MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
The MASO programme will on September 18, 2018 host a Youth in Cocoa Conference in Kumasi. The Conference under the theme “The youth as agents of transformational change in the cocoa landscape of Ghana” will bring together over 150 young cocoa farmers and stakeholders.
It is intended to provide a platform for the youth in cocoa to interact and engage with stakeholders in the sector towards developing innovative actions that addresses youth inclusion in the cocoa supply chain.
The maiden conference is organized by MASO under its Youth Network component. The MASO Youth Network is an alumni group of MASO beneficiaries. It serves as a mouthpiece and learning/exchange platform for youth in cocoa.
The annual youth conference has been instituted to bring together MASO youth, policy makers, landowners, financial institutions, community leaders and identified youth groups etc. to interact, share experiences and challenges, as well find innovative solutions to difficulties faced by young people in cocoa production.
Keynote speakers at the conference include the Regional Director of Solidaridad West Africa, Isaac Gyamfi; the Ghana Cocoa Board Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Comfort Ocran , Chair of the Youth Sector Engagement Group (Y-SEG) and Solidaridad’s Global Cocoa Coordinator, Suzan Yemidi.
Since its inception in January 2016, MASO has trained a total of 4,300 youth in two cohorts within the first two years of implementation. The third cohort which is currently running has over 2,900 young men and women under training. MASO aims to directly train a total of 10,800 young people by 2020. A minimum of about 40% will be female participants. MASO is implemented in the Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Volta and Central regions.
About MASO
MASO is a five-year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities. It is implemented by five consortium members made up of Solidaridad, Aflatoun, Ashesi University, Fidelity Bank, Opportunity International Savings and Loans and the Ghana Cocoa Board.
MASO is part of the Youth Forward initiative which is a partnership led by The MasterCard Foundation, Overseas Development Institute, Global Communities, Solidaridad, NCBA-CLUSA and GOAL. Its focus is to link young people to quality employment or to start their own businesses in the agriculture and construction sectors in Ghana and Uganda.
