Livelihood & Economic Empowerment

1. Entrepreneurship Support: We empower micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the informal sector with the tools and knowledge to succeed. Through skills training, business formalization, mentorship, market access, and financial linkages, we help entrepreneurs build sustainable, thriving businesses.

2. Sustainable Agriculture and Agribusiness Innovation: We promote agriculture modernization and resilience by advancing agritech adoption, including solar irrigation systems, digital platforms, and post-harvest solutions. Our programs encourage youth participation in agribusiness and green jobs, strengthening food security and rural livelihoods.

3. Sustainable Tourism and Conservation: We harness eco-tourism, cultural heritage, and nature-based tourism as tools for both livelihood creation and environmental protection. Through this, we help communities benefit economically while preserving their natural assets.

4. Skills Development and Capacity Building: We provide practical training and lifelong learning opportunities that enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Our initiatives build local capacity for innovation, management, and community-driven development.

5. Green Economy and Innovation for Sustainable Growth: We foster a culture of innovation and sustainability by supporting solutions that balance economic growth with environmental stewardship, driving progress toward a resilient and inclusive green economy.

In September 2024, the Volta Regional branch of International Needs Ghana, in collaboration with PRiSM INSIGHT Consult and EMPACT REACH LBG, hosted an Innovation Fair in the Ketu South Municipality. The event was designed to identify and support youth-led business innovators, with a strong focus on female entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities. 

The fair created a platform to unlock economic opportunities, create employment, and strengthen the Volta Region's innovation ecosystem. This initiative was led by UNDP, with funding from the MasterCard Foundation and International Needs Ghana as a key implementing partner. 

The programme aimed to build a scalable ecosystem for nurturing innovative, youth-led solutions. Targeting 200 young people (140 women and 60 men) between the ages of 18 and 35, the project emphasized inclusivity by ensuring representation of persons with disabilities, rural youth, and other marginalized groups. 

By empowering MSMEs driven by our young, innovative leaders, the programme contributed to sustainable local economic growth and advanced economic empowerment.

Through the UNDP–ABSA District Innovation Challenge for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), coordinated by EMPRETEC Ghana, facilitated by Commodities Investments Ghana Limited (CIGL), and sublet to EMPACT REACH LBG through the Business Advisory Centre office at Denu, some innovative entrepreneurs from the Ketu South Municipality received support to scale up their businesses for livelihoods and economic empowerment in December 2023. 

Among the beneficiaries were Ms. Loyal Kolani Abla of Royal Olanni Enterprise, Madam Faustina Aga Anani of Agacious Ventures, and Mrs. Agnes Nkansah of Ebe Foods, along with other business owners. Each of them received financial grants and technical support to expand operations, increase production capacity, and create jobs in their communities. 

This project empowered MSMEs with the resources to grow and demonstrated the transformative impact of investing in entrepreneurial innovation and capacity building at the grassroots level.