Denis Opudo
The Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF) has decided to focus its activities in offering a number of initiatives with the intention of empowering youths and increasing innovations in Ghana and other West African states. For that reason, MEF is collaborating with the Mara Foundation. This will help to host an event known as Legacy Series that will help prepare youths for the job market. The event is taking place now in Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. MEF president Ambassador Ashim Morton lauded the government’s move in coming up with the initiative. He added that the foundation has set up programs to support Ghanaian corporate and business enterprises.
According to Morton, MEF will develop an online entrepreneurship program. The program will be accessed by all students who have an access to mobile phones and internet. This will help them to get involved in sustainable development. Founded by Ugandan based entrepreneur Ashish J. Thakkar, Mara Corporation Limited (MCL), is planning to develop a smartphone in this year. This will be an affordable, high quality and efficiently made purposely for Africa. Thakkar added that they are looking forward to becoming part and parcel of the change.
He added that mobile money uptake in the continent is appealing. The continent has high chances of getting the best from the use of mobile technology. He says that it is the highest time that Africans should choose between an affordable and high-quality phone. This is because this is slowing down the continent. Accessibility of mobile phones together with the few apps, the smartphone is able to create jobs and grow innovation. Apart from developing and using content, the gadget is in a position to increase the GDP of Sub-Saharan Africa. African market needs a high quality and affordable smartphones. This will help individuals to improve their lives by accessing information online. They will also use them for financial services and trade.
There are also plans to engage young entrepreneurs to create development solutions that will depend on MARA X platform. Mara Women is an initiative run by the Mara Foundation. It majors in engaging and developing women entrepreneurs of the next generation and leaders of business. It aims to offer mentoring and training through Mara Mentor Program. The program will highly increase the knowledge, social and financial capital of women. It will do that while improving the world entrepreneurship togetherness globally. Mara Women’s main goal is to bring out women’s potential to inspire others and support gender quality.
According to Mara Foundation management, its model works on improving access to and availability of finance to women. This then leads to an increase in the number of businesses owned by women that will then lead to an increase in the women’s participation in the growth of the economy. Furthermore, the MEF will come up with a number of programs targeting the Ghanaian women and youths in the few months to come. Mr. Thakkar will take his time to pay Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ugandan Vice president a visit before moving back home. Thakkar together with Mr. Jonathan Goodluck the former Nigerian president, Kenyan Calestous, and Ethiopian Haile Gebreselassie were the recipients of LAAP Prize by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.
Mara Group founder Mr. Thakkar, is a British an entrepreneur who is based in Dubai. He is also the co-founder of Atlas Mara. His roots are traced back from the UK where he was born. He later on relocated to East Africa as a young man before coming up with Mara Group at the age of 15 years. Mr. Thakkar is the youngest billionaire in Africa and he was one of 2013 top 40 under 40 by Fortune magazine. Mara Group is a Pan-African investment organization that majors in real estate, technology, infrastructure, and banking sectors. Mr. Thakkar will be the guest speaker at the Legacy Series event in Accra Ghana today.
