Australia High Commission supports women entrepreneurs with start up kits

Social Enterprise Ghana’s has Organized a program for women in Green ventures” project, Social Enterprise Ghana’s “Investing in Women in Green Ventures” project, which will enable 40 women who have received called training in climate smart agribusiness, to start their own businesses. This project is one of 13 funded under the High Commission’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) in Ghana this year.

Mr. Edwin zu Cudjoe, Executive Director, Social Enterprise Ghana Said, the DAP is a small grants scheme that supports
community-led development projects in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire,
Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia Senegal and Togo.

The Australian High Commission is pleased to support this project because it aligns strongly with the core objectives of the DAP, particularly gender equality and female empowerment, as well as disability inclusion and climate action.

He added that, the project is one of ten projects funded this year with a strong focus on genderequality. 40 women, including refugees and women living with disabilities are today receiving start up kits including equipment to produce mushrooms and snails.

According to Mr. Edwin zu Cudjoe, Executive Director, Social Enterprise Ghana. He said, One hundred women-led green businesses will also receive six months business. development support, including training in business administration, financial
literacy and credit management.

He said, Globally, women make up 43 percent of the agricultural labour force, yet around the world, including in Ghana, women face significant discrimination when it comes to land and livestock ownership, participation in decision making and access to farm inputs, credit and financial services.

He said the 500 women who received training from SE Ghana’s Green Entrepreneurship Initiatives, less that 1% were able to start their business due to financial constraints It is therefore heart-warming to note that through this project, these women have received not only the relevant skills, but also the equipment to start their businesses.

Allowing them to be more independent and able participate in the local economy. It is expected that about 200 new jobs will be created for young people and
vulnerable women along the value chains created by these women-led green businesses.

I would also like to commend SE Ghana and partners for your support with this
project and for your commitment to improving outcomes for women.He said, to start and grow their green ventures in climate start agribusiness, sustainable and supported about 500 young women, women with disability and female refugees Social Enterprise Ghana through its Green Entrepreneurship Initiatives has trained forestry, organic waste management, plastic waste management, textile up cycling.

mushroom production, snail farming and seedling production with support from
World University Service Canada (WUSC) and the European Union.

women, to kick start their green ventures. The project also sought to organize 6
SECOND Ghana through this project is providing support in the form of start-up kits to 40 months continuous business development support to 100 women-led green businesses in areas including business management training, financial literacy, credit
management, digital literacy market access support, exhibitions and trade shows and investor readiness support.

The story by Fada Amakye from Daily Sun106.com