Ghanaian returnees from Europe and those domiciled in the UK and Netherlands are to benefit from capital and entrepreneurial skills to rekindle their dreams of becoming successful entrepreneurs.

The bailout initiative, known as the REMADE-project, is a brainchild of IntEnt Netherlands and Hivos, and AFFORD UK, non-governmental charity organisations aimed at stimulating private sector development through skill-training and capital for returnees to contribute their quota to economic development of their country.

Bert Spenkelink, Director and Programme Coordinator who launched the IntEnt Ghana Foundation in Accra last week, said the foundation is focused on skill-training and business support services to stimulate migrants to start a business back home in Ghana.

“Ghana is famous for its street sellers, and like them many a household rely on small/medium income generating activities. However, for a healthy economy, larger organisations are vital,” he intimated.

Mr. Spenkelink noted that IntEnt Ghana Foundation’s mission is to harness the creativity in young Ghanaians, especially returnees, to start their own innovative and fertile companies that have the potential for economic, human resource and global growth and recognition.

“To be able to do so in a sustainable way, we will contribute to adequate business support structures’ through the training of business advisors, bank employees and other key figures, for them to increase their knowledge and professional acumen for business support, SME Financing and monitoring,” he assured.

The REMADE-project, which focuses specially on returning migrants and expatriates, is being funded by the European Union and a Dutch non-governmental charity organisation-Hivos.

REMADE-Ghana, under the auspices of the IntEnt Ghana Foundation and in collaboration with Empretec Ghana and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), is to execute the 3-year project awarded under an EU grant, to target Ghanaian migrants living in the Netherlands and in the UK who wish to set up an enterprise in Ghana.

The project, which covers the period of 2009-2012, is targetted at assisting 60 start-up enterprises in Ghana through training and provision of capital to beneficiaries during a 3-year period from 2009.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Dua, who presided over the launch of the foundation, commended IntEnt Ghana for the initiative – describing it as one that has the potential to awaken the dreams of the youth to return home to contribute to Ghana’s development.

He noted that the project is directly in line with the government’s National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), adding that the foundation will go a long way in enhancing the human resource’ development of Ghana.

Source: B & FT

Tags: capital, ghana, ghana business, initiative, returnees, support