MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
Almost 200 young men and women will on September 25, 2019 converge in Ho to participate in the second edition of the MASO Youth in Cocoa Conference. The participants are drawn from six cocoa producing regions of Ghana including the Ashanti, Ahafo, Central , Western North, Volta and Oti Regions.
The annual MASO youth in cocoa conference is intended to provide a platform for young people to interact and engage with stakeholders in the sector towards developing innovative actions that addresses youth inclusion in the cocoa supply chain.
The theme for the 2019 Conference is “Professionalizing cocoa farming; the role of the youth”.
The 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.
Speakers at the conference include the Regional Director of Solidaridad West Africa, Isaac Gyamfi; a representative of the Ghana Cocoa Board with the Keynote address to be delivered by Prof Stephen Adei, chairperson of the National Development Planning Commission.
Isaac Gyamfi, Regional Director ,Solidaridad
According to the Youth and Gender Coordinator, Stephanie Donu Sarpong, the conference creates a platform for a multi stakeholder dialogue on issues affecting youth in cocoa.
She said, “For Ghana’s cocoa sector to be truly sustainable, there is the need to address the concerns of young people and this conference is making sure they have the space to highlight their concern and seek policy support to address them”.
About MASO
The MASO programme will be implemented in Ghana until 2020 and plans to reach 10,800 youth with skills in cocoa agronomy and the establishment of supporting businesses.
The programme has three components:
Cocoa Academy: trains young people to become entrepreneurial farmers
Business Academy: trains and supports young people to start businesses along the cocoa production chain or businesses that will enhance the life and general well-being of cocoa-growing communities.
Youth Network: a platform for participants from both the MASO Cocoa and MASO Business academies to connect, share ideas and best practices.
MASO is funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented by Solidaridad in partnership with Aflatoun International, Ghana Cocoa Board, Fidelity Bank, Ashesi University and Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited
