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Orange Corners Ghana celebrates the graduation of over 100 entrepreneurs for its Cohort 7 batch and the Launch of its Cohort 8 batch
On Monday, July 10, 2023, Orange Corners Ghana proudly celebrated the graduation of over 100 remarkable youth-led businesses who successfully completed the six-month acceleration programme. The momentous occasion took place at a physical ceremony held at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Accra.
The graduation ceremony marked the conclusion of its cohort 7 batch, during which Orange Corners provided comprehensive support to over 350 talented innovators admitted into the program, including expert training, coaching, masterclasses, as well as access to facilities, networks, and finance to foster the growth of their enterprises.
Out of the 350 who were supported from the Orange Corners Centres from across the country (Accra, Kumasi, Ho, Takoradi and Tamale), over 100 successfully completed and qualified to apply for the program’s allocated funding opportunity.
The ceremony served as a platform for entrepreneurs to express their deep appreciation for the invaluable training and support received through the Orange Corners programme. The testimonials reflected the transformative impact of the programme on their personal and professional growth, highlighting the valuable insights gained and the confidence instilled in them as aspiring entrepreneurs.
Over the past six months, the Cohort 7 participants have undergone an intensive and rigorous acceleration program designed to equip them with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to scale their businesses through capacity building and access to funding.
Through mentorship, workshops, networking opportunities, and access to finance, these young entrepreneurs have demonstrated remarkable growth and resilience in the face of challenges. They have emerged as trailblazers and change-makers in their respective industries, poised to contribute to the economic development of their communities.
Orange Corners Ghana is thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for the entrepreneurs who were supported from January 2023 to June 2023. They will now have the chance to apply for a low-interest growth loan of up to EUR 50,000.00 from the Orange Corners Innovation Fund, managed by Fidelity Bank. This initiative aims to provide these exceptional individuals with the financial resources necessary to scale their businesses and continue their path to success.
His Excellency, Jeroen Verheul, the Ambassador of The Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, extended warm congratulations to the participants of cohort 7 during the graduation ceremony, recognizing their successful completion of the six-month acceleration program. The ambassador also expressed recognition for the remarkable achievements of the Orange Corners Ghana Acceleration Program. Furthermore, he highlighted the program’s partners and enthusiastically welcomed Koudijs and Cargill Ghana, who joined as new partners in the Orange Corners Ghana Program last year.
During his speech, the ambassador emphasized the significant expansion of our capacity to accommodate a larger number of individuals for training. He highlighted the impressive growth observed in the number of participants, partners, and program locations across various regions of Ghana.
Additionally, he acknowledged the inclusion of digital sessions in our outreach efforts. This strategic addition aims to explore the possibility of modifying the training format to reach a broader audience, as the traditional one-on-one approach has inherent limitations in terms of scalability.
Mr. Richard Yeboah, the Regional Director of MDF Africa, conveyed his gratitude to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for granting us the opportunity to support these entrepreneurs. He emphasized the inception of the Orange Corners program, which commenced in 2019 with 30 companies, and has since provided support to over 600 companies.
Mr. Richard Yeboah also highlighted the increasing number of applications received and the decision to scale up the program after consulting with the partners. Currently, we are offering these programs in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Ho. He also emphasized one of the distinctive aspects of the Orange Corners Program, which involves supporting companies in their formalization process. The program goes beyond merely generating employment opportunities; it focuses on creating decent jobs.
Additionally, he discussed a new phase of the program that aims to promote sustainability in businesses and the agricultural value chain, particularly in the horticulture and cocoa industries. He explained how the program aims to assist businesses operating within these sectors.
The partners, including Fidelity Bank, Vivo Energy, Koudijs, People’s Pension Trust, MPS Tema Port, Friesland Campina, and Cargill Ghana, were all present to extend their congratulations to the entrepreneurs who successfully completed the six-month acceleration program. They commended the entrepreneurs for their achievements and encouraged them to make a positive impact on the economy by thinking SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound) and influencing others to do the same.
Emphasizing the importance of utilizing their knowledge, abilities, and training experiences, they urged the entrepreneurs to contribute to the growth of the economy and bring pride to Ghana. Furthermore, they emphasized the significance of self-reliance, encouraging the entrepreneurs not to solely depend on external entities like the IMF but to leverage their own capabilities.
Orange Corners Ghana, an initiative of the Netherlands executed by MDF West Africa in collaboration with esteemed partners including Fidelity Bank, People’s Pension Trust, Friesland Campina, Vivo Energy, Meridian Port Services (MPS), De Heus Koudijs, and Cargill Ghana, , has made significant strides since its inception in 2019.
