Africa Skills Hub in partnership with World University Services Canada (WUSC) has announced the 100 beneficiaries selected to participate in the Young Female Business Support Initiative (YFBSI).

The Initiative is a 2-year project aimed at supporting young female entrepreneurs in Ghana. 

The programme seeks to provide direct financial and market linkages that will improve market access and engage duty bearers and stakeholders to promote strategic investments as well as public and private partnerships. 

Additionally, the programme will directly address gender inequality gaps by providing capacity building for young female entrepreneurs to navigate and enhance their profitability during and post Covid-19 pandemic. 

Over 800 young female entrepreneurs applied to be part of the project.

After one month of putting out a call for application and one week of screening and interviewing applicants, 100 young women successfully sailed through as beneficiaries of the Young Female Business Support Initiative.

The criteria for selecting applicants were based on six main themes; Creativity, Unique Selling Proposition, Profitability, Innovation, Problem Solving and Entrepreneurs Passion.

These outstanding young women were taken through an orientation session on yesterday 9th February 2021 to kick start their journey with Africa Skills Hub and World University Services Canada.

“Even in the face of Covid-19, these young ladies are pushing through the struggles of entrepreneurship and Covid-19 to make their enterprises work.

That is why we are excited to support them with capacity building and access to market training.

We congratulate these 100 shortlisted passionate, committed, and hardworking entrepreneurs for making it through to the program” said Miss Kayla C. Geraldo, The Program Manager - Womanovate at Africa Skills Hub.

Subsequent sessions which will comprise of online and on-site meetings will entail training on how to build a digital presence for their businesses, sustainability and business development, pitch competition and engagement with duty bearers and stakeholders.

They will also be introduced to networking events and trade shows by partner hubs meant to help them to collaboratively grow.

Participants will undertake a pitch competition to access the Africa Skills Hub Whitehall MSME Fund, and enlighten and introduce them to other available investor opportunities.

The selected businesses will also be required to formalize their operations, i.e. register business, pay taxes, business operating permits, etc. which will be beneficial to the government.

Partner organisations such as the Ghana Enterprise Agency, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program and others will be leveraged to build a stronger framework and ensure an equitable reach of government opportunities and services to these MSMEs.

 The key partners for the project are the World University Services Canada (WUSC), ABSA Bank, Whitehall Advisors, GIZ, and the Ghana Enterprise Agency.