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- Building a sustainable future for youth in Ghana
Building a sustainable future for youth in Ghana
Across the world, young people make up almost 40% of the unemployed. Especially in many developing countries, the situation is urgent. In these countries economic prospects for young people are often bleak and the challenges confronting them are rough. Ghana is one of the countries where PUM is active and where youth unemployment is a serious challenge. By supporting small- and medium sized companies and Business Support Organisations, PUM collaborates to enhance the economic potential for young people in developing countries.
In the Upper-West region in Ghana, large numbers of graduates trained by the vocational schools in the region, were drifting to urban areas of southern Ghana because of lack of employment opportunities in the region. The Producer Enterprises Promoting Service Center (PEPS-C) has the desire to change this situation.
Established in 1999, the mission of this Business Support Organization is to create an enabling environment that attracts and retains the skilled youth in the region and rural areas for socio-economic development. Their vision was and still is to date, to create a future, were PEPS-C becomes a major development force in reducing youth migration through promoting employment opportunities for the youth of the Upper West region in technical vocational institutions. PEPS-C particularly focuses on students who are coming out from the technical and vocational training institutions, and who for obvious reasons cannot climb on the academic ladder whilst at the same time cannot find jobs.
Two birds with one stone
PUM expert Ton Voortman visited the organisation twice over the years: Ton: “PEPS-C has grown substantially and now has an impressive 500 members of which the majority are women. These members are all engaged in various trade areas such as, building, woodwork, metalwork, textile weaving batik tie, dressmaking etc. My assignment was to help the organisation develop a business plan to start a rental company. And so it happened: PEPS-C is now renting out machines and tools to members who cannot afford it to buy their own machines plus they generate an additional source of income for the organisation itself. Two birds with one stone!”
Hans Blankert Fund
Some of the machines, tools and even a tractor were purchased with the help of a grant of PUM’s Hans Blankert Fund. This fund contributes to the sustainable development of SMEs in developing countries and emerging markets. The fund facilitates investments that help companies grow by purchasing equipment or tools.
“The new business is going really well”, adds Ton. “During my last visit, all the machines were rented out. I personally went to visit a few construction sites where I saw with my own eyes we were on the right track. Needless to say, that I am a fan of the Hans Blankert Fund. With a relatively small contribution, we really make a difference. And by including the organisation to pay for part of the necessary investment itself, it is not just given for free, but there is also commitment on the part of the client.”
Joseph Kyoore, Director of PEPS-C adds:
“The impact of the project is very positive and impressive. By our interventions beneficiaries gain easy access to productive resources (input credit, tools, machines, and construction and weaving materials). Through the trainings we offer, they are able to create sustainable jobs for themselves. Work quality and productivity has also been improved significantly. That apart their income levels have increased, translating into the betterment of all spheres of their lives. Much gratitude is owed to PUM for their support and we strongly belief that PEPS-C will continue to implement the project and widen its scope in the near future.”
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