InspiNest, a non-profit organization that empowers Africans to change their mindsets towards innovation, has organised a changemakers workshop as part of its initiative to offer entrepreneurship training for young females.
The one-year project dubbed ‘Changing minds through innovation’ is aimed at facilitating growth and providing support for female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial culture targeted at girls in Sunyani West and East and the Drobo Municipality of the Bono Region.
A total of over 2,000 – and counting – young females in the Bono Region are expected to benefit from entrepreneurship and innovation training projects spearheaded by InspiNest.
The four-day change-makers training saw six girls from three SHSs, namely Serwaa Kesse SHS, Notre Dame SHS and Our Lady Of Providence Girls’ SHS, receiving training in various entrepreneurial skills development.
The girls were taken through training in innovation, problem identification and solving, business models, how to identify their unique selling points, and also communication and social media use.
Additionally, the girls were challenged to come up with business models highlighting problems that affect them within their community and localise solutions to address them.
Speaking at the event, the Co-Founder and head of operations of InspiNest, Mr Emil Persson revealed that entrepreneurial hubs will be created in five schools for the young girls.
“We are expecting that when they return to their campuses, they will act as changemakers and they will be in charge of conducting monthly workshops or events in the newly-established hubs for fellow students and girls in the local community,” he said.
The project manager, Mr Godfred Darko reiterated the need for young girls to have a mind-change and venture into entrepreneurship.
He added that giving young girls the necessary innovative ideas needed at an early age will help shape their future.
“We are focused on innovative mindsets. We want the young girls to be innovative about what they see in their schools and society. I believe when that is achieved, coupled with their skills, they will be able to solve societal problems,” he stressed.
The head of the girl child unit of the GES for Sunyani West, Miss Constance Ayambilla, expressed satisfaction with the training.
She shared her expectations while speaking to the girls and encouraged them to venture into entrepreneurship.
The project will map out policy and advocacy meetings with policymakers, entrepreneurs and other organisational bodies that are focused on entrepreneurship.
This is to ensure a more supportive culture for young girls and entrepreneurship, partly based on the learnings and experiences from the project, supplied with knowledge and experiences from local stakeholders.
The young female entrepreneurship initiative is in partnership with Civil Connections and SDG WORLD.