The Girl PROJECT of Graynetwork

Providing financial  to community-based young farmers, artisans, and training youth especially girls in  vocational, entrepreneurship skills, STEM, agribusiness to enable them to gain a meaningful sustainable employment

We also intend to mobilize young women especially teenage mothers, school dropout's unemployed young girls into business groups of 5-10 people. Members of each cohort will be trained in several types of entrepreneurship, agriculture, business sustainability, digital marketing, and financial literacy skills among others to help them create their job. Through the establishment of the village's savings and loan seed capital will be provided for these young females and already established young female farmers, artisans, etc. who lost their job because of the impact of covid-19 to start their entrepreneurship, farming, etc. 
We also intend to establish a training center in the project community that will be the center of excellence for skills development for young women especially teenage mothers, school dropouts, unemployed women, etc. The intervention intends to equip them with tailoring, soap making, etc. Beneficiaries upon completion of the project shall be provided with a starter pack to help establish them. We will also support youth in the agricultural industry.

The project will also equip all beneficiaries in branding to help them add value to their products and services and expand their target markets beyond their boundaries. 

According to World Bank 2020 report, Ghana is faced with 12% youth unemployment and more than 50% underemployment which most of whom are young women. Unemployment among young people in the rural setting of Ghana is high due to the inability of these young people to start and expand businesses. In Ghana, young people lack the funds and collateral needed to acquire start-up finance or loan for their business and there are few options for company incubation. Financial institutions, both formal and informal, like to lend to high-growth local and internationally recognized businesses. Furthermore, microfinance institutions are in a rural settings are inaccessible to young people. As a result, the majority of young people firms remain in the concept stage, and young people remain jobless and poor. This was further worsened by the covid-19 pandemic 
The most affected population is the young women, with no unemployed these young women are left at the mercy of men resulting in most of them engaging in transaction sex, which leads to an increase in the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, sexual violence, maternal and infant mortality among these young women in the adaklu community of Ghana. It was not surprising that data from Ghana health service, 2020 shows that 109,888 girls adolescent are pregnant. Every 1 hour, 13 adolescent girls get pregnant and 301 in 24 hours. Also in the adaklu community teenage pregnancy and early marriage among girls be one of the important challenges facing effective enrolment and school attendance.

100 young girls including teenage mothers, school dropout married girls, unemployed young girls, disadvantaged and poor adolescent girls.It mainly involved the youths who are perceived to be the burden and non-productive members of society. The Adaklu community is one of the poorest communities in Ghana which lack social amenities like school, library, job, institutions leaving young people, especially girls to go into a transaction in the nearby cities for livelihood. We also intend to mobilize young women especially teenage mothers, school dropout's unemployed young girls into business groups of 5-10 people. Members of each cohort will be trained in several types of entrepreneurship, agriculture, business sustainability, digital marketing, and financial literacy skills among others to help them create their job and also financially provide support to already established young female farmers, artisans, etc. who lost their job because of the impact of covid-19 to start their entrepreneurship, farming, etc. This is to ensure that this youth especially girls in the community gain meaningful sustainable employment and be self-reliance to end poverty, teenage pregnancy, etc

The Adaklu community is one of the poorest communities in the Volta region of Ghana. A questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussion were used to ascertain the causes of teenage pregnancy, sexual violence, and maternal and infant death among young girls in the communities and the possible solution to mitigate these challenges.furthermore community engagement were organized to engage chiefs, parents, opinion leaders on the cause of teenage pregnancy in the communities.Assemblyman, was also involved to help in identifying the major cause of teenage pregnancy among young girls in this deprived community and possible solutions to the program. Our data analysis shows that about 80% of young women in Adaklu communities are unemployed and 50% face abject poverty. With no sustainable/profitable skills and no education, these young women are left at the mercy of men. This has led to high teenage pregnancy, sexual violence, maternal and infant death among these young girls in the communities.
Data from the Adaklu health directorate also shows that in 2020, out of 684 antenatal attendants, 200 were teenage mothers representing 29.2%. Also in the district, teenage pregnancy among girls is one of the important challenges facing effective enrolment and school attendance
As program mange of the girls of a gray network in this community my experience and observation in this community was what drive me to carry out the above survey with my team to ascertain the magnitude of the problem that young people are facing in the community.

