US Embassy supports Micro and Small Enterprises in Ghana

Accra, May 21, GNA - The United States Embassy in Accra supported 10 Micro- and Small Enterprises in Ghana with approximately $60,000 through a program called The Ambassador's Special Self Help Project last year. The beneficiaries included a bakery project at Gomoa, a bamboo craft=

project, a vocational training project for teenagers on the street, a she= a butter project for widows and orphans. Ms Jennifer Antwi, Coordinator of the Ambassador's Self-help project= , said the beneficiaries were selected through proposals submitted to the embassy. Once selected, they were supported to develop their enterprises. Ms Antwi was speaking at an exhibition by eight beneficiaries showcasi= ng their products at the Embassy in Accra. The event was also an opportunity for beneficiaries to sell their products to the staff of the embassy.

"Our joy is to see people who otherwise will have no hope earn a livin= g through something they enjoy doing," Ms Antwi said. Mrs Comfort Barnes, a baker from Gomoa and a beneficiary of the project, said her bakery was supported to acquire machines and equipment that facilitated the work. The Village of Hope, an organization that trains teenagers on the street in vocational skills and in HIV and AIDS education, said it had $10,000 support from the embassy to help in the construction of a technic= al workshop for the trainees.

"So far we have trained 36 teenagers and have about 60 others who are= on the list for training," Mrs Gertrude Yayra Hukporty, Programme Officer at=

the Village said. Ms Akyaah Dapaah, Programme Officer at the Centre for Development Partnerships, producers of bamboo crafts said the organization had been supported with $4,000 to build shelter for the youth being trained in bam= boo craft making. "The project has given employment to about 20 people and has given m= any more people skills," she said. The embassy selects project proposals that include matching communit= y funds, community implementation, and sustainability. "The point is to provide the initial seed money to help create sustainable projects," an Embassy official told the Ghana News Agency. 21 May 10