The MTN Ghana Foundation says the number of entrepreneurs it has chosen for its SME Support Programme has increased to 150 with a fund of GH¢2 million.
The Foundation celebrated the second year of its Small-scale and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Support Programme in Koforidua, Eastern Region, with 50 entrepreneurs participating in the event.
In collaboration with the Innohub Foundation, the programme aims to foster the growth of small businesses and build a sustainable future for local communities.
This initiative provides support to women, youth, and individuals with disabilities through training in skills, mentorship, and funding. The training encompasses both artifact and digital trading skills.
In her speech, Madam Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, MTN Ghana, said the SME Support Programme in 2023 provided a seed capital of GH¢1,000,000 to help over 100 entrepreneurs into Gari processing, oil palm processing, beads making, animal rearing, among others.
She said the initiative had a great impact on the beneficiaries because they were able to train others and saved them from becoming a burden on their families and society.
This year, she said the number of entrepreneurs chosen for the SME Support Programme has increased to 150 with a fund of GH¢2 million.
The beneficiaries were selected from the Eastern, Volta and Central Regions.
Madam Wiafe said, “to ensure the growth or progress of your businesses we shall monitor, evaluate, assess, and guide you where necessary.”
Mr. Nelson Amo, Executive Director of Innohub Foundation welcomed the 2024 beneficiaries and said, “The road of entrepreneurship is not easy, but it is filled with opportunities to learn, innovate, and make a meaningful impact.”
He said, according to statistics, revenue for businesses under the SME Support Programme was increased from GH¢7.6 million in 2022, to GH¢11.5 million in 2023.
The programme is not just about numbers; it is about lives transformation. Every figure represented an entrepreneur’s story of challenges overcome; he indicated.
Source: GNA ( Ghana Business News)
