Pilot Phase Graduate Support Project (GSP) Oversubscribed.

Over 200 unemployed graduates and youth oversubscribed and enthusiastically converged at the Accra College of education to participate in the Accra version of the pilot phase of the Graduate Support Project (GSP) which is aimed to provide skills development and alternative opportunities for graduates and the youth in soap making, snail farming, and mushroom farming, intensively and practically.

As part of the project, an additional training will be provided for the participants, in financial management and accounting, bookkeeping, branding and advertising, basic marketing principles, and social media marketing. 

The project which is an initiative of the Association of Graduates in Skills Development-Ghana (AGSD-GH), formerly the Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana (UGAG) in partnership with the Office of the President - Youth Engagement Office, seeks to train over 5000 youth across the country. 

However, the pilot phase of the project began on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at Kpeve in the Volta Region before moving to Accra on Thursday, February 10, 2022. After evaluation and assessment of impact of the two training programmes, the final pilot phase will take place in Kumasi and Koforidua on a date yet to be announced.

At the end of the pilot phase, some 450 participants are expected to benefit from this free training and be given starter kits to start their businesses. 

The training programme comes at no cost to participants as exclaimed by Mr.Desmond Bress-Biney, President of the association indicating that their major challenge has been the oversubscription and that, he hopes they will make good use of the free starter packs they have been provided after the training. 

For further information, kindly contact Desmond Bress-Biney, President,AGSDGH

 on 0243765958 or 

ugagghana@gmail.com.

Ghanaian Youth And Young Professionals Embrace Greenleaf

It was an Awesome Sunday Evening, as many youth and young professionals stormed the Greenleaf Ghana Corporate Office at East Lagon with enthusiasm to participate in the business opportunity forum.

Greenleaf has a unique simple paying system.

All you need is to be a member now and start to earn so much money everyday.

Greenleaf is opening up the year with job opportunities for unemployed and semi employed youths and professionals ready to start the new year on a strong note.

For more information on how you can be part of Greenleaf winning team, Contact :

Ambassador Sheila On: 054 349 8315

THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT – YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PARTNERS WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES IN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT-GHANA (AGSD-GH) TO PROVIDE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

 The Office of the President - Youth Engagement Office partners with the Association of Graduates in Skills Development-Ghana (AGSD-GH), formerly the Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana (UGAG) in its Graduate Support Project (GSP) to provide skills development and alternative opportunities for graduates and the youth in soap making, snail farming, and mushroom farming. As part of this project, additional training will be provided for the participants in financial management and accounting, bookkeeping, branding and advertising, basic marketing principles, and social media marketing.

The entire project is expected to train over 5000 youth across the country. However, the pilot phase of the project begins on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at Kpeve in the Volta Region before moving to Accra on Thursday, February 10, 2022. The last part of the pilot phase will take place in Kumasi and Koforidua on a date yet to be announced.

At the end of the pilot phase, some 450 participants are expected to benefit from this free training and be given starter kits to start their businesses. The training programme comes at no cost to participants.

For further information, kindly contact Desmond Bress-Biney, President, AGSD-GH on 0243765958 or ugagghana@gmail.com.

 

Signed

Desmond Bress-Biney

President, AGSD-GH

0243765958

Ghana Action Forum to Host Industry Leaders

On the 3rd and 4th March 2022, Ahaspora, GH-PAC USA and Diaspora Drive shall be hosting the Ghana Action Forum under the theme ‘Bridging Home & Abroad for Ghana’s Development’.

The Ghana Action Forum is endorsed by Beyond the Return, with key partners including Diaspora Affairs under the Office of the President and Ghana Tourism Development Company. Key sponsors for the upcoming event include; Fidelity Bank, Expresspay, European Union GrEEn Project, British High Commission, Enterprise Insurance and Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. Along with the events strong corporate and governmental support, the Ghana Action Forum is pulling some of Ghana’s top industry leaders to participate in panel conversations and keynote speeches highlighting key challenges, opportunities and proposing strategic solutions to engage diasporan’s with Ghana.

The Ghana Action Forum, is a two day event which envisions actionable and implementable outcomes that will further spur growth and development in the country and simultaneously impact the diaspora. 

