Mastercard Foundation — funds initiatives addressing youth employment, education, and entrepreneurship in Ghana and Africa.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… The HAPPY Programme, a four-year partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Limited, is being implemented by an eight-member consortium, including Newage Agric Solutions Ltd., to create employment opportunities for young people, particularly women, in the rice, …
Over 600 young women embrace agriculture through HAPPY Programme in SaveluguJoy Online
… The HAPPY Programme, a four-year partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and Agri-Impact Limited, implemented by an eight-member consortium including Newage Agric Solutions Ltd, is aimed at creating employment opportunities for young people—particularly women—across the ric …
HAPPY Programme unites stakeholders to mobilise over 600 young women farmers in SaveluguBusiness & Financial Times
… The bank has also initiated discussions for a strategic partnership with the Financial Institution Resilience and Strengthening (FIRST+ II) programme, a partnership between Mastercard Foundation and CapitalPlus Exchange. …
Kintampo Community Bank posts strong performance: As profit, deposits & assets surgeJoy Online
… The conference is on the theme: “Africa’s Time, Africa’s Terms: Learning for Sovereignty, Strength, and Solidarity.” He said that government collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship supported 36 Ghanaian EdTech ventures, reaching over 690,000 learners, with …
Ghana pushing digital transformation in education to meet 21st-century skills – Haruna IddrisuJoy Online
… Program Context: A Multi-Partner Vision for Rural Ghana Implemented by Temple Investments in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, FILMA is a four-year, multi-partner initiative (2024–2028) designed to empower 100,000 young Ghanaians. …
Building Economic Resilience: How FILMA is creating dignified livelihoods in rural GhanaDaily Guide
… A scene during one of the community engagements Program Context: A Multi-Partner Vision For Rural Ghana Implemented by Temple Investments in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, FILMA is a four-year, multi-partner initiative (2024–2028) designed to empower 100,000 young Gh …
Building Economic Resilience: How FILMA is Creating Dignified Livelihoods in Rural Ghana In the landscape of rural development, the transition from subsistence to sustainability is often cited as a goal; however, it is rarely measured with the precision of a fintech operation. Reflecting on the insights shared during the inaugural Financial Inclusion for Last Mile Actors (FILMA) Learning Event at the Accra Marriott Hotel, which hosted over 230 stakeholders, it is clear that the “last mile” is no longer the end of the road, but rather the starting point for systemic economic transformation. A scene during one of the community engagements Program Context: A Multi-Partner Vision For Rural Ghana Implemented by Temple Investments in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, FILMA is a four-year, multi-partner initiative (2024–2028) designed to empower 100,000 young Ghanaians. The program specifically targets young women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) by providing access to affordable credit, inclusive financial services, and market opportunities. Central to this mission is the Last Mile Actor (LMA), defined as the essential yet often overlooked players at the end of the agricultural value chain. This demographic primarily comprises young women, youth, and PWDs serving as smallholder farmers, processors, and traders. These actors have historically been excluded from formal financial systems due to systemic barriers: a lack of traditional collateral, limited financial footprints, and the high perceived risk of rural enterprises. The program operates with a precise mandate: ensuring that 70% of LMAs are women and 5% are persons with disabilities, focusing its efforts across 18 districts in the Volta, Oti, Bono East, and Northern Regions. To achieve this scale, the program is driven by a strategic consortium led by Temple Investments, providing strategic leadership and managing the Catalytic Facility for Inclusive Finance (CFIF). This ecosystem is fortified by the specialized expertise of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), AV Ventures, SEND Ghana, and Enterprise Life, which provides tailored insurance solutions to de-risk the financial landscape for rural actors. More than just an intervention, FILMA serves as a critical test case for a high-impact sustainability model. It marks a definitive departure from traditional grant-based modules, aiming instead to transform agricultural and agri-adjacent value chains, including production and the introduction of emerging technology, into self-sustaining hubs of economic resilience. Solid Evidence: Operational Milestones and Alternative Livelihoods Two years into the four-year program, FILMA’s data reflects deep structural changes. The program has enrolled 77,868 LMAs; representing 78% of the total life-of-project target, and successfully transitioned 44,476 youth into dignified and fulfilling work, with young women making up 90% (40,028) of this total. Additionally, 2,151 persons with disabilities are actively participating in the program’s pathways. The average monthly income of an LMA has more than doubled, rising from a baseline of GH¢1,334 to GH¢2,793, while the portion of LMAs able to self-secure a financial product has jumped from 3% to 38%. Crucially, the program is de-risking rural life by introducing microinsurance and promoting diversified, non-traditional income streams to hedge against agricultural volatility. To date, this includes specialized