The Recycle Up, SNV GrEEN Business Incubation Programme, intended to provide startups with networking opportunities and business expertise knowledge, has successfully graduated 10 startups.
The business development incubation training programme which lasted for a 6-month period, assisted the beneficiary entrepreneurs to develop their green business plans as well as improved their access to funding.
In the ultra-competitive business world, lack of knowledge and skills have been identified as challenges to many business startups, preventing them from operating efficiently, thus, the aim of the programme is to fill in that gap by providing the beneficiaries of the Recycle Up Ghana and SNV GrEEN incubation programme the window to tackle the lack of business training, and shape their businesses into viable ones.
The ten (10) beneficiaries from the programme are; Halle-P Ghana Limited, Moreplex Company limited, Ike Dian Fashion, Recycle Me, Shaibu22 enterprise, Keefi Ecofarms, Okubi’s Farms, GladofKims Ventures, Adepa AkoGift Enterprise and Achiepee Prime Farms & Trading.
The graduation ceremony was themed: ‘Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana’ and featured the graduation of cohorts 3 and 4 of the GrEEN incubation programme who are into fashion, catering and food processing.
Project Lead of Recycle Up Ghana, Acquah Obinkyere indicated that the training emphasizes efforts to ensure environmental consciousness, whilst making profit.
“Throughout the 6 months’ incubation programme, we were able to support these businesses and shape them into viable ones. And this is to make sure they have the people in mind, profitability and also thinking about the planet as well.
“In the future, we are looking at having more businesses that are environmentally conscious. One of Ghana’s challenges is our waste challenges. And it is these businesses that turn these wastes into profits, and benefit the environment.”
Acquah Obinkyere
Beneficiaries encouraged to uphold entrepreneurship and sustainable business ethics
On her part, Corporate Trainer, Ms. Rita Krampah encouraged beneficiaries to uphold entrepreneurship and sustainable business ethics.
“Somebody created the job, you (talking to the beneficiaries) want to be an employee. You can also create jobs and employ others as well. Now you will vet other than be vetted. So wherever you are and you start seeing people throwing waste around. Take advantage. Because you are coming from recycling, your business model is different.
“Respect time; that of your employees, and customers. Your interaction with your consumers should have an element of time consciousness. We are in a very competitive world, and if you don’t respect time, you will lose customers.”
Ms. Rita Krampah
A fashion designer and beneficiary of the development programme, Gladys Kyei Oforiwaa, enthusiastically said the training has been for her, an eye-opener.
“Upon applying and getting a chance to be part of this incubation programme, I realized there are a lot of things I didn’t know. I needed to take proper notice of my finances, and stand up to the challenge when I encountered an investor, and also how to search for open markets. I got to know that even though it was my business, I needed to register it. I learned how to be investor ready and I am very grateful to SNV and Recycle Up.”
Gladys Kyei
Beneficiaries, in course of the ceremony were awarded certificates, and citations to symbolize their successful completion of the course.
The GrEEn Project
The boosting Green Employment and Enterprise (GrEEn) opportunities in Ghana project is a four-year project implemented in the Ashanti and Western regions of Ghana. It is an European Union funded programme that SNV Ghana is implementing with the United Nations Capital Development Fund, which seeks to support the development of businesses as well as scales them up in agriculture, renewable energy, and water & sanitation. It targets young people between ages 15 and 35.
