More than 120 young people from the North East, Savannah and Northern regions have benefited from a five-day ecopreneurship skills training programme aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and skills to start their own businesses while protecting the environment.
The initiative, organised under the Empowerment for Life Programme by YEFL-Ghana, in partnership with School for Life, Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships (CLIP), sought to promote environmentally friendly entrepreneurship as a sustainable way of reducing youth unemployment and mitigating climate change.
The training focused on building participants’ capacity in eco-friendly business models, waste recycling, sustainable agriculture and green innovation, enabling them to create ventures that both generate income and conserve natural resources.
Reducing unemployment
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the training, the Programme Manager for the Empowerment for Life Programme, Jabaru Mohammed, described youth unemployment as a major national challenge that continues to undermine the potential of young people.
The participants in the training
He expressed optimism that the training would empower participants to become self-employed and, in turn, create job opportunities for others.
“I am very optimistic that the youth will put into practice the skills they have learned. Once they establish their ventures, they will need support, which means others will get engaged as well,” he said.
He said some of the participants were already engaged in small-scale eco-friendly businesses, and the training would help them expand and operate more effectively.
Mr Mohammed, therefore, encouraged the beneficiaries to collaborate with local authorities and non-profit organisations to help implement their business ideas and sustain their initiatives.
Environmental sustainability
The Technical Advisor for Youth Advocacy and Gender at YEFL-Ghana, Abdul Ganiw Alhassan, commended the participants for their commitment throughout the training.
He said that while some of them already owned small enterprises, they lacked the technical know-how to make them environmentally sustainable and profitable.
“This training will go a long way to reduce the impact of climate change, especially when such eco-friendly businesses are established in our towns and villages,” he said.
He added that the training was designed to help unemployed graduates and young people acquire the necessary knowledge to start green enterprises that would generate income while safeguarding the environment.
Mr Alhassan said YEFL-Ghana would continue to monitor and mentor the participants to ensure that they put the knowledge acquired to good use.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed appreciation to YEFL-Ghana and its partners for the opportunity, saying the training had opened their minds to new ways of doing business responsibly.
They added that the knowledge gained would help them establish their own eco-friendly ventures to generate income while contributing to environmental sustainability.
