Accra, March 9, GNA- Bayport Financial Services (BFS) in collaboration with Playing for change, an international Non-Governmental Organisation, ha= s launched a project dubbed: 93playing for change" to help children and th= e youth to better their lives.

Playing for change is a social entrepreneur that supports vulnerable children to unearth their innovative talents and ideas in shaping their lives for a better future. The programme was on theme: 93Partnering to help children and the you= th for better life". Mr Nathaniel Nii Addy, National Operations Manager of BFS, said playin= g for change was a key partner in their zeal to give hope to the ordinary person. He said BFS over the years had involved in educational activities to help deprived people to get access to good education and livelihood to better their lives.

He said the financial services had worked with the Ghana National Association of Teachers for the past three years in running a scholarship programme for brilliant but needy students. Mr Addy said their outfits gave 10 scholarships to Senior High School and the Tertiary level students and currently, 30 beneficiaries are in School and due to launch the fourth edition of the scholarship award. He explained that the scholarship scheme was necessary because education was the key to success and would help change the fortunes of deprived students to become responsible adults.

Mr Addy said BFS is a non- Bank financial institution established in June 2003 to give loans to salaried workers in the country.

Mrs Sara Damber, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Playing for Change, said normally children play for fun, but the act of playing provided more than just enjoyment as offers children the opportunity to grow into independent, creative, empathic and innovative citizens of the world. She said children and the youth that get to play are the entrepreneurs and leaders of the future.

Mrs Damber said playing has been labelled 93the forgotten right" an= d is included in article 31 of the UN Convention on the rights of the child. She said children who live in isolation, in poverty, in war or in any other type of exposed or vulnerable situation have the same right to play a= s other children.

Mrs Damber said even in the most difficult of circumstances, playing can be the key to change. Mrs Damber said their visions of positive reform are combined with the skills and the drive of the entrepreneur and focus in play and work to strengthen the rights of the child. She said playing for change envisions a world where all children can play freely, a healthy and thriving society where all barriers to play have been removed.

Mrs Damber said playing for change invited social entrepreneurs to introduce innovative solutions that would make the world a better place for children and the youths.

She said the selection procedure involves five-stage process. Mrs Damber noted that at stage one, potential entrepreneurs are invite= d to present new and creative ideas meant to better the lives of children and the youth. According to her, those who make it to stage two are to submit a business plan that described their idea in detailed. She said Stage three is the interview process while stage four focused on their own research and check references.

Mrs Damber noted that the final stage is where the remaining entrepreneurs get to meet the jury, which consisted of experienced business entrepreneurs from their partner and the CEO of playing for change to selec= t the social entrepreneur to become the playmaker. Ms Asa Hofmann, Public Relations and Event Manager of Playing for Change, said selected playmakers get the opportunity to step into the incubator. "The incubator was a network and a context meant to assist playmakers= in the quest to help as many children and youths and are offered the tools and support needed to develop and scale up their ideas", she added. Ms Hofmann said the incubators received salary funding, counselling, coaching, media space and marketing assistance to build their operation wit= h full-time focus.