training and equipment distribution for 1,099 individuals in beekeeping, 500 in mushroom production, and 2,661 in dry-season vegetable production. Voices from the Last Mile: The LMA Youth Panel A powerful session at the forum brought five last-mile actors to the stage to share their real-world transformations. Sakina, a young participant, described how saving was once a distant dream, as she struggled to manage the small allowances provided by her parents. Following the financial literacy and saving guides provided by the program, she began consistently saving 30% of her funds, turning a dream into an active, empowering daily practice. Gifty, a university graduate, shared how she turned to mushroom farming in the Oti Region due to the scarcity of formal employment. Although she managed to build a basic farming structure using her national service allowance, she lacked the capital to purchase compost and spawn. Initially dismissing Voluntary Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) as groups meant only for older community members, Gifty joined the program, mobilized other young people, and formed a VSLA. The collective savings from this group provided the critical capital needed to purchase compost and launch her commercial operations, highlighting how local, structured savings can bypass traditional borrowing barriers. Redefining the Ecosystem: Systemic Debates and Institutional Commitments The final stakeholder panel confronted the harsh economic realities facing rural and local producers. Caleb Edwards, Managing Director of WAMI AGRO, offered a sobering view on the impact of import liberalization, pointing out that local producers struggle to compete with importers backed by cheaper foreign capital, subsidies, and tax exemptions. He shared that local companies have faced six-figure impairments due to these policies, forcing a local rice farm to let go of 18 workers, and emphasized that credit access will fail without corresponding market protection and hedging strategies. Addressing lending risks, panel representatives from Absa and Maroon Capital discussed the necessity of digital lending to offset last-mile delivery costs, but warned of a culture of default that led to a bank taking a 32 million GHS impairment. They called for a unified shift in borrower mindset toward “contractual faithfulness” and robust data literacy. These provocations led to critical institutional commitments. The Central Bank representative pledged to move beyond simple gender‑balance metrics to develop and launch an active, value-chain-wide inclusive policy specifically for women by mid-2027. The Ministry of Finance committed to crafting highly actionable, solution-oriented policies within the upcoming National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy (NFIDS). Concurrently, disability advocates and WAMI Agro announced a collaborative framework with international disability facilitators to train financial institutions on accessible services, ensuring local PWD structures are intentionally integrated into future outreach. The Women Behind the Work: From Survival to Destiny “For us at Temple, these women are not a video. They are the reason we are here. They are not characters in a story; they are the story,” noted Cecilia Hesse, Managing Director of Temple Investments, during her opening address. Her words underscored a fundamental shift in how development is measured: moving away from distant spreadsheets toward the lived realities of the women who are the bedrock of the nation. She also shared a proverb that captures the resilience of the program’s target demographic: “Even if the housefly has nothing, it rubs its hands together in anticipation.” This spirit of preparation and work is what FILMA seeks to harness. By recognizing the brilliance and drive of these women, the program ensures they no longer have to struggle just to survive, but are instead empowered to build a lasting destiny for their families and communities. A FILMA beneficiaryJoy Online
… In Ghana, the programme is being implemented by the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations in collaboration with Light for the World, the African Disability Forum and the Mastercard Foundation. …
First cohort of We Can Work Academy begins life skills training in Ashanti and Bono RegionsJoy Online
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in partnership with the Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) and the Mastercard Foundation, has hosted the maiden edition of FemSTEM Africa 2026. …
KNUST hosts FemSTEM Africa 2026 to empower women health innovatorsBusiness & Financial Times
… Through the Mastercard Foundation’s BRIDGE-in Agriculture programme, the bank disbursed GH¢66.9million in 2025 – supporting more than 22,000 smallholder farmers and helping create or sustain over 24,000 jobs. …
Economy out of the valley, not yet on the plateauJoy Online
… It also highlighted its BRIDGE in Agric Programme, implemented with the Mastercard Foundation, which provides single-digit interest financing to agribusinesses, alongside an export desk to support international market access. …
Access Bank Ghana accelerates growth agenda with strategic engagements in KumasiMs. Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), delivered opening and closing remarks and presented awards at the 2026 IPRA Golden World Awards Gala in Athens, Greece, which featured submissions from about 50 countries.
30 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Ms. Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, President of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), delivered opening and closing remarks and presented awards at the 2026 IPRA Golden World Awards Gala in Athens, Greece, which featured submissions from about 50 countries.
