17 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Ashanti region who were selected to join the 2 months training for small and medium enterprises under the MTN Ghana Foundation’s Economic Empowerment Project are enthused for receiving financial assistance through the initiative.
Under the 5-year project, MTN has partnered with Innohub Foundation and is offering training to women, youth and Persons With Disabilities who own MSMEs on business development, financial management, social media among others.
The goal is to help participants grow their businesses, make money to support themselves and their families and create employment opportunities a well.
They (PWDs) add up to other 10 beneficiaries (3 women and 7 youth of the Women-led and Youth-led categories respectively) in the region who joined the training and recieved same financial support from MTN Foundation after the training.
They were out-doored by officials at the forecourt of the Ashanti Regional office of MTN Foundation on Tuesday, 31st October, 2023.
A beneficiary, Philip Kwasi Mensah is a 40-year old physically challenged person who has taken up kente weaving as a profession.
He is a resident of Agona of the Sekyere South District.
In an interview, he expressed much joy for receiving an amount of GHs 10,000.
Philip Mensah said as a person with disability, finding someone to asist him financially is a big challenge.
He also indicated that prior to the training, he was highly defficient of a number of skills and knowledge which he received through the initiative.
“What i recieved is really helping me in the running of my business especially on financial management”.
Another person with disability, Stephen Gyan (CEO for Vexgyan Ventures) who is into the production of cosmetics said before earning the support, he lacked the money he needed to add value to his business.
“With this money, i will improve the quality of my products, enhance the branding of my business so that i can penetrate the market”
“We thank MTN Foundation for this support. In fact most of our colleagues have learned a vocation but they lacked money to start something. Even when we contact financial institutions for loan, we are often turned down. But with this money, we can start something”.
He also described the training as laudable, explaining that though most of his colleague beneficiaries are not elites, the training according to him was brought down to their level to understand every concept that was thought.
The duo are among 17 PWDs in Ashanti region who were part of the first batch of beneficiaries.
Juliana Amoako (CEO for Ogyampa Ventures) of the Women-led category is into the processing of mushroom into other food products.
She said she will use the money received to purchase a solar dryer to assist her in the drying of her mushroom for processing.
Juliana Amoako underlined Financial Management as a concept that is really helping her in the running of her business.
In all, they totalled 140, covering those in Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi.
At the event, Cynthia Mills (Economic Empowerment Advisor- MTN Foundation) told the media that the essence of the initiative is to create businesses.
Her hopes are that, beneficiaries will enhance their profession with the money and create jobs in the process.