Our product/service/ project is just at the concept stage (ideas stage) because this is the first time we are going to carry this project after our needs assessment in the project community. This is a stage we are trying to explore the feasibility of the project idea. This is to enable us to put our idea into reality to see how it will benefit our school dropout, unemployed young girls, teenage mothers or solve the issue of unemployment which leads to school drop, child marriage, teenage pregnancy and improve the socio-economic status of this young girls in the community.it is also a stage that we are determining how to build and deliver this project idea or services /product to our identified or target beneficiaries.

Our project is going to use tractors, irrigation systems, planters, greenhouses for our agriculture products. Tractors will be used in the clearing of the farmland for harvesting while an irrigation system will be used during the dry season to provide water to the plant for growth. The single-span greenhouse will also use to prevent pesticides infection. Animal products, kitchen waste will be converted into fertilizer which will be used to feed the farm. In the case of skills training various sewing machines including industrial will be used in the training of the beneficiaries in their various vocational skills. Mobile applications and laptops will be used to train the beneficiaries in digital marketing and branding of their products for a large market. We also need a soap molding and soap cutting machine for our soap production. We also need a spray machine and irrigation machine for those who will be going into farming.

100 teenage mothers, school drop, married young girls, unemployed young girls, disadvantaged and poor adolescent girls, youth  in the Adaklu community 

To enhance the employability of 100 teenage mothers, school drop, married young girls, unemployed young girls, disadvantaged and poor adolescent girls, youth  in the Adaklu community of  Ghana by the end of 2022.

The impact we want to create through our solutions are the following:

Several youths mobilized and sensitized on teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other health-related issues.

Several young girls employed after trained in our training center.
girls  participation in skills training and literacy classes

Young girls completing skills training
Microbusinesses established by girls and levels of profitability
Progress in the understanding of participatory development concepts

Indicators for evaluation are the following :
Several youths mobilized and sensitized on teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention, and other health-related issues.

Number of young girls employed after trained in our training center.
girls  participation in skills training and literacy classes

Number Young of young girls completing skills training

Microbusinesses established by girls and levels of profitability

Progress in the understanding of participatory development concepts

Community train centers constructed.

Number of youths trained and co-operatives established

Current knowledge on reproductive health and rights increased by 10% above baseline and was correct disseminated

The tools that will measure the indicators are the following:

Assessment report

Individual questionnaire

Focus group discussions.

Household survey.

Individual questionnaires

Evaluation report  

Knowledge, ap, attitude, and performance (KAP) concerning the baseline survey

Irregularity of participation in program, waywardness, and not finding the program immediately useful for themselves. The low level of knowledge among beneficiaries means we will need to spend more time taking them through numeracy and literacy programs. Lack of snow throughout the year can also affect farm yields. Lack of immediate economic support for these girls can force these girls to go back into transactional sex for money for wellbeing. A negative cultural practice that believes the kitchen is only for girls will also hindrance the participation of girls in the project. Lack of motivation to participate because of unavoidable pressure of their surrounding

KPORMEGBE ESTHER MAWUSE 

POSITION: Program Manager for quality Education (girl child)
ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION: 
BSc in education in early childhood 
Certificate in cinematographer
WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 
Volta regional organizer of SheDecides-Ghana, USA based feminist platform promoting the right of the girl child 
Volta regional coordinator for Young Urban Women Movement of ActionAid-Ghana 
Responsible for several Movie on girl’s education and gender equality 
Movie producer at Fast Point Multimedia, Ghana and CEO of Esther Beadmaking Hub
SKILL AND ABILITIES 
Good Communication skills, Good writing Skills, Beadmaking Skills (jewelry), Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint

SIMON ETORNAM FELITSE 
POSITION:  Publication Assistant /Social media Assistants/ Chief Technology Officer

ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
Bsc in Computer Science 
WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 
Graphic Designer at FDEL Printing Press for 3 years
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, CorelDraw, Typing, Customer Service, Music Notation

Doreen Siame
POSITION: program manager for Gender equality and Gender based violence
ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
Bachelor of early childhood and girls child education 

Certificate in gender and reproductive health, 
WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
2 years in community development.
Volta regional Coordinator Activista of ActionAid-Ghana, 
Skills and abilities: Communication skills, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, advocacy, lobbing

Bridget Gotah

POSITION: Assistant administir  

ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
Certificate in west examination in family living and food

Diploma in business studies (DBS)

WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Unique cooperative credit union for 2 years

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Microsoft office (business administration and data processing, 

Exornam Denyigbe Phillipines

POSITION: Program Manager for Reproductive Health 

ACADEMIC// PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
Student
WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 
Facilitator  at safe future ghana

 1 years Volunteer with Plan international ghana
SKILL AND ABILITIES 
Communication, teaching ability, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Gender and reproductive health advocacy Youth network  currently has two groups of partners for reproductive rights and  economic empowerment and reproductive  development with the following 

• M&B Agriculture using technology and  enhancing  agricultural productivity through production and distribution for our project
• Safe future Ghana using technology (STEM) to train our beneficiaries in digital marketing and branding.
• MEsmson fashion will be training girls in sewing 

For the past 3years, we have engaged over 10,000 girls in advocating for safe spaces and sexual reproductive health rights and significant strides have been made so far in schools, communities, and even at the national level. Over the years GRAYNETWORK had engaged in in-depth consultations with youth and parents in several locations across the country. We have successfully chalked a partnership with Plan International and Global Youth Mobilization in implementing some projects in sexual reproductive health rights and Skill development and employment, Income generation, sensitization, and training for girls. We can deliver this project as we have struck partnerships with digital literacy firms, seasoned vocational institutes in the region

HP girls Save the world prize will be used to mobilize and train young women especially teenage mothers, school dropout's unemployed young women in several types of entrepreneurship, agriculture, business sustainability, digital marketing, and financial literacy skills among others to help them create their job. It will also be used to provide financial and managerial in a form of seed capital to these young females and already established young female farmers, artisans, etc. who lost their job because of the impact of covid-19 to start their entrepreneurship, farming, etc. 

It will also intend to establish a community training center in the project community that will be the center of excellence for skills development for young women especially teenage mothers, school dropouts, unemployed young women, etc. The intervention intends to equip unemployed young women with bead making, cloth production tailoring, soap making, etc. Beneficiaries upon completion of the project, the fund will be used to provide a starter pack which includes materials to help establish them to enable them to establish themselves and work in co-operatives based on skills acquired. 

It will also support youth in the agricultural industry and livestock industry. It will be used to teach them in best farming and larger farming

It will also be used to train them in digital marketing and branding to enable them to expand their business and market beyond their community

For the past 3years, we have had young people with several capacities in terms of financial and managerial skills helping us to achieve our objective. 

HP girls Save the world prize will be used to mobilize and train young women especially teenage mothers, school dropout's unemployed young women in several types of entrepreneurship, agriculture, business sustainability, digital marketing, and financial literacy skills among others to help them create their job. It will also be used to provide financial and managerial in a form of seed capital to these young females and already established young female farmers, artisans, etc. who lost their job because of the impact of covid-19 to start their entrepreneurship, farming, etc. 

It will also intend to establish a community training center in the project community that will be the center of excellence for skills development for young women especially teenage mothers, school dropouts, unemployed young women, etc. The intervention intends to equip unemployed young women with bead making, cloth production tailoring, soap making, etc. Beneficiaries upon completion of the project, the fund will be used to provide a starter pack which includes materials to help establish them to enable them to establish themselves and work in co-operatives based on skills acquired. 

It will also support youth in the agricultural industry and livestock industry. It will be used to teach them in best farming and larger farming

It will also be used to train them in digital marketing and branding to enable them to expand their business and market beyond their community