MTN Commissions Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Project in Eastern Region

The MTN foundation in collaboration with Plan International has commissioned the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Project (YEEP) which saw 50 beneficiaries graduating.

The project trained and equipped young men and women from Nsawam and Suhum of the Eastern Region in mobile phone repairs.

The graduates, 14 young women and 36 young men, were presented with a certificate of participation, start-up tools and kiosk to help set them up for work immediately.

The beneficiaries throughout their ten days training period were taken through the introduction to mobile phone technology, Basic customer service, front end repairs, Repair and rectification of faults of mobile phones, and how to maintain a safe and secure work environment.

Addressing a durbar to commission the project, a Board Member of MTN Foundation Mrs Nabilla Williams revealed that the ever evolution of the world coupled with the pandemic demands that new skills must be acquired to catch up with latest trends hence the motive behind the project to equip the young ones to be able to sustain themselves and their families in this trying times.

“We all know how our world is changing and how the traditional skills that we used to cherish are gradually evolving. We are all praying for an end to this pandemic but whilst waiting we have to find a way of surviving. No doubt Covid 19 has opened our eyes to many uses of these devices and as we rely on the mobile phone for our work, school, sales and marketing, religious activities, family affairs, streaming of events and of course our everyday conversations, the phones will definitely develop some faults at some point in time. Once in a while, there may be software and hardware problems which users cannot fix on their own.

“This is why this project is really important and timely. The training and equipping of these youth to engage in Mobile Phone repairs is certainly a fantastic project which we all have to embrace,” she intimated.

Mrs Nabilla Williams further bemoaned the rising unemployment rate of youth in the country and as part of MTN Ghana’s effort to help reduce these numbers, “the MTN Ghana Foundation, committed GHc445, 000 to support the training of 100 young women and men in Nsawam and Suhum. The first 50 beneficiaries are passing out today with skills in mobile phone repairs”.

She urged beneficiaries to put their community first in delivering their services and their customers will reward them with sustained business.

On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive for Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly, Mr Isaac Kwadjo Buabeng, encouraged the beneficiaries to put the skills and knowledge acquired to good use by not only seeing it as a source of income avenue but as an avenue to create employment for others in their various communities.

He assured that the Municipal Assembly is also making frantic efforts to create more jobs and sharpen the entrepreneurial abilities of the youth in the municipality through YEA and BAC such as soap making, banking and others.

He has however appealed to other corporate organizations to also consider the municipality in their corporate social responsibility activities. This he intimated will not only create more jobs but help minimise crime in the municipality.

“The Assembly would like to this opportunity to appeal other corporate organizations and institutions, as part of their corporate social responsibilities to carry out such programmes to complement the efforts of the Assembly in promoting development at the grass root level. This initiative by Plan Ghana and MTN will not only reduce youth unemployment but also go a long way to reduce crime rate in the Municipality”.

According to the Country IT Manager of Plan International Ghana, Madam Maud Tsagli, Plan International Ghana prioritises equipping the youth with entrepreneurial skills and employment especially for young women and girls in fulfilling the SDG goal 8.

“We at Plan International Ghana believes in equipping young people with employment and sustainable entrepreneurship skills for young women and girls in fulfilment of the SDG goal 8, which calls for decent and economic growth, there is the need for a rapid paradigm shift towards transformative training systems to develop the knowledge, skills and creativity needed to secure the future of our young people to enable them to acquire decent jobs to sustain themselves, families and Ghana as a whole,” she said.

She also reminded beneficiaries that there will be challenges and even failure as they move out to face the real world of work but they should never despair nor give up but keep going.

“I'm pretty sure you won't naively expect smooth sailing in the life journey ahead of you. Disappointments, mistakes and even failures all come in a package of growing wise and successful. So, be prepared for them and stay strong and committed,” she emphasised.