By Murtala Issah
Despite significant growth in internet access across Ghana over the past decade, a wide digital divide remains between urban and rural communities.
While internet adoption in urban areas reached about 80 percent in 2021, rural internet access stood at 54 percent, with many communities in northern Ghana recording some of the country’s lowest levels of digital connectivity and technology use.
It is against this backdrop that the Digital Access for Rural Empowerment (DARE) Programme is bringing digital literacy, entrepreneurship training, and technology-enabled opportunities to young people in Gusheigu in the Northern Region.
The initiative aims to equip women and youth with practical ICT skills that will enable them to participate in Ghana’s growing digital economy while improving their livelihoods through entrepreneurship and vocational training.
Targeting young women between the ages of 15 and 35, particularly young mothers and those who have dropped out of school, the programme is helping participants learn how to use mobile phones, internet services, and digital platforms to market products, manage businesses, and access new economic opportunities.
Speaking during the programme, Programme Manager at GI-KACE Consult, Priscilla Hope, said many young people in rural communities are engaged in trading and vocational activities but often lack the digital and financial management skills needed to expand their businesses and reach wider markets.
As part of the intervention, organisers launched three digital platforms designed to connect rural entrepreneurs to customers and services. The Enterprise Market Information (EMI) platform allows users to advertise and sell products online, while the Caregivers Hub links trained caregivers with potential clients. A third platform helps beneficiaries manage business finances by tracking income, expenditure, profits, and savings.
The programme also combines digital literacy with vocational skills development, providing startup support and equipment including industrial sewing and knitting machines, hairdryers, catering tools, and mobile money kiosks to help beneficiaries establish sustainable businesses.
Funded by the Mastercard Foundation, the DARE Programme is currently being piloted in Gushegu, Somenya, and Bekwai and is expected to benefit about 3,000 young people, including persons with disabilities.
Participants are also receiving financial literacy training through the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) model to strengthen savings habits and improve business management.
One beneficiary, Abdulia Rafia, said the programme has changed her understanding of entrepreneurship and financial planning. She noted that the training has equipped her with skills in savings, business development, and soap and pomade production, enabling her to earn an income within her community.
So far, more than 1,000 beneficiaries in Gushegu have received training under the initiative.
Project coordinators acknowledged that initial scepticism posed a challenge, as some community members were hesitant to participate due to previous interventions that failed to deliver lasting benefits. However, support from traditional authorities, local assemblies, families, and community leaders helped drive participation and build trust.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Gusheigu, Abdul Hafiz Adam, commended the programme for bringing digital skills and entrepreneurial training directly to rural communities, describing ICT knowledge as an essential tool for economic empowerment and self-reliance.
He urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the skills acquired to establish businesses and create employment opportunities for others.
As Ghana accelerates its digital transformation agenda, initiatives such as the DARE Programme are demonstrating how targeted investments in digital skills can help bridge the rural-urban technology gap and ensure that young people in underserved communities are not left behind in the country’s digital future.
