A new initiative has been launched in Ghana and Senegal to provide green employment opportunities for marginalized and vulnerable communities. Named the MicroGREEN project, its aim is to create up to 500 green jobs while offering essential business development services.
The African Development Bank has granted $1 million to support the project over two years, utilizing its Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund. This funding will provide entrepreneurship training and business skills to at least 1,000 youths aged 15-35.
The jobs are intended to be distributed among 60% young women, 10% individuals with special needs, and 30% other youths in both countries. The project aligns with the Bank’s commitment to addressing climate change and poverty challenges, as well as meeting Nationally Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals.
Utilizing value chain-based small and medium enterprise development models, the project aims to enhance employment opportunities, ensure the sustainability of micro-enterprises, and integrate beneficiaries into economic systems.
Invest in Africa will lead the implementation, leveraging its expertise in market access and skills development to drive sustainable business growth and job creation.
Carol Anang, Ghana Country Manager for the African Development Bank, emphasized the importance of applying a gender lens to job creation and local economic development to foster an inclusive transition to a green economy.
The project’s timely rollout serves as a magnet to attract and increase opportunities to improve livelihoods, particularly for vulnerable groups. Solomon Amponsah, representing Ghana’s Finance Ministry, expressed the government’s support for the project’s successful implementation, aiming for meaningful impact on the lives of thousands of marginalized individuals in Ghana and Senegal.
