Month: March 2024

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

GEA and the Mastercard Foundation announced the start of a sensitization campaign for the groundbreaking Business in a Box (BizBox) program. This initiative aims to empower an additional 250,000 young people in Ghana, expanding on the successful collaboration established through the Young Africa Works Program.

The Young Africa Works Program project, from 2020 to 2022, achieved significant milestones by supporting approximately 94,000 young people, more than double its goal, enabling them to establish businesses or secure dignified and fulfilling jobs. Building on this momentum, the BizBox program aims to support 250,000 young people in accessing dignified and fulfilling jobs over the next four years.

In Amasaman, Greater Accra Region, Gifty Animwaa Owusu, a GEA/Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Program participant, shares her story of transformation from a struggling individual to a successful business owner and mentor.

“When I had no one to turn to for assistance, the GEA/Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Program became my source of hope,” recalls Gifty Animwaa Owusu. Her participation in the A2E program and the invaluable Start-up Kit support she received after her training have been pivotal in her journey. Gifty is now a thriving business owner, supporting her family and mentoring young people in her community.

Through this intervention, Gifty has not only achieved financial stability but has also gained respect and dignity. Her success is a testament to the transformative power of giving opportunities to young women. Reflecting on her journey, Gifty acknowledges the impact of the business management training she received, which enabled her to meet the application criteria and successfully receive support through GEA.

Gifty’s story is a powerful example of how targeted support and empowerment can lead to meaningful change in individuals and communities. Her journey is a source of hope for aspiring entrepreneurs and a testament to the effectiveness of programs like the GEA/Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works Program in driving positive impact.

“The BizBox program aims to enable and empower disadvantaged young people across Ghana, especially young women with first-time business startups, to acquire skills and access to startup kits, markets, finance, and technology to start, build, and grow their businesses. We believe it will improve the well-being and resilience of young entrepreneurs by creating an enabling environment, especially for agriculture and agri-adjacent businesses to thrive and contribute to national development,” said Rica Rwigamba, Country Director of the Mastercard Foundation in Ghana.

With an investment of GHS 660 million (approximately USD 55 million), BizBox underscores GEA and the Mastercard Foundation’s ongoing commitment to young people’s development. The program, scheduled to run until April 2027, will provide young entrepreneurs with essential tools, knowledge, and support to start and expand their businesses. It will deliver comprehensive training in life skills, technical expertise, entrepreneurship, and business development, promoting business growth and scalability.

A significant focus of the program is empowerment, with more than 70 percent of the target participants being young women and 10 percent Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), reaffirming its commitment to inclusivity and diversity in economic participation.

“The BizBox program emerges as a beacon of hope, fostering economic empowerment and laying the foundation for a prosperous future for the youth of Ghana. This is in alignment with the Government of Ghana’s vision of ensuring that the youth of Ghana are engaged for the nation’s development,” said Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, CEO of the Ghana Enterprises Agency.

The program is tailored to complement the government’s ongoing efforts to address the pervasive youth unemployment challenge. Importantly, this initiative aligns with the government’s ambitious goal to generate one million jobs for young people by 2025.

The program comprises five components: Youth Skills Development, Access to Market, Access to Start-up Kits, Youth Social Networks and Institutional Strengthening, Policy, and Regulatory Support. Its implementation will involve a thorough process of sensitization, application, selection, assessment, and training focusing on vulnerable young people, past beneficiaries, PWDs, vulnerable women, women-owned/led MSMEs and graduates from agricultural colleges.

The BizBox Program is focused on holistic development rather than direct financial assistance, seeking to empower entrepreneurs to build resilient and competitive enterprises.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ghana Enterprises Agency 
Ms. Rejoice Tettey, Communications Manager

Mastercard Foundation 
Felix Baidoo, Country Communications Partner, Ghana 

About Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA)

The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) is the apex governmental Agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) responsible for the promotion and development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sector in Ghana. GEA, formerly the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 1043) in November 2020. The GEA Act 1043 was assented to in December 2020. The Act mandates GEA to Coordinate, Implement and Monitor the activities of the MSME Sector.

The long-term goal of GEA is to support the MSME Sector to maximize its contribution to the country’s economic and social development concerning production, income distribution and employment, as well as promote closer participation and integration of women and communities in rural areas into the national economy. GEA provides Business Development Services (BDS) to MSMEs, facilitates access to credit and supports the formalization of the MSME Sector in Ghana in a decentralized manner, mainly through the Business Advisory Centres (BACs) /Business Resource Centres (BRCs).

GEA has its Head Office in Accra. It also operates in all the sixteen (16) administrative Regions known as the Regional Offices and 247 District Offices known as Business Advisory Centres (BACs) and Business Resource Centres (BRCs).

For more information about GEA, please their website: www.gea.gov.gh

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.

Learn more about our work in Ghana

Originally published by The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Follow along the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth’s journey to advance equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world

With 25,000 employees across 195 locations, our organization is widespread and reflects a diverse range of roles—everything from engineering and design to quality and safety. In all of these roles, we aim to build an environment that empowers women and supports their ability to pursue a fulfilling career path with Crown.

We are continuously striving to give women more opportunities beyond the traditional office roles and to help them advance in any area of the Company. Lately, we’ve been concentrating on hiring more women for technical jobs like mechanics, forklift drivers, quality controllers and production leaders. It’s essential to understand that these jobs aren’t just for men. Anyone, regardless of gender, can have the skills needed for success in these roles.

As we kick off International Women’s Day 2024, which aims to #inspireinclusion, we spotlight some of the initiatives around women directly working in our production environment. One example includes a specialized “Women in Industry” development program conducted by our Brazil team. A social and professional project developed by Crown, the course was designed to teach valuable technical skills to women within the communities where we operate.

