Three Ghanaian entrepreneurs get $300,000 USAID-Western Union grants to boost businesses

Under a public-private partnership, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Western Union have granted an amount of $100,000 each to three separate firms set up by Ghanaian entrepreneurs.

This was after their business plans were approved under the USAID-Western Union partnership known as the African Diaspora Marketplace (ADM).

“The grants in Ghana went to Gonja Meat Company, Viable Vision Industries Ghana Limited, and Sardis Enterprises International,” the US Embassy said in a statement January 9, 2013.

The Gonja Meat Company, an agribusiness engaged in slaughter, processing, and sale of fresh hygienic meat is expected to use the grant to produce high quality and affordable meats using locally raised livestock, processed in its abattoir in Kumasi, and sold through its sanitary outlet stores.

While Sardis will establish a strong brand for the Ashanti line of produce, particularly its organic pineapple, and expand production and export from approximately 4,900 to 42,000 pineapples per month in 2013.

Viable Vision which is a commercial mushroom farm also plans to use its grant to set up centers and support programmes to train small-scale mushroom producers and hobby growers.

According to the statement, 17 US-based African diaspora-driven businesses in six countries were awarded grants through the ADM.

The ADM was launched in 2009 and is said to be one of the few public-private initiatives to harness the knowledge and resources of the US-based African diaspora and other entrepreneurs to address economic opportunity by increasing access to capital for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is jointly funded by the USAID, the Western Union Company, and the Western Union Foundation.

By Ekow Quandzie