MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
Jobs for young people in most rural communities are non-existent, while the youth also lack the skills needed to create jobs for themselves.
MASO participants launch new programme with enthusiasm.
The MASO programme is intended to equip the youth with the requisite skills and knowledge for them to function effectively as cocoa farmers and as successful business men and women in the cocoa sector.
A JOINT EFFORT BY INDUSTRY LEADERS
MASO is implemented by five consortium partners led by Solidaridad. The other members are Aflatoun, Ashesi University, Fidelity Bank and the Ghana Cocoa Board.
MASO is part of the Youth Forward Initiative (YFI) which is a partnership between The MasterCard Foundation, Overseas Development Institute, Global Communities, Solidaridad, NCBA-CLUSA and GOAL.
MASO GOALS FOR GHANAIAN YOUTH
Over the next five years, the MASO programme will seek to empower the youth as agents of change in the cocoa sector by making cocoa farming and businesses in cocoa growing communities an attractive and economical career choice for them.
The implementation of the programme is focused on three key components:
- Agro academies have been established in each of the cocoa growing regions to equip and motivate the youth to enter cocoa farming as a business.
- Youth interested in becoming entrepreneurs are provided with skills to start businesses in cocoa growing communities through the Business Academy.
- The final component known as MASO Connect facilitates a youth exchange of best practices and learning, and creates a common voice for their issues.
The programme would also ensure that a supportive enabling environment is created to increase access to land, finance and markets while mitigating the barriers to success for the youth.
