A Three-year Green Skills Ghana Project (GSGP), implemented by Plan Ghana and sponsored by the European Union, has equipped 6,379 women and youth in 60 communities in three regions with employable skills through the promotion of local and environmentally sustainable businesses.
The beneficiary-communities were spread across the Sunyani Municipality in the Bono Region, Tano North Municipality in the Ahafo Region and Ga South Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
Most of the over 6,000 beneficiaries who were trained in grass-cutter rearing, snail rearing, poultry farming (ducks, turkeys, chicken and quails) beekeeping, mushroom cultivation, organic vegetable farming and afforestation are now gainfully self-employed.
Evaluation
Addressing the evaluation validation and final close-out reflection meeting of the project in Sunyani, the Project Manager, Ms Rose Aawulenaa, explained that the project, which began in January 2017, ended in January 2020.
She stated that the project, which worked directly with the 6,000 women and youth aged between 18 and 35 years, was aimed at contributing to economic growth through job creation and expansion of economic activities in an environmentally sustainable manner in the three municipalities.
Ms Aawulenaa explained that during the period, the beneficiaries had access to savings and loans through the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) to support green enterprise development.
“The beneficiaries also had access to non-formal education (green technical skills) system and acquired functional and productive skills which have assisted them in the development of their various enterprises.
VSLA groups
Ms Aawulenaa said the 46 VSLA groups were supported to share out a total amount of GH¢ 751,368, adding that some of the individual beneficiaries had reported improved incomes.
She said as part of the project, 900 people, made up of 700 male and 200 female community fire volunteers, had been trained and supported to educate their communities and combat the bush fire menace in order to protect the environment.
In addition, 87 traditional authority staff across the three municipalities were educated in green skills and responsive environmental protection.
Ms Aawulenaa commended officials of the three municipal assemblies for their involvement in the implementation of the project.
She stated that realising the impact of the project, the three assemblies had planned to implement a total of 248 environmental projects in their medium-term development plans for the next four years.
Coordinate activities
In his remarks, the Manager of the Planning Unit of Plan Ghana, Mr Eric Nyaba, advised the beneficiaries of the project to use their acquired skills to make a living for themselves and generate employment for others.
He observed that for the various businesses created under the project to survive, the beneficiaries had to coordinate their activities so that their products could be sent to places where they were needed.
Mr Nyaba reminded them about the importance of liaising with agriculture extension officers to seek solution to problems that they encountered in their various ventures.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said through participation in the project, they had gained the requisite skills to make them self-employed.
