Women, persons with disabilities to receive skills training, business support under GW-YESCO

Women and persons with disabilities in the Upper East Region are to benefit from vocational skills training, start-up equipment, business development support and access to funding under the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GW-YESCO) Project.

The initiative, known as the Empowered Initiative, seeks to remove barriers to economic participation by equipping beneficiaries with practical skills, resources and business support to establish sustainable enterprises and improve their livelihoods.

Speaking at the official launch of the initiative in Bolgatanga, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Joan Selassie Ahiawordor Esq said the programme was designed to promote inclusive economic opportunities and empower women and persons with disabilities to achieve financial independence.

She noted that despite their potential and desire for economic independence, many women and persons with disabilities continued to face challenges accessing vocational training, business development services and viable economic opportunities.

She explained that the initiative would go beyond technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to provide beneficiaries with the confidence, business knowledge and practical support needed to establish resilient enterprises.

The broader GW-YESCO project is being implemented in seven regions: Upper East, Upper West, Northern, North East, Savannah, Central and Eastern.

It has two major components: the CREATE Initiative, which focuses on ethical content creation, cultural heritage promotion, hospitality and tourism, and the Empowered Initiative, which targets vocational training and business development for women and persons with disabilities.

Director of Research and Innovation at NEIP, Casper Sunday Kampoli said the initiative would provide comprehensive support, covering skills training, business establishment, access to finance and market linkages.

He said beneficiaries would receive training in areas including fashion design, weaving, basketry, shea butter processing, waste recycling, electric vehicle and motorbike repairs, and road maintenance.

Successful trainees would also receive appropriate start-up equipment and toolkits to establish their businesses. For instance, fashion design trainees would receive sewing machines, while those engaged in shea butter processing and weaving would receive equipment relevant to their trades.

Kampoli further disclosed that beneficiaries would have opportunities to access financial support through designated schemes, including the Ghana Cooperative Fund and the ARPF Fund, with interest rates ranging between eight and ten per cent.

He added that NEIP would assist beneficiaries to register their businesses with the Office of the Registrar of Companies, open business accounts and obtain the necessary regulatory certifications and licences from institutions such as the Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority and Ghana Export Promotion Authority.

The programme would also provide experienced business mentors and facilitate market linkages to connect beneficiaries with potential customers, institutions and commercial outlets.

Kampoli cited opportunities for shea butter processors to supply businesses in Accra and for trained fashion designers and tailors to secure contracts with hotels, schools and other institutions.

“We are not just training you and allowing you to go. We are providing comprehensive support,” he emphasised.

He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that beneficiaries translated their acquired skills into viable businesses capable of generating income, creating employment and improving the livelihoods of their families.

Meanwhile, Ahiawordor expressed appreciation to the Government of Ghana and the African Development Bank for supporting the implementation of the GW-YESCO project.

She called on traditional authorities, local government leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the participation of women and persons with disabilities and ensure effective coordination of the programme.

She stressed that the success of the initiative should be measured not merely by the number of people trained or launch ceremonies organised, but by the businesses established, skills acquired, lives transformed and families supported.

Mike 105.3 FM I Navrongo | Prosper Adankai