Darcha Calvin Kanyiri (M), Abubakari Sadiq Nafisatu (L) and Rashidatu Gbolo (R)
The 2024 Africa Street MBA (AfSMBA), Accelerator Pitching competition has been held in Accra with 11 trainees demonstrating their entrepreneurship talents and business initiatives.
After an intensive competition, Darcha Calvin Kanyiri, founder of Salt Suit Agricultural emerged the winner with a cash prize of GH¢12,000 and a certificate.
Founder Tasha Sanitaries, Abubakari Sadiq Nafisatu, came up second with a certificate and an amount of GH¢6,000, while, Gbolo Rashidatu of Yiri Coal Limited, took the third place with an amount of GH¢3,000 and a certificate.
The rest of the participants also had a certificate for recognition.
Africa Street MBA, an innovative entrepreneurial platform is an initiative of Done By Us and powered by KGL Foundation, which aims at providing comprehensive support to startups and small businesses in the country.
The project targets marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), women and young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and also creates opportunities for those with low education.
Speaking with the media after the competition, Founder of Done By Us, King A. Wellington, said the Africa Street MBA is a beacon of hope, a catalyst for change, and a testament to the transformative power of knowledge and opportunities.
“I must say that what makes African Street MBA unique is the fact that we deliver entrepreneurship training and capacity building initiatives in almost every language,” he said.
Mr. Wellington stated that they have developed a five-year strategic plan for two institutions, of which one is a civil society organisation based in Sunyani and is into cashew industry.
“We also developed a five-year strategic plan for another NGO in Kumasi which focuses on the Fulani community,” he emphasised.
Programmes Manager, KGL Foundation, Samuel Nii Ankonu Annorbah-Sarpei, who doubles as one of the judges, expressed satisfaction at the level of shared knowledge of the entrepreneurs during the pitch competition.
He mentioned that, the fact that the project has made attempts to reach thousands of people from marginalised and disadvantaged communities across seven regions is welcoming.
He stated that, among their strategic goals, the KGL Foundation is keen to support the government, civil society organisations, and the private sector to contribute to national efforts to achieve Ghana’s SDG goals and targets of the Africa Union Agenda 2063.
By Janet Odei Amponsah