“This initiative was a way to offer development to women, who would like to work in the industrial area, but have not yet had the opportunity. We paved the path for their dreams to come true and with this, more women are being recognized and valued in the job market. This year we will do even more, expanding this project to other regions where our plants are located,” said Eliane Rigolo, HR Director – Crown Brazil.

The program provides 164 hours of content around various subjects related to our can production process. Through this initiative, our goal is to empower women to pursue careers at Crown and to prepare them for industrial roles specifically.

We initially ran a pilot program in Ponta Grossa, Brazil and attracted a total of 315 candidates. From this pool of applicants, 20 women were selected to attend the course, and after completion, several were employed as mechanics in one of our facilities. Others are still part of our talent pool, having gained valuable skills and qualifications to enhance their resumes.

Two successful women who completed the program and have joined our organization are Viviane Pacheco and Francielle dos Santos. Both have expressed gratitude for the training’s valuable skill development, which has enriched their careers:

Viviane Pacheco, Production Mechanic Apprentice and Women in Industry trainee: “For me, the course experience was very good. This course added…lots of learnings. I always want to do my best, I always want to be able to learn more. Companies should practice more the inclusion of women in the industry.”Francielle dos Santos, Production Mechanic Apprentice and Women in Industry trainee: “I was delighted with the program [Crown was] doing, the attitude of including us in this field of mechanics, of operating machines. The course came to teach much more practices, theories…this exchange was really rich, both personal and professional.”

Alongside the program, we have worked to increase women’s presence in technical roles within engineering, production, supply chain, and beyond. We have collaborated with our team to identify new professional development opportunities in those fields. Recently, we’ve welcomed several female engineers to our team, and in all roles across our organization, two out of every ten new hires are women.

Amy Weisel-Gibbs and Rileigh Swanson are two examples of career paths in supply chain and engineering. Both are encouraged to see women becoming more of a focus in the industrial field:

Amy Weisel-Gibbs, Sales Operations Manager: “Everyone, regardless of gender or background, has the potential to bring value to the table. Women play a vital role and possess unique capabilities that enrich teams and drive progress.”Rileigh Swanson, Mechanical Engineering: “It is exciting to see how many women are in engineering, not just Signode. I love to see how the world is showcasing women in engineering around the world!”

In addition to these types of roles, we are striving to propel women into leadership positions that are traditionally held by men. Boosting gender representation within all levels of the Company provides crucial examples of opportunity and success for women within the workforce.

Jamie Jarrett, Plant Manager at Signode’s Eden, NC facility, is one such individual who has built her career within Crown up to a plant-wide leadership level. Our team caught up with her to learn about her journey through the industrial field and what her position means to her now:

Tell us a little bit about your career? What path did you take to becoming Plant Manager at the Eden facility?

I started with Signode in August 2022 as the Operations Manager. Working closely with my SR PM Eric Sprague and my Director Dustin Craig provided the opportunity for growth to be promoted to Plant Manager in October of 2023. To me this would not have been possible without their support, leadership and incredible emotional intelligence. During the time I have been with Signode, I was able to participate in SSGB training given by Lucas Scott and his team which fostered collaboration between the Executive team and the facility, so we have the same vision. From Day One I have been given guidance and unwavering support by Human Resources; I work daily with Teresa Manzanares who empowers me to face challenges head on, provides me with solutions and trusts my judgement.

We have heard that women have a strong leadership presence in your facility. Tell us about your team.

I work with a group of talented, driven, and dedicated women who challenge themselves every day to be better than they were the day before. This mentality is absorbed by all the employees in Eden. There are two women Supervisors and our stellar Operations Coordinator who push everyone around them to be successful. Their most attractive attribute is their resilience; they bounce back from failures, learn from them and persevere toward their goals with little to no hesitation.

What advice would you offer to other women aspiring to advance in their careers, especially in male-dominated industries?

Having a humble attitude reduces bias, inequities, and builds trust in the workplace and with male colleagues.

Are there any female role models or mentors who have inspired or influenced your career journey?

There are two women from my previous job that impacted me: my previous CEO Angelika Matczak, MBA. Angelika pushed me to be resilient and adaptable, she conveyed an unobstructed vision of her expectations and demanded excellence in any tasks her employees were performing. She allowed me exposure to all aspects of the business which resulted in me becoming more well-rounded in manufacturing. I collaborated with employees on the production floor, quality, continuous improvement and maintenance.

The second admiral woman who impacted me is Magdalena Domzalska-Pol, Human Resource Executive/Servant Leader. Magda fosters a supportive and inclusive environment and really taught me about active listening—to hear what a person is not verbally saying. She delegated authority and encouraged autonomy, pushing me to take initiative and be confident in my decision-making. When I made a mistake, as we all do at times, her response was still encouraging. Both women were driven to succeed but based their own professional success on the growth of the organization, individuals and community impact.

Lastly, what does International Women’s Day mean to you personally?

Acceptance for what you offer regardless of gender; fostering unity within teams to provide a platform for equal voices and discussions. Having a daughter whose dream is to be an Air Force pilot, I am confident she will be accepted if she is qualified. The world has grown to evaluate the best candidate and the old school silos of prejudgment are diminishing.

We take pride in having these employees as valued members of our team and we are excited about the numerous other women pursuing their ambitions at Crown. While we celebrate the progress we have made in gender representation thus far, we acknowledge there is more work ahead and look forward to the next milestones. It is our commitment to stand with our female employees and do our best to #inspireinclusion.

Interested in more updates about our International Women’s Day efforts and beyond? Follow us here on our corporate website and on our LinkedIn page for information on the latest initiatives and efforts.

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