MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
The story of Asuma Godfred Patterson, a MASO youth in Bopa community, in the Akontombra district of the Western region, has inspired a great number of young people in his vicinity.
Godfred currently provides various essential services to residents of Bopa. Before he started providing these services, he joined the MASO Programme to learn more about how to become a cocoa entrepreneur.
Like all the over 8,000 youth who enrolled in the MASO Programme in Ghana, he went through training, coaching, and mentoring around the cocoa value chain. This was intended to build his skills to become an entrepreneur in the cocoa sector. Based on his new skills, Godfred was poised for new opportunities in his community.
It therefore, came as no surprise when Godfred identified a major challenge faced by residents of Bopa as a business opportunity.
Bopa has no financial services. Residents had to travel for about 10 miles to Dwenase, just to deposit money in their Mobile Money accounts and transact other financial related businesses.The stress was unbearable for the rural folks. Godfred, therefore, decided to help his community by putting his best foot forward to address this challenge.
Through determination, he established a Mobile Money business in Bopa in a wooden kiosk.
Godfred serving a customer
Almost everyone in the community patronizes his Mobile Money business. It saves them from having to travel for 10 miles to save their funds and transact other businesses. His daily transaction is around GH 5,000.00 cedis on average.
In addition to the Mobile Money Business, Godfred sells mobile phone accessories, fuel, bagged water(known locally as pure water), Ezwitch business among others.
He wishes to trade in agro-chemicals soon. Godfred is earning a decent income from his business ventures.
When asked what he intends to use his profit for, he stated unequivocally that “he saves to expand his business and later move to a more comfortable and spacious structure”.
Godfred has not abandoned his first love, cocoa. He is still a passionate farmer who owns one and a half acre of a cocoa farm, one and half acre maize and one-acre plantain farm.
Godfred is married with two kids and is currently enrolled with the University of Cape Coast majoring in business management.
He is grateful for the impact of MASO on his life. He said ,
“MASO hasn’t helped me alone but the entire community, due to the proximity of my business everyone in the community saves here”.
He advises the youth to embrace any opportunities that come their way and work assiduously to support their family.
Godfred being interviewed by Isaac Osei ,A communication Assistant with Solidaridad in Ghana
