Over US$236,000 awarded to HAPPY project cohort-1 to boost enterprises

By Elizabeth PUNSU, Kumasi

TechnoServe, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Limited, has disbursed more than US$236,400 in grants to 104 micro-businesses under the Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) programme’s first cohort.

The support package follows completion of a six-week intensive incubation and entrepreneurship training programme, equipping participants with financial management, record-keeping and business planning skills. The initiative is expected to strengthen small enterprises operating across the country’s key agricultural value chains.

According to TechnoServe’s Programmes Director, Frank Obiora, the grants and training are already reshaping the way young entrepreneurs manage their businesses.

“The lessons from their training are informing how they manage their books and we expect these practices to drive better financial discipline and growth. Ongoing coaching, mentoring and monitoring support will continue to back the entrepreneurs post-graduation,” he said.

The 104 graduating businesses are concentrated in the country’s priority value chains: 51 in soybean, 41 in poultry, seven in rice, four in tomato and an additional three in agri-tech. Notably, 94 percent of the beneficiaries are women – underscoring the programme’s strong focus on gender inclusion in agribusiness.

Speaking on the aftercare strategy for Cohort 1 beneficiaries of the HAPPY project, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning-Agri-Impact, Nana Kofi Riverson, stressed that the focus is on sustainability and long-term growth.

“The primary goal is to provide ongoing support to micro-businesses, ensuring they remain viable, profitable and well-positioned for expansion,” Mr. Riverson said.

Alongside the graduation, 122 new enterprises were inducted into the HAPPY programme’s second cohort. They will benefit from structured training, catalytic grants and access to market linkages, positioning them for growth in the country’s expanding agribusiness sector.

The HAPPY programme, a four-year initiative, is targetting the creation of 326,000 dignified jobs for Ghanaian youth. The programme is being implemented by Agri-Impact Limited with a consortium of partners including the Ghana National Service Scheme, MiDA Ghana Cares’ ‘Obaatan Pa’ programme, Catholic Relief Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Jobberman.

By strengthening capacity, providing capital support and linking businesses to markets, the HAPPY programme is emerging as a key driver of youth-led enterprise development and agricultural transformation in the country.

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