“We are really excited about hosting the Ghana Action Forum in March, the event was conceptualised to promote deeper engagement for the members of the diaspora who are coming to Ghana. The forum aims to engage with a two prong approach; one for Diasporan’s who are living in Ghana, running businesses or programmes within communities and can share insights, strategies, opportunities. Secondly, for Diasporan’s who are not living in Ghana and are equally not looking to relocate, but want to contribute and add value nevertheless.” stated the Founder of Ahaspora Professional’s Network, Christabel Dadzie. 

“In addition to the conference, we are celebrating 10 years of Ahaspora with a Gala event taking place in the evening, at the FitzGerald on Friday 4th March”.

Independence Day presents itself as an ideal time for collective reflection on the country’s growth as well as shaping and planning the way forward for today and future generations. 

To learn more about the upcoming event visit www.ghactionforum.com

From burfloat seller to 1st Senior Manager of Greenleaf, Ghana.

Solomon Okyere Then

From rags to riches, disgrace to grace, could characterize a burfloat seller on the streets of Ashaiman, turned 1st Senior Manager of Greenleaf in Ghana. 

A true inspiration for the Ghanian and African youth.

Mr. Solomon Okere Now

He is Mr. Solomon Okyere, Chief Executive Officer of Carlsbery Empire which owns chains of businesses.   

Many great men have tales of humble beginnings to tell, a fact that buttresses the saying that ‘nothing good comes easy’.

Born on the 22 July, 1995, Solo as affectionately called hails from Kade, and he belongs to the Asona Clan in the Eastern Region of Ghana, from a very poor family, whose father also rejected his mother, as soon as she got pregnant.

Solomon had to work in order to assist his mother take care of him throughout his childhood- from age six, by selling burfloat and sometimes tissue paper, pure water on the , and was public toilet attendant, just to survive with his single mother.

When Mr. Okyere completed Junior High School and had gained admission at the Team Tech, to further his education, in the year 2012, He was introduced to network marketing through one Mr. David Frimpong, through an employment opportunity poster, which turned out to be a call for a business opportunity, of which he got disappointed but had to take the risk to use his admission fee to Tema Tech, to launch his adventure into the world of network marketing. 

A decision he has never regretted.

According to him, there is no gain with out risk.

Mr. Okyere On The Move

He indicated that, though education is very important, it's not only education that can make one successful in life, and that success is not about age. Nobody has power over you, unless you give it to them.

Solomon hinted.

To be able to succeed in anything you need to have and know your WHY- your reason, in the first place.

" My mother is my WHY and motivation. I want to make enough good money so that my family members wouldn't hold any meeting without me.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. -Bible, Psalm 118:22

Blissful Solomon Okyere

Through hard work, resilience, perseverance and the help of God, Solomon Okyere is a proud owner of several business, super luxurious cars, apartments in prime locations of the city and still counting.

He has also built a two bedroom house for his mother and has created a taxi business for his father who rejected him and his mother right from pregnancy.

Left: Mr. Hector Wulff
Right Mr. Solomon Okyere

Mr. Solomon Okyere advised the  youth of Ghana to take their destinies into their own hands and stop thinking that, any government or politician can make their dreams come true. Adding that Greenleaf offers a great hope and an amazing opportunity for the youth of Ghana to be financially independent.

"Greenleaf pays if you join us and work, irrespective of your age, education and social status, Greenleaf is a big family".

He further admonished the youth to be resilient and persistent, not to fear the word No and not to take NO for an answer, adding that, 

"once you program your mind like that of a waiter, NO or rejection will not be an issue to you".

He concluded by calling on the youth never to undermined and underestimate people because, 

"God has a way of moving people from point A to B in life". The very day you plant a seed is not the day you will eat its fruit. It requires patience, humility and persistence,

with the help of God, you will succeed".

 

Zeepay Ghana has announced its partnership with Telebirr in Ethiopia.

Andrew Takyi-Appiah
CEO

Zeepay Ghana has announced its partnership with Telebirr, a mobile money service that is owned and launched by Ethiotelecom – the only telecommunication and Internet service provider in Ethiopia.

Telebirr facilitates the delivery of cashless transactions and comes to market as the second operator to mbirr.

Starting from January 1, 2022, Zeepay expects to help the increasing number of overseas Ethiopian workers and Immigrants who previously had difficulty finding a trustworthy way of sending funds to their families back home in Ethiopia.

