Komseko Social Enterprise Training Program has awarded three Ghanaian entrepreneurs GHC6,000 each worth of funding for their social enterprises. The program gives extensive training and sponsorship to youths who are passionate about solving societal problems.
Eight of the program’s trainees were selected for the fund-winning pitch competition after their shortlisted one-page guides and pitch decks made it through.
Participants included Doris Lonta (Splendor FabriQs), Elizabeth Dwamena-Asare (Krata Space), Hiqmat Sungdeme Saani (Baabuh Hub), Moses J. Tiborgnan (Timoya Farms), Paul Etor (Linchpin), Portia Dumba (PorduCare), Raheemah Quaye (Girls Standout), and Vida Dassah (Mum’s Gift Royal).
Invited guests in attendance included Peter Asare Nyarko who was adjudged Social Entrepreneur of The Year at the Young Entrepreneur Awards organized by the Ghana Startup Network; Ato Ulzen-Appiah and Seyram Ahiabor who served as judges.
Adelina Martey moderated the finals with Esperanza Yakubu and Richmond Anane working on logistics and finances respectively. The Komseko team used its feasibility and discretion in addition to the judges’ scores, programme participation and activity in choosing the final winners.
The awardees were Hiqmat Sungdeme Saani (Baabuh Hub), Moses J. Tiborgnan (Timoya Farms), and Portia Dumba (PorduCare).
Hiqmat Sungdeme Saani (Baabuh Hub)
Baabuh Hub provides strategic digital solutions, business development services, and capacity building trainings to small businesses. They aim to help small businesses grow and succeed competition by offering a range of services that can improve their online presence, streamline their operations, and increase their bottom line.
Their vision is “to be an excellent technology, innovation and entrepreneurship hub that nurtures the growth of young minds and businesses, through top-notch digital solutions and trainings.”
Moses J. Tiborgnan (Timoya Farms)
Timoya Farms sets up a rice processing plant that educates, empowers and sources raw materials from farmers at more competitive prices using the services of rural parboilers (women) to produce high quality rice in ecofriendly packages.
Their vision is “to be the hub of modernized sustainable and climate smart agriculture in Ghana and the sub region.”
Portia Dumba (PorduCare)
PorduCare facilitates the formation of women cooperatives and building their capacities on product quality to ensure they produce quality shea butter to large to meet the market demand. They source shea nuts directly from these cooperatives at premium prices and also refine some into shea pomade and other shea products.
Their vision is “to establish a standard Shea butter processing company that promote the patronage of locally made Shea butter, in other to solve skin care problems and create employment opportunities for young people in Ghana and beyond.”
About Komseko
Komseko was first launched in 2017 by the GhanaThink Foundation under the name Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GYSEC) in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT).
In 2018, GYSEC expanded to become a 4th program for GhanaThink Foundation after Barcamp Ghana, Junior Camp Ghana, Ghana Volunteer Program and was renamed the Ghana Youth Social Entrepreneurship Program (GYSEP).
GYSEP was rebranded as Komseko in 2020. In 2023, the third cohort of social entrepreneurs were trained, with 40 completing the training program (Impact and Launch), as part of DOT’s Daring To Shift Project. This project receives funding from Global Affairs Canada and its final workshop was from February 25-26 (9am to 6pm each day), at Mobile Web Ghana in Accra.
A networking event – Kumasi Konnect Meetup – was organized by GhanaThink to coincide with the workshop, giving the trainees the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs, stakeholders, etc.
Source: GhanaThink Foundation
Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