30 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Advans Ghana's client base grew from 75,184 in 2021 to 159,693 in 2026, with 58% of clients being women. The institution operates 21 branches across nine regions and has disbursed over 250,000 loans worth more than GHS4.5 billion since inception.
29 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Leaders from Africa's higher education institutions, governments, financial institutions, and industry gathered in Accra for the inaugural Higher Education Transformation Convening hosted by the Mastercard Foundation to explore how to make higher education more relevant and impactful for Africa's young people and economic development.
25 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
WERise Network has announced its 2026 Annual Programme running from 28 September to 4 October 2026, designed to celebrate women entrepreneurs' achievements, strengthen business capacity, and create market opportunities for women-owned enterprises. The week-long programme, themed "Rise & Scale: Celebrating Growth, Building Revenue and Creating Jobs," will include a general meeting, regional forums, exhibitions, and masterclasses for SMEs to access knowledge, tools, and connections for sustainable growth.
24 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has challenged Ghanaian universities to refocus academic programmes on skills needed in the country's job market to address graduate unemployment, citing a growing disconnect between university training and available opportunities. He specifically urged KNUST to focus on science, engineering and mathematics education, noting that Ghana has more than 450,000 tertiary graduates entering the labour market annually.
22 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Fidelity Bank has called for Ghana to shift its agricultural financing and structure to capture more value from what it already produces, rather than simply producing more. The bank argues that agricultural sovereignty lies in controlling more of the value created by Ghanaian agriculture and retaining more income within the economy, highlighting that cocoa paste generated approximately US$789 million in 2025 while non-traditional agricultural exports generated approximately US$710 million over the same period.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The 2026 Kosmos Innovation Centre AgriTech Challenge Pro has reached a milestone with participating teams conducting their first pitch. The programme, supported by the Mastercard Foundation through the Initiative for Youth in Agricultural Transformation, aims to help young entrepreneurs develop innovative solutions addressing Ghana's agricultural and food value chains, with a focus on product development and job creation.
31 August 2026 · Joy Online →
EduSpots has gathered community educators and teachers from 50 communities across Ghana and Kenya for a specialist education academy in Akumadan, focused on strengthening inclusive, collaborative and imaginative approaches to teaching and learning. The academy marks the beginning of preparations for the relaunch of EduSpots' learner club programme in September, which will engage more than 3,000 learners annually.
29 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Young people make up roughly 38% of Ghana's population and Ghana needs to create about 300,000 new jobs annually to meet demand. Skills gaps, limited capital access, weak market linkages and high borrowing costs prevent many young Ghanaians from converting entrepreneurial ideas into viable businesses.
24 August 2026 · Daily Guide →
Youth development advocates say young Ghanaians require greater access to markets, leadership opportunities and meaningful platforms to apply their skills and create jobs. The comments come as Ghana marks International Youth Day 2026 under the theme "Different Contexts, Common Aspirations," which recognises that despite diverse backgrounds, young people share common aspirations for quality education, meaningful work and entrepreneurship.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
EduSpots launched a nine-month Digital Champions Programme to equip and certify 60 community-based changemakers to become digital champions, lead digital learning, and strengthen digital inclusion in underserved communities in Ghana.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's youth comprise roughly 38% of its population and the country needs to create about 300,000 new jobs yearly, but young people face barriers including skills gaps, limited access to affordable capital, and weak market linkages that prevent them from turning ideas into viable businesses.
21 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Students of the Design and Technology Institute showcased innovative projects at their 2026 Capstone Projects Exhibition in Accra on August 14, featuring robotics, smart assistive technology, upcycled fashion, affordable housing models, and other solutions addressing real-world challenges under the theme "Creative Minds, Sustainable Solutions."
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Association of Small-Scale Industries and Ghana Enterprises Agency have organised an executive mentorship and coaching training programme for trade association executives across 33 municipal and districts in the Eastern Region. The initiative is part of the Business in a Box Project, which aims to strengthen industry capacity, equip youth with vocational and business skills, and support business development.
18 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Design and Technology Institute has graduated over 1,500 Master Craft Persons and SME owners from its Precision Quality training programme, aimed at formalising and improving competitiveness in Ghana's informal sector. The initiative, developed with the Mastercard Foundation, equips artisans and entrepreneurs with technical, business, and management skills including workplace safety, customer service, and digital tools.
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Junior Football Camp's third WELL GIRLS mentorship session featured Commissioner of Police Lydia Donkor, who encouraged participants to embrace change and pursue their ambitions, selecting four girls aspiring to join the Ghana Police Service as her mentees in a structured leadership initiative.
