A Better World for All: Kumasi Hive Contributes to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
- Freda Yamorti Gbande | Research Associate
According to the 2018 Goalkeepers Data Report made by the Gates Foundation, it is projected that Sub-Saharan Africa will be home to 86 percent of the world’s poorest populations by 2050. The report argues that the solution to reducing this impending extreme poverty is to invest in young people, their health and education — thereby creating a conducive environment with opportunities for innovation and technological upgrade.
“The youth are not only the Leaders of tomorrow. They are also the Leaders of today.”
The 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as established in the year 2000 by all 189 United Nations member states brought about colossal change to nations but did not end poverty for every person. This led to the development of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, a build up on the MDGs which were aimed at reducing extreme poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality and improving access to water and sanitation by 2015. The 17 SDGs and 169 targets are interventions that are global, inclusive and transformative. The goal of the SDGs is to further reduce poverty, address the issues of inequality and injustice and tackle climate change. Ghana was directly involved in the development of the SDGs, which shows her desire to achieve shared prosperity and a safe environment for her people.
Africa records the majority of its populace to be young people, with 60% of its 1.2 billion total populace falling below the age of 25. How do we then harness this overabundance of human resource filled with youthful exuberance, empathy, innovative ideas, willingness to forfeit comfort and instant gratification to drive the social, economic and environmental development we need? To reiterate, the solution to reducing Africa’s threatening extreme poverty, is in reducing challenges faced by young people, include the youth in decision-making, promote youth entrepreneurship, provide lifelong learning opportunities and create jobs. We can only achieve this by a collective effort. Therefore, it is imperative that the government, the private sector, NGOs and even individuals pull their weight in investing in young people to generate the prosperity that we desire.
“We believe — and history proves — that poor countries can chart a new course by investing in their young people.”
Kumasi Hive recognizes the importance of harnessing the energy and creativity of young people to accelerate development, and as such, has been involved in shaping the minds of young Ghanaians by giving them the requisite business and technological skills to create solutions and compete globally. Here at Kumasi Hive, we believe strongly in the potential of young people to lead significant advancements that will shape our course of history. This fuels our drive to consistently provide lifelong learning opportunities relevant to the personal and professional development of young people and to equip them with employable and entrepreneurial skills. Kumasi Hive provides a makerspace for rapid prototyping of ideas, embraces local innovative solutions, boosts social impact of startups while lowering the barriers that impede implementation of innovative ideas and entrepreneurial potential of young people.
We also provide trainings in emerging technologies of Web Development, Android Development, Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), 3D Modelling and Printing, Graphic Design, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. We have provided training to a total of 1066 young people in 2018 and 168 women. Trainees are mostly students, graduates, entrepreneurs and professionals who fall between the ages of 18 and 30. In addition to this, we have actively supported 75 startups, including Dext Technology, SpaceWek, BlessedFoods and Sesi Technologies; providing them with workspaces and a makerspace, networking opportunities and international exposure. Our working spaces and facilities are made available to seven resident startups: Dext Technology, CeRIT, SpaceWek, Challenges Worldwide, Nonafate, GrabAcup and Klaks 3D. We also continue to provide consultancy services to startups — Bluespark Water Technologies Services and Premier Waste Services; we provide a support package to start-ups to allow businesses with potential to focus on growth, we guide them in proposal writing, market sales and research, strategic and business planning.
We recognize that the world is at the brink of the fourth industrial revolution and we believe in raising the next generation to be able to stay relevant in the global job market and in the realm of social impact. With this in mind, the Hive has embarked on projects such as training 200 kids (7 -15 years) of the Palmer International School in Digital Arts, basic Electronics and learning platform littleBits, basic photography, editing and mobile app development with MIT app inventor. Kumasi Hive also runs an initiative called Prac-Science that seeks to enhance teaching and learning of science at the basic school level using low-cost materials that are easily accessible in our local setting. We trained 9 teachers from 6 participating schools on how to use innovative methods in teaching science in their various schools. So far, this initiative has imparted 540 basic school pupils providing them with resourced laboratories to study science in a fun and innovative way. We look to stimulate a sense of creativity in the next generation that will serve as a stepping-stone into innovative ideas and products later on.
Sustainable Development Goals that Kumasi Hive and sister hubs are actively working to achieve include, ‘Quality Education’, ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’. While Kumasi Hive directly works to achieve these sustainable development goals, the impact of our activities also leads to the realization of other sustainable development goals — ‘No Poverty’ — ‘Zero Hunger’ — ‘Good health and well-being’. Moving into 2019, Kumasi Hive will continue to work towards achieving these SDGs. In this coming year, we will continually empower individuals by providing the tools that people need to create solutions and improve their businesses.
That being said, the government must make policies that create an enabling environment and invest in young people. Achievements of other Sustainable Development Goals, such as ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’, ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’, ‘Reduced Inequalities’ and ‘Peace, Justice and Strong’ depend on good policies and investments on the part of the government. However, the burden of alleviating poverty in Ghana and empowering her people should be the concern of all. We must strive to stand for change and work towards that change we desire.
Thanks for reading.
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Further Reading
https://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/PublicationFiles/demographic_profile_rev_april_25.pdf