CAMFED Ghana holds entrepreneurship fair in Tamale, calls for collaborations to empower more women

CAMFED Ghana, an organisation championing girl-child education in Ghana, on Friday, December 16, 2022, held an annual Entrepreneurship Fair in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

The one-day event was organised for young women beneficiaries under the "Enable Young Women Transition from School to Entrepreneurship, Further Study and Transformative Leadership in Ghana" program to showcase their products to potential buyers and suppliers, and enable current and potential customers and clients to transact business.

It was held at Jubilee Park, Tamale, and brought together stakeholders working with the organisation including government agencies.

In her address, the National Director of CAMFED Ghana, Mrs Sally Ofori Yeboah, disclosed that CAMFED Ghana in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation has provided start-up kits/grants to over 36,000 young women across the country to run their enterprises.

She noted that under the “Enable young women to transition from school to entrepreneurship," further study and transformative leadership in Ghana”, the organisation also provided business management training to approximately 16,000 entrepreneurs and about 2,700 young women in male-dominated TVET areas such as IT, building and construction, welding and fabrication as well as electrical.

"We have succeeded in creating over 89,856 jobs relying on district-level enterprise structures such as the District Business Committees, Business Mentors, and Business Facilitators and in partnership with the Food and Drugs Authority, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and Ghana Enterprises Agency among others," she stated.

She also said close to $4,000 in supplemental funding has been distributed to beneficiaries to start or scale their initiatives since the inception of the Young Africa Works program, adding that CAMFED has provided a range of support to young women interested in starting up or growing their existing businesses.

“Another enterprise intervention we have implemented is the Scholars Entrepreneurship Fund(SEF)," she explained.

"Beginning in 2019, beneficiaries received up to $4,000 supplemental funding to start or scale their initiatives thereby positioning them as catalyzers of economic opportunities for others while enabling them to become transformative leaders," she added.

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu, in remarks, commended CAMFED Ghana for their support to the government and women's development in Ghana

He stated that CAMFED Ghana, over the years has contributed significantly towards the eradication of poverty and inequalities in society through girls’ education as well as women’s empowerment.

“We can all, therefore, say for a fact that CAMFED has done tremendously well and continue offering its support. I am also reliably informed that, through the collective efforts of their stakeholders, the support to young women for their various businesses is across 36 operational districts nationwide which is very commendable," he said.

He advised the women entrepreneurs to create networks and serve as inspiration for other women to start and grow their businesses to help reduce the gender gaps that exist within the workforce and also to help reduce unemployment amongst the youth.

“The future generation of women is likely to follow and mirror the successes of their fellow women as they see it as their source of motivation. Eventually, it will go a long way to reduce the rate of unemployment in the region and the nation at large," he stressed.

In an interview, some beneficiaries and exhibitors at the fair said the intervention by CAMFED has empowered them financially and expressed gratitude to the organisation and its donors.

"They took care of my education from SHS through to the tertiary level. They also took us through entrepreneurship training which has made me the entrepreneur that I am today. So I wish to thank CAMFED a lot for giving me the opportunity.

"My gratitude goes to CAMFED for who I am today. Only God knows who or where I would have been if CAMFED had not come to my aid, so we can't stop thanking them enough," another beneficiary noted.