,” Mr Zu-Cudjoe added.

He seized the opportunity to on behalf of SE Ghana, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all and sundry who supported in diverse ways to make the program a success.

Mr Zu-Cudjoe also called on relevant stakeholders, with a special mention on Financial Institutions to come on board so that together they can extend the kind gesture to more women Green Venture start-ups across the country.

Alberta a trainee in Snail, Mushroom and digitalisation who hitherto the training, was naive about both Snail and Mushroom farming, expressed her sentiments in having the confidence to manage her Snail and Mushroom businesses after successful completion of the training.

Alberta, who is also an Administrator, admonished her fellow women to take advantage of such training in order to earn some extra income to cater for their dependents.