With a strong commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, Orange Corners Ghana has provided vital support to over 600 entrepreneurs, with an impressive 43% of these businesses being women-owned companies. The programme’s dedication to gender inclusivity underscores its commitment to empowering women and promoting diversity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Remarkably, Orange Corners Ghana has successfully facilitated the issuance of affordable loans not exceeding 50,000 Euro to deserving entrepreneurs. This financial support has played a crucial role in enabling the growth and development of these businesses, allowing them to expand their operations and make a positive impact on the local economy. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Orange Corners Ghana has demonstrated resilience and adaptability. The participating companies have exhibited remarkable growth, both in terms of the number of staff and revenue. This noteworthy achievement showcases the effectiveness of the programme’s comprehensive support, equipping entrepreneurs with the necessary tools and strategies to thrive even in uncertain times.
The call for the next batch, Cohort 8 marks an exciting new chapter for Orange Corners as it opens its doors to a fresh batch of talented and ambitious young entrepreneurs. This next cohort will have the opportunity to benefit from the vast resources, mentorship, and network of support that Orange Corners offers, propelling them towards success and sustainability in their entrepreneurial journeys.
Interested applicants are invited to visit the Orange Corners website at www.orangecorners.com or visit our social media pages for more information on the application process and eligibility criteria. The call for applications for Cohort 8 opens Today, July 10, 2023, and closes on August 11, 2023.
Hundreds of street children received a special treat during the Christmas festivities as a result of a collaboration between the management of the La Beach Hotel and the Street Academy in Accra.
It was part of the Hotel’s current arrangement to provide lunch for the children of the Academy every Friday.
Courtesy that partnership, management of the La Beach Hotel feted hundreds of street children housed by the Street Academy, creating a partying moment for the children.
According to officials of the Hotel, the gesture was to let the children feel part of the festivities and not left out.
The children enjoyed delicious meals and snack after which they danced as they enjoyed the moment.
According to the Hotel officials, “the season represents one that every parent gathers their children and shower them with gifts and others to make them happy but sadly, these unfortunate children are left on their own, having no one to care for them.”
“This is an event we intend to make an annual one. Through this, we hope to put some smiles on their faces. It is not proper to leave them on their own.”
The Executive Director of the Academy, Ataa Lartey, expressed gratitude to the management of the hotel, saying that, “this has gone a long way to excite the children and make them feel part of the celebration.”
He said due to the number of children that join around this time of the year, it becomes difficult for the Academy alone to shoulder this responsibility.
“It is not easy to organise such activities alone because it draws a lot of children, that is, those in the Academy and their friends that follow them but with such cooperate supports, we are able to bring them together to share in moments like this,” he told The Spectator.
By Spectator Reporter
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A 30-year-old surrogate mother has delivered a set of quadruplets at The Walking Egg Medical and Fertility Centre at Pokuase in Accra, in a rare surrogacy success that has brought renewed attention to assisted reproductive care in Ghana.
The babies-two boys and two girls- were delivered through a caesarean section in the early hours of Tuesday at 36 weeks and weighed an average 2.5 kilograms each, a weight doctors say was healthy for a multiple pregnancy.
IUI stands for Intrauterine Insemination, a common fertility treatment where healthy sperm are collected, ‘washed’ and concentrated in a lab, and then directly inserted into a woman’s uterus around ovulation using a thin catheter to help sperm reach the egg for fertilisation, often used for unexplained infertility, cervical issues, or mild male factor infertility, and is less invasive than IVF.
Speaking to The Spectator after the surgery, the Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Nana Yaw Osei, said the pregnancy was achieved through Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and was not planned to result in multiple births.
“With IUI, you introduce prepared sperm into the uterus and have no control over how many eggs fertilized.”
“Unlike IVF, where embryos are formed outside the body and the number transferred can be controlled, this outcome was left entirely to nature,” Dr Osei explained.
He said unlike IVF which could result in multiple babies, this is “possibly the first IUI leading to quadruplets in Ghana.”
He revealed that the surrogacy arrangement was necessary because the intended mother had lost her uterus during surgery to remove fibroids, making it medically impossible for her to carry a pregnancy.
“She had no womb of her own, through no fault of hers,” Dr Osei said, adding that “Surrogacy was the only option available for her to have a biological child.”
When scans later showed that the surrogate was carrying four fetuses, the medical team considered fetal reduction, a procedure sometimes used to reduce risks in multiple pregnancies. However, the option was rejected.
“As a strong Christian, fetal reduction is abortion to me,” Dr Osei said. “After discussions with the intended parents and the surrogate, we all agreed to continue with the pregnancy.”
Despite concerns commonly associated with multiple pregnancies, Dr Osei noted that the surrogate experienced no major complications, and the delivery was smooth. Paediatric assessments conducted after birth confirmed that all four babies are healthy.
Dr Osei again indicated that surrogacy, though still widely misunderstood, is recognised under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 2020 (Act 1027).
He urged the public to engage the subject with greater understanding.
“Surrogacy is not about convenience,” he said. “It is about restoring hope to people who have lost the ability to carry a child.”
Describing the moment of delivery, he added, “I was in tears in the theatre. It reminded me why I chose this profession.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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