Telebirr is a digital platform that allows its customers access to several financial services such as: Receive international remittances; deposit and withdraw cash; send and receive money; buy airtime and mobile data packages and receive payments from customers. Most importantly, Telebirr customers are able to use all the above services without having a bank account, allowing us to further bridge the gap between the banked and unbanked in yet another Africa country.

Ethiopia has a huge population of over 2 million Ethiopians in the diaspora who invariably have a need to send money back home. “This collaboration will afford Ethiopian diasporans the opportunity to cater for friends and family back home, and to support their communities as well,” said the CEO of Ethiotelecom, Frehiwot Tamiru.

Zeepay Managing Director Andrew Takyi-Appiah said: “We are delighted that the new partnership will further open up Africa to digital and cross-border payments, and give our partners access to over 150 million consumers”.

Zeepay GM-Commercial, Dede Quarshie commented: “It is a delight to see where Zeepay is going, and a privilege to be among the first fintechs to have been accepted by the Ethiopian central bank. We do not take this show of confidence for granted. We look forward to growing with Ethiotel and deepening our partnership with TeleBirr.”

Zeepay Ghana Limited is a Mobile Financial Services company focused on providing integrated mobile payments services with mobile wallets targetting the unbanked and banked population, with the objective of bringing the unbanked into the financial stream and easing payments and collections for the banked population.

Ethiotelecon is an Ethiopian telecommunication company serving as the major Internet and telephone service provider. Ethio telecom is owned by the Ethiopian government and maintains a monopoly over all telecommunication services in Ethiopia.

AGI President hits the ground running !!!

Dr. Humphrey Kwesi Ayim-Darke
AGI President

The newly inducted dynamic, maverick and pragmatic president of the, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Kwesi Ayim-Darke, is leaving no stone unturned to get the job done through interest groups and stakeholder engagements, geared towards the development of the private sector, leading to job creation for Ghana's teaming unemployed youth, of which Dr. Ayim-Darke is very passionate about.Days after participating and contributing significantly at a Round Table Discussion organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) on : Making monetary policy in Ghana more fit - for- purpose. 

Presented by Dr. John K. Kwakye, Director of Research IEA and Chaired by Mr. Theodore Markham, Senior Fellow, IEA, Dr. Ayim-Darke, in his meaningful contribution, pledged the AGI's support, partnership and collaboration with the IEA for more of such engagements and platforms.

Dr. Humphrey Kwesi Ayim-Darke, also honoured the invitation to address the 73rd Annual New Year School and Conference which took place at the University of Ghana as a guest speaker and lead discussant on the theme: 

“The Private Sector and the Youth: Engine of Growth”.

Dr. Ayim-Darke, indicated that the private sector is simply made of individual and organizations engaged in rent seeking activities, who rely on government or state to create an enabling business environment for their successful operations, with constraints such as:

High cost of capital, Lack of finance and credit, Technological challenges, Challenging ease of doing business, Lack of infrastructural support, Inadequate state support for SMEs,

Competition from cheap imports, Lack of capacity, awareness, knowledge and skills, plaguing the private sector.

He stipulated that the World Bank's Development Report 2013 on jobs, estimated that about 200 million youth are unemployed worldwide and that 600 million jobs will be needed over 15 years to maintain global employment rates.

Ghana is no different Dr. Ayim-Darke said. " In 2016, it was projected that because of the country's growing youth population, 300,000 new jobs would have to be created each year to absorb the increasing number of unemployed young people. Yet the structure of our economy in terms of employment has not changed much from several decades ago".

"Youth who chose to venture into entrepreneurship face additional constraints, including : Weak support systems for entrepreneurship and small scale business development for self employment, limited access to physical resources and other challenges such as land, equipment and financial capital, lack of technology, high transportation cost, high cost to obtain licenses to operate formally, and lack of networking opportunities, especially by youth".

Dr. Ayim-Darke, made mention of AGI's interventions and partnerships in support of youth entrepreneurship, such as the Elevator Pitch Contest, organization of training and mentorship programmes, and the establishment of AGI training centre for young entrepreneurs.

In conclusion, the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Kwesi Ayim-Darke said,

"Entrepreneurship, like any other discipline, is not without challenges.....however, it is worth the effort, the input and the time, quoting from Robert T. Kiyosaki " It's better to work years at creating an asset rather than spend your life working hard for money to create someone else's assets".