GhanaGrows

IYD 2025, News

“Don’t Just Be Inspired. ”Act”— Comfort Ocran Challenges Participants at International Youth Day Celebration

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This year’s International Youth Day has been celebrated in Accra with Executive Director of the Springboard Road Show Foundation, Comfort Ocran, reminding young people that the day is more than a date on the calendar but a call to action. Comfort Ocran reflected on the 2025 UN theme, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” noting that it is a powerful reminder that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow but the changemakers of today. “The future is here, and the future starts now,” she declared, urging participants to take the global goals and make them real within their own communities. The celebration, held at the Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian Church on the 12th of August, also marked the launch of the Teenpreneurship Bootcamp under the bold theme “Next Is Now.” Organised at no cost to its 300 participants, the program is designed to equip teenagers with the skills, mindset, and confidence to act immediately. By embracing entrepreneurship, innovation, and practical problem-solving today, these young people are not only investing in their own futures but also contributing directly to sustainable development and community transformation. Another highlight of the day was the unveiling of the second edition of impact stories under the Ghana Grows Program, aptly dubbed Rays of Hope. These stories celebrate the resilience and achievements of young women and men transforming agriculture, breaking barriers, and creating local solutions with national and global relevance. Through the Ghana Grows Program, over 448,000 young people have been impacted.  Notably, 76% of participants are young women, and 1.91% are persons with disabilities. 20,000 young people have secured jobs and sustainable livelihoods, while more than 2,400 Youth Ambassadors have been trained to champion agriculture and entrepreneurship nationwide. In addition, the extended Empower 360 component of Ghana Grows has equipped over 1,116 young women with practical skills and provided 156 young participants with startup kits to launch their own businesses. The Ghana Grows Program is being implemented by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with a consortium led by the Springboard Road Show Foundation. It aims at highlighting the opportunities available in the extended value chain for agriculture, agribusiness and ATVET. Speaking at the program, Mr. Joseph Boateng, Lead, Market to Impact at the Mastercard Foundation, stated, “The SDGs are not distant targets set in boardrooms. They are lived realities in our villages, towns, and cities. As we mark International Youth Day, let us commit to moving from voice to impact, turning ideas into enterprises, passion into policy, and energy into enduring change.” Technical Director of the Springboard Road Show Foundation, Rev. Albert Ocran, also spoke to the “Next Is Now” theme, encouraging participants to take deliberate action. “Inspiration without execution is only a dream. What you do today, the projects you start, the risks you take, and the ideas you pursue will define the world you live in tomorrow,” he said. The event closed with renewed energy, as young people committed to living out the charge of the Executive Director, to turn skills into solutions, relationships into collaborations, and opportunities into lasting change. With passion, purpose, and persistence, they left the celebration ready to ensure that their next step would not just be inspired but action-driven.

Edwuma

“Farming Is Not a Risk,” says Rodge Gyabaah Yeboah, Founder of Akro Farms

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Young farmer and founder of Akro Farms, Rodge Gyabaah Yeboah, has called on financial institutions and national stakeholders to rethink their perception of agriculture, describing the sector as one of the most secure and scalable investments in Ghana today. “Farming is not a risk. I can go into a contract with anyone and guarantee delivery,” he stated during an episode on Ghana Grows Edwuma with host Araba Koomson. Mr. Gyabaah Yeboah, who runs his irrigation-powered farm near the Bui Dam in the Bono Region, says the issue is not a lack of interest in farming, but rather a lack of structured support. “Imagine feeding 500 people from one farm. If we had just ten more like Akro Farms, that’s 5,000 people sorted. Food should not be a national crisis,” he said. The trained electrical engineer transitioned to full-time farming, utilizing drip and overhead irrigation systems that he funded 90 percent from his savings. He currently grows okra and pepper, and plans to add onions in the coming season. “Drip irrigation saves water and avoids fungi growth, but it’s expensive. Most young people can’t afford it without help,” he explained. He also raised alarm over the impact of illegal mining on agriculture, especially its effect on human resources. “You need people to work on a farm, but many young men are abandoning agriculture to chase quick money from galamsey,” he said. “They don’t realize it’s destroying the land we all depend on.” Mr. Gyabaah Yeboah encouraged the youth to consider agriculture not just as a fallback, but as a legitimate path to financial freedom. “If you want to be stable and build something lasting, start small, get the right knowledge, and farm. It’s better than fraud or illegal mining.” About Ghana Grows Edwuma Ghana Grows Edwuma is a nationwide broadcast aired on TV and radio, aimed at encouraging young people to take up career opportunities in the agribusiness, agriculture, and ATVET sectors.

News

Ghana Grows Partners with FDA to Support SMEs

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Springboard Road Show Foundation (SRSF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to provide comprehensive support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in meeting regulatory requirements and achieving market authorization for their products. This initiative is part of the Ghana Grows Program, a collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and Springboard Road Show Foundation aimed at supporting young people between 15 to 35 years especially, women and persons with disabilities to find decent and viable jobs within the agriculture, agribusiness and Agriculture Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) sectors. The partnership with the FDA will focus on providing beneficiaries of the program with comprehensive training and technical support in manufacturing procedures, and guidance on requirements for product registration across all sixteen regions of Ghana through FDA’s regional and zonal offices. Speaking about the partnership, Comfort Ocran, Executive Director of the Springboard Road Show Foundation, highlighted the significance of the collaboration, “We are relentless in our efforts to empower the youth, and this partnership is a step further in offering opportunities to help them scale up their businesses to meet global standards. We believe that this collaboration with the FDA will equip them and propel their businesses to the next level.” Dr. Delese A. A. Darko, Chief Executive Officer of FDA Ghana, emphasized the authority’s commitment to supporting SME growth while maintaining high safety standards, “Through this partnership, we aim to make regulatory compliance more accessible to young entrepreneurs while ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of all regulated products in the Ghanaian market.” The collaboration with the FDA is crucial to the growth and success of small business owners as they will receive in-depth trainings through workshops and other capacity building programs to support sustainable business growth in Ghana.  About Ghana Grows The Ghana Grows Program is an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation and is being implemented by a consortium led by Springboard Road Show Foundation. Lyme Haus is a sub-implementing partner. Other technical partners are Axis Human Capital, Meraki Arts Africa, Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), Ghana Psychological Association (GPA), Young & Vibe, and the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE).