The German Sparkassensitiftung for International Co-operation (DSIK) with its partner, Migrant Labour General Workers' Union International (MLGWUI) has organised a five-day Residential Micro Business Training Workshop for 20 African return migrants for Western and Western North Regions.

The event took place at Hotel Animens in Takoradi from April 16 to 21.

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 return migrants and potential migrants to build themselves a livelihood from their own businesses.

To that end, business training and business coaching sessions are offered to these target groups.

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.

They pursue the objective to enhance the professionalism of their partner institutions, thus enabling them to offer their customers permanent access to financial products.

The DSIK and MLGWUI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the training of return migrants.

The business training coordinator for DSIK, Mr Benjamin Tawiah Adomako who missed the training session - in a message to participants said they should actively participate fully during the training session to enable them to acquire the necessary knowledge to establish and manage their own businesses.

During a media interview after the training, the General Secretary and Head of Education International Relations of MLGWUI, Justice Baako Ntarmah took the opportunity to assure all return migrants that their international migrant trade union organisation MLGWUI has done necessary efforts to seek capacity-building training funds.

He said the funds were acquired through a partnership with international organisations and institutions to ensure almost all returnees and migrant entrepreneurs get employment and/or have practical and managerial skills through Business and Coaching Training with financial services support.

"Comrades, with our motto "Justice, Unity and Perseverance", please let us persevere by telling dear returnee friends that, do not hide yourselves after voluntary return or on return on deportation grounds. Reintegrate yourselves with families and friends in communities for societal development. I am looking to seeing you soon as a self-employed migrant with viable business enterprise(s)".

"Dear comrade returnees, no place like home! Therefore there is hope after return from labour migration", Mr. Justice Baako Ntarmah, assured.

Mr Ntarmah also urged the returnees to contact MLGWUI-FFMRC for psychosocial counselling and employment-business training and coaching training after their return home.

On behalf of the trainees, the General Secretary and Head of Education International Relations of MLGWUI thanked the trainers, Mr. Randy G.E. Boateng and Madam Sharon Ekua Payne respectively for their spirit of business training passion and cooperation with the trainees during the 5-Day training session.

All twenty 20 trainees who participated fully during 5-Day Returnees' Business Training Workshop received a certificate of participation and returned with support.