MTN’s Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Project addressing unemployment
As part of efforts to help reduce youth unemployment in the country; MTN Ghana Foundation commissioned the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Project (YEEP) last year with the ultimate aim of equipping the youth with employable skills.
The Youth Employment and Empowerment Project (YEEP) initiated by MTN Ghana Foundation in partnership with Plan Ghana aimed at training and equipping the young men and women from Nsawam and Suhum of the Eastern Region in mobile phone repairs.
About 100 unemployed youth were also taken through an introduction to mobile phone technology, basic customer service, front-end repairs, repair and rectification of mobile phone faults, and how to maintain a safe and secure work environment throughout their training period.
At the end of the training at Suhum and Nsawam, the beneficiaries received certificates of participation, start-up tools, and kiosks to start work and improve their livelihoods.
The Economic Empowerment Advisor of the MTN Foundation, Cynthia Mills, made this remark when led some of the MTN staff and the media to engage with the beneficiaries to assess their progress the progress they made so far, and the challenges they are encountering.
This she said, engagement would enable them to scale up the project to benefit other people from other regions.
According to her, equipping the youth with entrepreneurial skills and employment, especially for young women and girls fulfilling the SDG goal 8.
Impact
Awatey Derrick – is one of the beneficiaries of based at Suhum in the Eastern of Ghana as a phone repairer who is doing massively well. Currently, he has also started training other unemployed youth in the area. “I’m extremely grateful to MTN Ghana for turning my life around. I’m saving a lot of money I have now been able to rent. I’m living a comfortable life now,” he stated.
Another beneficiary, Diana Ohene Ansah who was also trained in the repair and rectification of mobile phone faults has become economically independent since she is able to save money. As a result, she expressed heartfelt gratitude to MTN Ghana for the prompt intervention.
The MTN Ghana Foundation also visited the shop of Rosemary Mensah; a trader at the Nsawam market.
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She has employed two young men who take care of the shop while she goes to the market.
“I do mobile phone repairs and mobile money. MTN has changed my life because I’m making more money to support my younger siblings,” she stated.
Louis Boateng, who resides in Nsawam, is another beneficiary, who is a trainer of trainees. Currently, he has trained about 11 people at Suhum and Nsawam is now self-employed. “Thanks to MTN, I have my own container and I can now take care of myself.
Things are going very well and I have a lot of people coming to me to also teach them,” Louis Boateng expressed joy.
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo
