GEA, Mastercard Foundation support over 200 youth with start-up tool kits

The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and the Mastercard Foundation have distributed start-up tool kits to over 200 successfully trained youth in the Okaikwei Central constituency under the BizBox Programme.The training was a pilot and would be rolled out fully in various districts across the country, targeting 250,000 youth who would master their skills and craftsmanship with the focus on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.The project, a partnership between the Ghana Enterprise Agency and the Mastercard Foundation, was anchored on five broad intervention pillars; Youth Skills Development, Access to Market, Access to Start-up Kits, Youth Social Networks and Institutional Strengthening, Policy and Regulatory Support.The youth were trained in tailoring, hair making, make-ups, pedicure and manicure, sewing and fashion design.Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayerh, Chief Executive Officer of GEA, said the project targeted young people in Ghana with 70 per cent being women and 10 per cent Persons with Disabilities ( PWDs).She said the initiative marked a significant milestone in Ghana's collective efforts to empower the youth to create sustainable economic opportunities for the various communities.She said the initiative was to encourage the youth to venture into entrepreneurial activities, adding that the trainees were drawn from various districts and sampled into different districts respectively.Speaking on the project's effectiveness, the CEO said they were going to monitor and evaluate beneficiaries to ensure that they were growing into full potential businesses.Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, Member of Parliament Okaikwei Central, in an interview with the media, called on all stakeholders, including civil, social, religious and traditional leadership to encourage the youth to embrace the initiative for sustainable development.He expressed gratitude to Mastercard Foundation and the Ghana Enterprise Agency for their efforts in supporting the youth.He admonished the beneficiaries to protect their kits, use the oppor tunity to create jobs for others and expand their businesses.The MP added that the training was three to six months, hence, it was extensive and very useful.Source: Ghana News Agency