“I feel very excited to be part of this life-changing journey – creating jobs and giving people valuable skills. Enabling them to stand on their own, it is a joy.”
Sylvester Karbo, Dowine and Bagri Hub Manager and BizATE Lead
As part of our mission to fight poverty and create lasting opportunities, we have supersized our BizATE business programme, taking on 16 new businesses in Lawra, with another ten to join from Nandom. These will be our first ever Nandom businesses, and a significant boost to the local economy.
We’ve not just expanded the number of businesses – we’ve broadened our horizons in other ways. Our integrated approach means we can support a wide range of businesses, boosting skills and investment at all levels.
Entrepreneurial Acceleration Programme
We’ve introduced some larger grants for businesses with real potential to scale and bring employment. Three have already been awarded in Lawra, with one to be selected in Nandom.
Youth-led CitraBloomm is an eco-friendly bio-pesticide business promoting sustainable agriculture. We’ve already collaborated with them through our work with dry season farmers, and the chance to help them grow made them a fantastic choice for one of the Lawra grants.
“We at CitraBloomm are deeply grateful to Action Through Enterprise for believing in our vision. This support is more than just funding, it’s an investment in our mission to create sustainable agricultural solutions that empower farmers, protect the environment, and drive innovation in Ghana. With this partnership, we are even more energized to scale the impact of our product and our upcoming ventures. Being part of ATE’s effort to transform lives through opportunity and collaboration is an honor. Let’s grow healthy together!”
Support for carers with disabled children
This is an inspiring example of how our projects dovetail and strengthen each other. We have introduced some smaller grants for mothers of disabled children in our SNAP programme, and two have already been awarded. The financial challenges for families with disabled children are huge – this support will enable them to make a small income and improve the quality of life for their children.
We are also delighted to grant three other parents of disabled children as part of our main BizATE work. For all these families, the impact will be profound.
Leticia is a weaver with daughter at Wa School for the Deaf: “It was challenging for me to run my business as a mother of a disabled child. But with ATE’s support, my daughter is now enrolled in a special school and I have the peace of mind to run my business. With the grant, I’m hoping to expand my business to help me take care of myself and my daughter. The support has also restored my hope in my daughter’s future.”
Support for apprentices to go it alone
Our apprentice programme, VocATE, has been running since 2016, and we have enabled 62 young girls to learn a trade. This year, we are delighted to give five recent graduates the chance to run their own businesses.
Maasonou is a weaver who graduated in May. “I now have a source of income. I can better provide for my children, ensuring they have food, shelter and other necessities. There is peace in my family now. I have, at last, something to offer.”
Impact ripples through the whole family. Maasonou’s husband no longer has to travel south to take on dangerous, illegal mining work. He said: “I am overwhelmed with what ATE has done for my family, your work has brought a huge difference to my marriage. ATE came to my rescue.”
Driving our BizATE work is Hub Manager Sylvester Karbo, who is doing a fantastic job in selecting and onboarding all 26 businesses across two districts. “We are putting smiles on people’s faces. They can be economically independent and change the local economy. The ripple effect is incredible.’
