MASO Youth in Cocoa Farming Programme

By Writer On Jul 31, 2019

MASO seeks to create attractive, exciting, local employment opportunities in the cocoa sector by demonstrating how cocoa farming and its associated enterprises can allow the youth to have productive,fulfilling and rewarding lives.

MASO is a five year programme, focused on creating employment opportunities for the youth (aged 18-25) in Ghana’s cocoa communities. It is implemented by five consortium members made up of Solidaridad, Aflatoun, Ashesi University, Fidelity Bank and the Ghana Cocoa Board.

MASO is part of the Youth Forward initiative which is a partnership led by The MasterCard Foundation, Overseas Development Institute, Global Communities, Solidaridad, NCBACLUSA and GOAL.

Its focus is to link young people to quality employment or to start their own businesses in the agriculture and construction sectors in Ghana and Uganda.

This five-year, US$74 million initiative will reach more than 200,000 economically disadvantaged youth aged 15-24.

The Youth Forward Initiative uses a holistic approach that combines market-relevant skills training, mentorship, internships and access to financial services to help young people transition out of poverty and into sustainable livelihoods.

How to join MASO

As a Business:

Interested in knowing more about how to joining MASO as a business, please click on the MASO Partnership Guide

As a Youth:

Contact your local community facilitator for expression of interest and complete a form. Alternatively, you may visit the MASO office in your district for registration.

The following are the criteria for selection;

You must be between the age of 17 and 25 years (evidence of this will be checked through NHIS card, birth certificates, baptismal certificates, attestation from an elder in the community, etc).
Must be resident in the community and have no immediate plans of leaving the community
Must be willing to participate in all training
Must be fairly literate (Primary, JHS, SHS)
Must be motivated to go into cocoa farming
Willingness to train other youth.
Must be out of school
Access to land or already existing cocoa farm will be added advantage.

After completing the form, you will be contacted by the programme coordination unit for screening and participation based on the above-mentioned criteria.

Click on the link to join MASO Partnership Guide

ENQUIRIES? CONTACT Phone Numbers

+233 (0) 307 001 687

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