A free 5-day empowerment and entrepreneurial training session for graduates and job seekers was hosted in Accra by Yepafrica, a Dutch Organization working in Africa to empower young and solve the problem of youth unemployment.
The Yepafrica Ghana branch was also established during the week-long event, and the first cohort of the Youth Empowerment & Entrepreneurship Training Program graduated.
Yepafrica has been working in Africa for 15 years empowering the youth to bring entrepreneurial qualities in them. It operates empowerment and entrepreneurship learning centres in the Gambia and Senegal.
Yepafrica has been empowering African kids to develop entrepreneurial characteristics for 15 years. In Senegal and the Gambia, it runs empowerment and entrepreneurial learning centres.
The newly created chapter in Ghana intends to broaden its influence when the first cohort graduates.
Beneficiaries and participants are attracted via social media, encouraged to apply by completing an application form, registered, put through an interview, and required to present before they are accepted into the Yepafrica course. The first training session ever organised in Ghana took place in Accra’s Lakeside Marina Park from Monday, May 29, to Friday, June 2, 2023.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Chief Executive Officer, Zenfusion Consultancy, Munnira Sheikh who now doubles as the Chairperson for Yepafrica Ghana Foundation expressed her delight to welcome on board Yepafrica, an NGO which has been at the forefront of addressing unemployment challenges among the youth which is a cancer in Africa. “I am happy to be the Chairperson of Yepafrica Ghana chapter to reduce youth unemployment and illegal migration, empower the young generation to be the change and improve the quality of life of the next generation.
“A lot of people are getting educated but not getting jobs. Many policies are not in favour of the youth who have dreams to build something and to improve their lives and become an entrepreneur or find good quality jobs. We empower them to take responsibility of their lives by creating their own future. If there are no jobs you need to create them yourself.
Munnira Sheikh disclosed that although the Yepafrica training program is an intense session, it is quite exciting, engaging and covers two parts including: Training people for realizing their dreams and training people to act on their own behalf rather than on the behalf of others. “Be the change you want to see in this world”.
Yepafrica ,she announced, has a plan to create about 5 learning centres around Ghana and will empower each community with one learning centre which will keep recruiting new trainees, so the Group can have a built up of ‘Yeppers’ all around Ghana who can connect together and support their start-ups. Besides that Yepafrica is planning their Headquarters for Africa in Accra. We are therefore inviting investors, sponsors and funding partners to support us to take the program to the next step.
She then expressed her gratitude to Mr. Salah Kalmoni and the Lakeside Estate team for providing steadfast support & service for the inaugural event, which was held in the Lakeside Marina Park-Conference Hall.
Mr. Georgy Evers, Board Member/Trainer Yepafrica Foundation, Netherlands, thanked the participants for their hard effort during a brief statement. “The instruction was effective, and I am amazed by the range of skills.
Yepafrica he reiterated is committed to realizing the first learning centre in Ghana this year.“This will require more support from sponsors as such we will work hard to get more funding.
Guest Speaker, Mr. Sherif Ghali, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs (GCYE) described the Yepafrica training as a step in the right direction. “Here in Africa the educational curriculum is the challenge. We are not trained technically to take up the modern task of today therefore any attempt to empower and support the youth with entrepreneurship drive is appropriate.
He urged the youth to take advantage of Technology as the fastest way of realizing their dreams and assured that the Chamber will continue to support young people to achieve their objectives.
Most participants during the presentation session were optimistic the training has impacted positively on their lives as they are no more afraid to take up challenges in life and are now ready to act with an entrepreneurial spirit and as agents of change (Yeppers) to inspire the youth of today.
