A total of 15 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) trained under the Africa Street MBA (AfSMBA) Accelerator programme were on Saturday awarded grants to support their businesses after a rigorous pitching contest in Accra.
The programme, an initiative by DONE BY US, a management consultancy and investment firm, aims to provide an integrated business support for start-ups and small businesses through capacity building, mentorship, business development services and funding for young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
With funding support from KGL Foundation, the programme seeks to impact young people with world-class business knowledge based on top MBA curriculum and entrepreneurial course content.
At the end of the contest, three entrepreneurs emerged at the top with Nicholas Donkor of Nichosoft Solutions receiving the first grand prize of GH¢10,000 worth of business branding.
Abdul Rahman Samira of Wintima Weaninix emerged second with an award grant of GH¢7,000 worth of business branding, while Patricia Benamba of Trixy Benamba Enterprise took the third position with GH¢4,000 worth of business branding.
All the other participants received a general cash prize of GH¢1,000.
The founder of DONE BY US, Mr King A. Wellington, in an interview with journalists said the programme was targeted at young people, particularly the marginalised and vulnerable people with world class business knowledge.
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"The AfSMBA, is designed to bridge the business knowledge gap to help young people from poor backgrounds, and low education to also have the opportunity to build a world-class enterprise," he added.
He said the programme, through its community (SME Hub) concluded a comprehensive Accelerator Programme for 19 entrepreneurs who had undergone an intensive one month training in various parts of the country.
"So after a careful selection after the training, this pitch session is for them to showcase their products and services to stakeholders and the public and stand a chance of winning cash prizes," he stated.
Mr Wellington indicated that, the programme had so far indirectly impacted about 5,000 people and directly trained over 300 people in some parts of the country including Sunyani, Donkorkrom, Greater Accra and Somanya and anticipate to extend it to the northern parts and some other regions by the end of the year.
The Programmes Manager of KGL Foundation, Nii Ankonu Annorbah-Sarpei, who doubled as one of the judges expressed satisfaction at the level of knowledge shared by the entrepreneurs during the pitch contest.
He expressed the foundation's continuous support towards the AfSMBA programme to empower young people to thrive in the world-class business.
