Two hundred young women and mothers in Gushegu in the Northern Region have graduated from the Digital Access to Rural Empowerment (DARE) programme.
The participants underwent a week-long intensive training in digital literacy, entrepreneurship, communication and leadership skills, marking a major milestone of the programme in the Northern Region.
The DARE programme, implemented by GI-KACE Consult Ltd in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, UNESCO, and the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), is designed to empower young women aged 15 to 35 across rural communities in Ghana by bridging the digital skills gap and connecting participants to emerging job pathways.
The graduation ceremony, held in Gushegu, celebrated the progress and transformation of the participants, many of whom enrolled with little to no digital skills but completed the programme equipped with competencies that position them for improved livelihoods and economic independence.
The addition of Gushegu’s 200 graduates brings the total number of rural women empowered under DARE to more than 300 across the three communities, showcasing the programme’s expanding footprint and its growing influence in transforming rural livelihoods through technology-driven education.
National impact
The Gushegu cohort is part of a greater nationwide effort that has already delivered life-changing training to young women in Somanya (Yilo-Krobo Municipality) and Bekwai (Ashanti Region) areas, where digital exclusion has long hindered economic growth.
In Somanya and Bekwai, participants have similarly benefited from a holistic curriculum that includes training in digital tools, online business management, branding using artificial intelligence, customer engagement, and entrepreneurship.
These centres have produced success stories ranging from small-scale digital marketers and aggregators to young mothers launching their own online businesses.
Training
During the training, participants were introduced to practical job pathways such as digital marketing, customer service and virtual assistance, local business aggregation, and artisan enhancement.
These pathways were designed to match the real needs of rural economies while giving young women access to nationwide and remote job opportunities.
The DARE curriculum also includes real-world market activation exercises where trainees engage directly with local businesses, test their digital services, gather customer feedback, and gain confidence by applying their new skills in practical settings.
Impact
The programme’s Project Coordinator, Fredrick Yeboah, emphasised that the success of the Gushegu graduates demonstrated the transformative potential of community-based digital training when matched with mentorship and strong partnerships.
He said as Ghana accelerated its digital transformation agenda, the DARE programme stood as a practical model for equipping rural populations, especially women, with the tools and confidence needed to thrive in the modern economy.
“With successful outcomes already recorded in Gushegu, Bekwai and Somanya, the programme is poised to scale further, expanding its impact and deepening digital inclusion across more rural districts,” Mr Yeboah stated.
Some of the graduates shared powerful testimonies of the programme’s impact:
“Before DARE, I had never used a computer. Now I can design flyers, market products online, and support small businesses in my area,” Mariama Alhassan said.
“DARE has given me confidence, and now I know I can build something for myself,” Barikisu Mumuni said.
