MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
MASO Business Academy
The MASO Business Academy (business incubator) seeks to train and support youth interested in starting businesses along the cocoa production chain or businesses that will enhance the life and general well-being of cocoa growing communities. Eligible youth entrepreneurs are empowered through training, technical support, coaching and mentorship as they develop and implement their business models.
The business incubator provides long range assistance to the youth to help accelerate the growth of a private-sector led service industry that can support the cocoa industry. The Academy runs on a twelve-month cycle comprising five months of training and a seven month incubation period, repeated three times per year, in four locations each time, allowing youth from different communities to participate. Each cycle consists of weekly training sessions on the basics of entrepreneurial opportunity identification, analysis and business modelling. During the incubation period, the youth are coached and mentored through the start-up phase of their businesses which increases survivability and help them to scale their business models.
One of the Business Academies has been designated as an all-female incubator. As in the all-female CocoAcademy, this is promoting gender inclusivity and intended to support young women identify and engage with local employment opportunities in cocoa producing communities in Ghana.
MASO works with Experienced Entrepreneurs and Business/ Management Consultants to volunteer as mentors to young entrepreneurs in cocoa producing communities. The mentors assist MASO to ensure, mentees develop the necessary skills; are exposed to opportunities within the spaces they are exploring businesses in; are aware of available resources; and can make appropriate business decisions. The Volunteer Mentors usually selected from locations where the Business Academy is operational.
Terms of Reference for MASO BUSINESS ACADEMY Mentors
The Business Academy is spearheaded by Ashesi University who have developed the curriculum for training the youth in entrepreneurship.
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