Training session for Green Entrepreneurship initiated by Social Enterprise Ghana, focusing on individuals with disabilities.

Empowering Disabled Women through Green Entrepreneurship

In a heartwarming initiative, Social Enterprise Ghana's Green Champions Project kicked off a five-day training program for women with disabilities, focusing on snail and mushroom farming. Over 30 women from diverse backgrounds, some already into farming and others newbies, were taught the ins and outs of these farming ventures. The training ensured the ladies were well-versed on marketable snail and mushroom types, value-addition methods, farming techniques, and building a business out of these unique products.

But that's not all—these women were also trained to become educators themselves, empowering others to follow suit! Emmanuel Twene, Qet Organic Farming and Consult's CEO and facilitator, shared with B&FT that Social Enterprise and partners would be doling out start-up kits to participants post-training. These kits come equipped with the essentials to launch their own snail or mushroom farms, including the creatures, feed, compost bags, technical support, and every tool needed to get started.

When asked by B&FT why the organization chose women with disabilities over men, Project Advisor Emmanuel Adomako explained that women, despite disabilities, are often more vulnerable in society. Although both men and women with disabilities face challenges, women are particularly susceptible. They are easily exploited and must be protected.

Social Enterprise is passionate about reaching the Social Developmental (SD) Goals and helping people break free from the chains of poverty. In the past, they've worked with refugees and unemployed individuals, teaching them skills to better their lives.

Mr. Adomako extended his gratitude to sponsors like KGL Foundation, Global Affairs Canada, and World University Services of Canada. One of the trainees, Lisabeth Salifu, voiced her encouragement to other individuals with disabilities to partake in such empowering programs.

Here's a peek at what a similar program might look like based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Program Objectives:

Empowering Women with Disabilities: Focus on training and supporting women with disabilities in snail and mushroom farming.
Sustainable Agriculture: Encourage eco-friendly farming practices for environmental conservation and food security.
Skill Development: Provide residents with essential skills, making them self-sufficient and reducing dependency on others.

Partners:

Local NGOs: Partner with disability rights and agricultural development organizations for broader reach and resource sharing.
Agricultural Institutions: Collaborate with institutions specializing in snail and mushroom farming for access to expert knowledge and resources.
Government Agencies: Engage with relevant government departments for support and funding.

SDG Alignments:

Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8): Training and employment opportunities foster economic growth, benefiting women with disabilities.
Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12): Sustainable farming practices help reduce waste and advance eco-friendly methods.
Gender Equality (SDG 5): Empowering women with disabilities promotes gender equality and inclusion.
Climate Action (SDG 13): Agricultural practices that stand strong against climate change help mitigate its impact.

This heartwarming initiative, known as Social Enterprise Ghana's Green Champions Project, has begun a five-day training program to empower women with disabilities in the field of health-and-wellness, specifically snail and mushroom farming.
The training covers a range of topics, such as marketable snail and mushroom types, value-addition methods, farming techniques, and the development of business ventures in the health-and-wellness sector.
This program not only equips participants with the necessary skills but also encourages them to become educators and role models in the field of entrepreneurship, spreading knowledge and empowerment to others.
To further support these entrepreneurs, Social Enterprise and its partners will provide start-up kits after the training, equipped with essentials for launching their own farming businesses, including the creatures, feed, compost bags, technical support, and various tools.
The organization, passionate about reaching the Social Developmental (SDG) Goals, has previously worked with refugees, the unemployed, and other vulnerable groups, offering skills training and empowerment programs to break the chains of poverty.
Similar programs, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), may focus on other sectors like lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, and gardening, extending opportunities for women with disabilities and fostering gender equality, responsible consumption and production, and decent work and economic growth.