Casper Sunday Kampoli, Director for Research and Innovation at the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), has detailed a full-spectrum support system for beneficiaries of the EMPOWED Initiative, launched this week under the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GWYESCO) Project at the Regional House of Chiefs in Bolgatanga.
Speaking directly to the practical opportunities available, Mr. Kampoli made clear that the programme targets people prepared to act. “This programme is designed for people who are ready to learn, ready to work and ready to transform their lives,” he said. Eligibility is open to all qualified persons, including those living with disabilities, across a wide age range. “Whether you are 20 years old or 60 years old, if you have the energy and the desire to learn, this programme is for you.”
The initiative prioritises marketable trades such as fashion, weaving, basketry, shea butter processing, waste recycling, electric vehicle repair and motorcycle maintenance. Training, however, is only the starting point. Beneficiaries who complete their courses will receive the essential tools of their trade: sewing machines for those trained in fashion, processing equipment for shea butter producers, and equivalent starter kits for other skills.
Access to finance forms a second pillar. Funded by the African Development Bank, the project enables soft loans at interest rates of 8 to 10 percent through participating financial institutions. Mr. Kampoli was careful to clarify the structure: “The banks are not the funders of this project. The project is funded by the African Development Bank. Where applicable, the banks serve as participating financial institutions through which beneficiaries may access the soft loans.”
Business development support goes further still. Completing trainees will receive assistance to register their enterprises with the Office of the Registrar of Companies, open bank accounts, secure Food and Drugs Authority licences and Ghana Standards Authority certification for products such as shea butter, and obtain export licences from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority. Mentorship from seasoned practitioners in fashion, basketry and related fields will run throughout the project. Market linkages are also built in: shea butter producers will be connected to buyers in Kumasi and Accra, while fashion trainees will be linked to hotels, fashion schools and government institutions that require regular garment production.
In the Upper East Region, implementation begins this year in six selected districts: Bolgatanga Municipality, Bolgatanga East District, Kassena-Nankana Municipality, Kassena-Nankana West District, Pusiga District and Tempane District. Remaining districts will be covered in subsequent phases. “If you are here and you are not from one of these districts, do not be worried,” Mr. Kampoli assured the audience. “The project will reach you, if not this year, then next year.”
He also referenced the CREATE Initiative, launched two days earlier in Tamale, which focuses on ethical content creation for young people aged 18 to 35, with a minimum of 50 percent women beneficiaries and full inclusion of persons with disabilities. CREATE will supply cameras, tripods and related equipment, with an emphasis on positive storytelling about local culture, tourist sites and community products that can generate paid work.
Mr. Kampoli’s central message remained consistent: EMPOWED is not a training and release scheme. “We provide skills training, we provide equipment, we provide access to government services, we help you access markets, and we support you in building your business. We are not just training you and letting you go. We are providing comprehensive support to help you establish sustainable livelihoods.”
The initiative seeks to reduce unemployment among young people and vulnerable women, with particular attention to those who need structured support the most. With the details now public, attention turns to enrolment and delivery in the six selected Upper East districts.
Source: Mybluewavesonline.Com/ Maurice Duncan/ Bolgatanga
