MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities.
The Business Academy of the Next Generation Cocoa Youth Programme (MASO) has held its end of incubation exhibition for over 50 youth in Assin Fosu with a call on the youth to be resilient; hardworking and smart, and manage their successes appropriately. During the Ceremony, the youth exhibited their products, summarized their startups, and responded to queries from stakeholders who took turns to inspect the status of the startups.
Youth experiences
Sharing experiences of their entrepreneurial journey, Daniel Addo expressed appreciation for the entrepreneurship training as well as the soft skills, technical skills, and networks acquired. He entreated his colleagues to take their businesses seriously for the benefit of themselves, their communities and mother Ghana.
Florence Sackey, a 24-year-old youth from Assin Homaho, also recounted how MASO has assisted her to start cassava processing and packaging. She has steadily progressed from producing less than one bag of gari a week to over 4 bags a week and making enough to take care of her family.
George Appiah from Assin Atwereboana recalled how he and his team surmounted financial challenges to own a farm maintenance business. From hiring tools at the beginning, his team managed to raise some capital from their savings to acquire basic equipment needed by their startup. He encouraged his colleagues to be serious and consistent in their dealings. His team has now acquired all the required tools to provide services to their clients.
Cynthia Tei, from Ningo Kramokrom, could not hide her gratitude. She recounted how members of her community discouraged her from participating in the MASO because they claimed it was a scheme to defraud them. She was pregnant then. Cynthia survived a series of discouraging experiences to put up a farm input shop in her community. She found the testing grant very helpful because it challenged her to put her ideas into action. According to her, the high point for her in the Programme is the soft skills such as public speaking which has gained her respect and recognition in her community.
David Arthur, popularly called ‘SIM card’ recalled his expectations that there were going to be freebies from MASO. He enrolled in the programme with the sole expectation of getting a tricycle. He said, “for me, the only thing I wanted was a tricycle; I was disappointed when I heard that they were going to give only entrepreneurship training”.
But David did not abandon the programme. He continued participating and this has enabled him and his team to identify opportunities in the farm input space. They started dealing in farm inputs with the testing grant, ploughed back profits, and have expanded their operations.
Participants were awarded customized calabashes to symbolize a welcome to the start of an exciting entrepreneurial journey.
Words of encouragement
Senna Agbodjah Agyepong, from Ashesi University, reminded the participants that the success of few would not be worthwhile unless everyone is pulled along. She also said society will be expecting a lot from them. Dr. Agyepong encouraged the youth to continue running their businesses in order not to render the months of training and efforts in the entrepreneurial journey worthless.
In his closing remarks, the MASO Business Academy Coordinator, reminded the youth challenges are inevitable for startups. However, the training and support they have received should assist them to persevere in the face of difficulties, he said. He called on the youth to manage their success very well to avoid unhelpful consequences.
