By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Bekwai-Aboaso (Ash), Sept. 15, GNA – Young entrepreneurs benefiting from the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project in the Ashanti region are creating sustainable employment opportunities for the youth in their communities.
The beneficiaries, who are engaged in green, and climate resilient businesses are contributing to their local economies after receiving funding support under the GrEEn Project.
With funding from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the GrEEn Project seeks to contribute to addressing the root causes of irregular migration through green and climate resilient local economic development.
The four-year project is being implemented by SNV and UNCDF and the goal is to create employment and enterprise opportunities in the agriculture, water and energy sectors in the Ashanti and Western Regions.
The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October 2020, is supporting the implementation of the project at the regional and district levels.
As part of steps towards wrapping up the project, a high-level delegation made up of officials from the Ministry, European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, SNV and UNCDF, have embarked on a two-day visit to beneficiary entrepreneurs in the Ashanti Region.
The objective of the visit was to showcase the progress made so far, results and lessons learnt, and receive feedback and recommendations to strengthen implementation of the project to consolidate the results.
The delegation included Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), Wendy van Meel, Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, Bram Elmer van Opijnen, First Secretary at the Netherlands Embassy, Marta Brignone, Programme Officer at the European Union, and Barbara White Nkoala, Country Director of SNV Ghana
The rest were, Gloria Botele Noi, Director. Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the MELR, Laouali Sadda, GrEEn Project Manager at SNV in Ghana, Jean Muthamia-Mwenda, Global Lead for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in the Hague, Jamila Ahmed, Deputy Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation at the MELR, Nathan Asamoah, Local and Community Development Officer at UNCDF Ghana, among others
Led by the Minister, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah before proceeding to visit the beneficiaries.
Their first stop was at Bekwai-Aboaso where Prince Adjei, owner of Moreplex Company produces cosmetics from organic and locally sourced materials such as aloe vera, cocoa potash and other herbs.
The business which started with six employees currently has 21 workers and provides training for women and young people interested in learning a trade for their livelihoods.
Moreplex is one of 15 awardees of SNV’s 2022 GrEEn Innovation Challenge and was awarded a grant of EUR 10,000 to set up a small-scale factory and training centre to teach rural women and youth.
The next stop for the team was Danwomanse in the Adansi South District where they inspected a 900mm diameter pipe culvert, 1.6 kilometer New Edubiase-Danwomanse feeder road, and a mechanised borehole with a 5,000 liter overheard tank.
Flooding occurs after heavy downpour affecting nearby farms, washing off the only wooden bridge linking the community to the district capital, denying community members, particularly pregnant women, from accessing healthcare during these periods.
Farm produces are also left to rot while school children are compelled to stay home after being cut-off from the rest of the district anytime it rained heavily.
Adom Oil Processing is also a cooperative specialised in processing palm fruits into unadulterated cooking oil at Kwame Adjei, a farming community in the Adansi South District.
The group is a beneficiary of UNCDF who competed in GrEEn Business Plan Competition and won GH¢36,000 to set up a processing centre to scale up their production.
Next to be visited by the delegation on the second day was Tahir Fields Recycling owned by Tahir Tajudeen Umar, one of the winners of the GrEEn Innovation Challenge.
The company which is into recycling of waste engine oil from heavy-duty machines and vehicles, turning them into refined oil for re-use received a grant of GH¢100,000 to scale up his green business.
Women’s Haven Africa, an innovative entrepreneurial hub creating a friendly and productive environment for the growth and development of women-led businesses, was where the delegation ended the two-day visit.
Throughout the tour, the officials interacted with the beneficiaries who expressed appreciation for the immense support they received under the project and pledged their commitment to work hard to expand their businesses to provide sustainable employment for more people.
GNA