7 August 2026 · Joy Online →
A national study presented in Accra on 28 July 2026 found widespread sexual harassment and discrimination against young women in Ghana's creative sector. The Behind the Scenes project, led by researchers at the University of Cape Coast with support from the International Center for Research on Women and the Mastercard Foundation, called for safer workplaces and stronger gender equity measures.
4 August 2026 · Joy Online →
FAWE Ghana, with Mastercard Foundation support, has introduced a Bridging/Remedial Learning Programme offering conditional tertiary admission to students who obtained a D7 in one core WASSCE subject, allowing them to take structured remedial classes and rewrite the deficient subject.
4 August 2026 · The Chronicle →
The CEO of Ghana's Gold Board has called on Africans living abroad to move beyond remittances and become investors and entrepreneurs to drive Africa's economic transformation. He argued that Africa's rise must create African industries, jobs, and wealth rather than enriching foreign economies while African youth remain unemployed.
3 August 2026 · The Chronicle →
Professor Christian Agyare has officially become KNUST's 13th Vice-Chancellor, succeeding Professor Rita Akosua Dickson. An accomplished pharmaceutical microbiology researcher with over two decades of academic experience, he was previously Provost of KNUST's College of Health Sciences.
2 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Five hundred and twenty-six young people graduated from the Precision Quality Internship Programme in the Volta Region, a six-month initiative offering training in business skills, welding, hospitality, and fashion design to improve employability and entrepreneurship. The programme, jointly implemented by Precision Quality, the Design and Technology Institute, and Ho Technical University with Mastercard Foundation support, targeted young people aged 18–35 from multiple towns across Volta and Oti regions.
1 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of the Ghana Gold Board, has called on African governments, businesses and the global diaspora to invest more in the continent's youth population, warning that Africa's demographic advantage could become a crisis without adequate opportunities. Citing the Mastercard Foundation's Africa Youth Employment Outlook 2026, Gyamfi noted that Africa is home to about 532 million young people aged 15 to 35, and stressed that harnessing their potential is critical to the continent's future.
31 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has been named an inaugural winner of the Africa Higher Education for Transformation Prize, receiving US$3 million from the Mastercard Foundation for excellence in research and innovation. The award will support expansion of KNUST's research-to-innovation pipeline, incubation and entrepreneurship programmes, and industry partnerships to create economic opportunities for young people.
23 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
KNUST has been selected as one of five African universities to receive a $3 million Mastercard Foundation prize for driving higher education transformation. The award recognises the university's excellence in research and innovation, particularly its platforms like the Kumasi Business Incubator and Innovation Centre for converting research into startups and industry solutions.
23 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The Coalition for Positive Impact has launched the eighth Igniting Dreams Summit in Wa with a new partnership with the Mastercard Foundation to address youth unemployment and entrepreneurship in Northern Ghana. A business pitch competition offered 20 fellows up to GH¢100,000 in seed funding, with organisers citing youth unemployment at 25.7 per cent across the five northern regions.
18 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The proposed Poultry Master Plan will provide a long-term roadmap to make Ghana self-sufficient in poultry production through a phased and coordinated approach, according to Dr Dan Acquaye, CEO of Agri-Impact Limited. Achieving self-sufficiency requires sustained investment across the entire value chain, including expanding maize and soya production, improving infrastructure, and strengthening processing capacity.
17 July 2026 · Joy Online →
A proposed Poultry Master Plan aims to provide a long-term roadmap for Ghana to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry production through phased, coordinated investment across the value chain. Dr Dan Acquaye, CEO of Agri-Impact Limited, says self-sufficiency cannot be achieved in a few years and requires expansion of maize and soya production, infrastructure improvements, and better farming practices alongside increased bird production.
17 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana consumes an estimated 452,100 tonnes of chicken yearly but produces only about 60,000 tonnes domestically, meaning roughly 87% of consumed chicken is imported. Joy Business and the Super Morning Show will host a high-level roundtable to examine whether Ghana can close the gap and achieve poultry self-sufficiency.
16 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Joy Business and the Super Morning Show will host a roundtable discussion on Ghana's poultry industry, examining why Ghana imports roughly 87% of the chicken it consumes despite decades of policy interventions, and whether the country can close the gap between its estimated annual consumption of 452,100 tonnes and domestic production of about 60,000 tonnes.
16 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Joy Business and the Super Morning Show will host a high-level roundtable on Thursday examining whether Ghana can achieve poultry self-sufficiency. Ghana consumes an estimated 452,100 tonnes of chicken a year but produces only about 60,000 tonnes domestically, with roughly 87% of consumption met through imports.
15 July 2026 · Joy Online →