Twenty (20) returned migrant workers and potential business entrepreneurs have ended a one-week business training under the German Sparkassenstiftung Western Africa-Ghana project titled “Economic Inclusion of returnees and potential migrants in Ghana and the Gambia” at the Credit Unions Training Centre (CUTraC) at Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana.

The project which is funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and implemented by the German Sparkassenstiftung Western Africa aims at supporting returned and potential migrants to build themselves a livelihood from their own business. To that end, Business training and Business coaching sessions are offered to these target groups.

The German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK) is the development-policy arm of the Sparkassen Finance Group. In West Africa, DSIK implements projects in priority areas designed to foster financial inclusion i.e., Capacity Development, Financial Literacy, MSME Finance, and Institution Building.

The German Sparkassenstiftung has been supporting financial institutions in developing and emerging countries by offering needs-oriented financial services. German Sparkassenstiftung pursues the objective to enhance the professionalism of its partner institutions, thus enabling them to offer their customers a permanent access to financial products.

The training which lasted from 7th to 11th November 2022 had some participants referred by Ghanaian-German Centre for Job, Migration and Reintegration (GGC), including newly returned migrant workers from Germany, Dubai and members of Migrant Labour General Workers’ International (MLGWUI) and potential business entrepreneurs as well as business students in Ghana.

Two senior trainers took the trainees through Micro-Business Simulation “Get to Know Number in theory and practice and Simulation “The Saving Game” in theory and practice. The Business Games made by German Sparkassenstiftung have become an international brand for an innovative interactive learning experience. Learning with a haptic board game is knowledge far away from dry theory. Interaction, practical exercise, and the motivation to finish the game as the winner lead to a high learning success. At the end of each competition, awards were presented to the winning groups respectively.

On the last day, a Labour Migration story was told by a professional Ghanaian Teacher and Returned Migrant Worker from Germany. He shared his experiences in the diaspora on family frustration, on unemployment situation and challenges which led him to attempt forced marriage.

He later resorted to the opportunity offered by the International Organisation for Migration on Voluntary Return Support to return to Ghana. According to him, he left the country because of his insufficient salary as a teacher because like many of his colleagues, he was borrowing money from various sources to meet family needs.

During question time, he was asked whether he would return to Ghana Education Service to continue teaching. He quickly replied, “I have decided to become business entrepreneur.”

The Senior Trainers advised the trainees to love their countries and try to become entrepreneurs. Certificate of Participation were presented to the trainees.

On behalf of the trainees, Brother Justice Baako Ntarmah expressed gratitude to the German Sparkassenstiftung Ghana for the training session.