GhanaThink has opened the call for applications for the Komseko Social Enterprise Training Program! This is being run as part of the Daring To Shift program by Digital Opportunity Trust. This training program will provide strategic and specialist advice, through a hybrid course with attendant support to upcoming Social Entrepreneurs and help them to establish impactful businesses within their communities and beyond. The Komseko Social Enterprise Training Program is looking to train youth working on a social enterprise idea/solution/organization, youth who want to improve their understanding and abilities as social entrepreneurs, youth passionate about solving societal problems, and others looking to engage others in the social entreprise space. GhanaThink’s Director – Ato Ulzen-Appiah – stated: “GhanaThink decided to become a social enterprise in 2013, operating like one at least. We would like to see more young people decide to run social enterprises in order to better sustain social impact work and create wealth for more beneficiaries and others in the impact space”.
The GhanaThink Foundation is a social enterprise that mobilizes and organizes talent for the primary benefit of Ghana. Its vision is to build a critical mass of young patriotic, passionate, positive, proactive, progressive and productive people in Ghana. It works in the youth empowerment space and we run mentoring, networking, volunteering and training programs. GhanaThink’s Komseko trains and supports youth in Ghana in various professional, topical and sectoral skills. It began in 2017 through a partnership with the Digital Opportunity Trust. Social entrepreneurs and other participant groups are trained in workshops, through online courses, etc. They are also mentored. The training is free. The program includes competitive aspects where the top ranked trainees are awarded prizes and other benefits. Some of the past trainees include Simeon Martey of Child Dream Foundation, Ivy Barley of Developers in Vogue, Michael Sedinam Tenu of XCel Packs, Fiifi Boahen of Pervita Social Hub, etc. Esperanza Yakubu, a member of the Komseko Program team – mentioned: “Ivy Barley’s social enterprise, Developers in Vogue emerged as the first place winner in 2017. Developers in Vogue received tremendous support from Komseko and DOT. To date, they have trained a significant number of women in tech. This Social Entreprise program is committed to train another batch of trailblazers in the social enterprise space”.
For this 2022 program, 100+ budding social entrepreneurs would be beneficiaries, with support to create business models. The training (peer-2-peer and facilitated) would be via various courses, delivered virtually for all, and physically for a cross-section. A number of the trainees would receive some prototype funding and possible seed funding towards working on their solutions and organizations.
Beneficiaries would develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities especially around these core competencies
● Digital Literacy – Functional use of ICT in a professional context (i.e. for a job)
● Gender Equality – Ability of people to recognise gender perspectives in their work and community, and concentrate on them towards the goal of gender equality
● Entrepreneurship – The ability to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks. It includes key characteristics that should be possessed by a person in order to successfully run a new venture.
● Social Innovation – Human Centered Design Skills (iteration, testing and prototype), Impact Assessment, Pitching and Storytelling
● 21st Century Skills – Skills, abilities, and learning dispositions that have been identified as being required for success in 21st century society – (4Cs) – Creativity, Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking
Beneficiaries would partake in 3 broad courses, with attendant modules
● Explore: Identify your own interests and abilities in the form of your personal compelling vision for change in your community.
● Impact: Develop facilitation skills in service of delivering community capacity development programs. This learning plan includes a community deployment period.
● Prototype: Turn your compelling vision for change into a social impact idea, and validate your assumptions in your community using a human-centered approach.
The program begins on September 10, and runs through December 2022.
Applications are due by August 31, 2022 at 11:59 GMT.
Interested youth within the ages of 18-35 can apply via this link –
https://bit.ly/2022KomsekoSEApply
Richmond Anane Elikplim (Komseko program lead) stated: The enterprise of today, makes money, makes the environment a better place and improves the lives of people. That enterprise is a SOCIAL ENTERPRISE” He added: “In 2017, we did 20 entrepreneurs, and in 2018, we did 24. This year, we are scaling bigger and looking to do 80 this september. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more eview what we have done in the past.
See you in September”.
