Help street-active youth in Ghana start businesses

Earlier this year, Street Kids International UK delivered a 13-day ‘Street Business Toolkit’ Training of Trainers workshop, in collaboration with our local partner, the Head of State Award Scheme Ghana (HOSA). 14 Youth Workers were specially selected from 11 organisations by HOSA to attend the training. All 14 were certified as having participated in the training successfully. By the end of the training, four Youth Workers were also identified as potential Master Trainers for Ghana: they will be trained to train trainers (isn't that mouthful?!) - that is, they will train other youth workers to deliver the Street Business Toolkit - allowing the ripple effect of Street Kids' training programme to go on rippling outwards.

For the second half of their training, the youth workers put their learning into practice, training 28 marginalised young people while under the supervision of their own instructors. All the trainees professed that over the two weeks they gained improved knowledge and skills that are relevant to their frontline youth work, and to their role in this project; which they have used, and continue to use, to deliver improved livelihood training to more and more young people. 

In the months that have passed since the initial two-week training, the youth workers have returned to their organisations (all local youth-serving organisations) and have rolled out the training to youth in their localities. All in all, a further 45 street-connected or otherwise marginalised young people have been trained by our youth workers. That's 73 marginalised youth who have gained the opportunity for a better future, in a matter of months!

The training is ongoing; which means that our support is, too. We have worked with HOSA to establish 'Communities of Practice', providing a support network to all the youth workers who are passing on the Street Business Toolkit to local youth. They share best practices and challenges they are facing. Most importantly, they support each other.

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of each and every one of our donors. Through them, the lives of a full 73 youth and their families have been transformed: these young people - previously forced to make a living on the street - are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to build secure and sustainable futures for themselves. What's more, both they and their youth workers have a support network in Street Kids International; and these youth workers can go on to train and support hundreds of youth, year after year. Now that's some ripple effect!

“[Other youths] should always find time to attend such training because the impact it will have on their lives is immeasurable.” Rebecca Ashiree (age 21) - youth trainee in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana