GrEEn Project: SNV Ghana, EU commission six eco-friendly businesses

The SNV Netherlands Development Organization in Ghana has commissioned six sustainable and eco-friendly businesses in the Ashanti Region.

These businesses fall under the European Union (EU) funded “Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project.

The GrEEn project is a four-year plan aimed at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses and providing employable skills training to youth job seekers in the Ashanti and Western Regions.

The project has partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.

GrEEn is implemented under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa with a total contribution of EUR 20.6 million.

First of the businesses commissioned was the “Tahir Fields Recycling” located at Sekyere and owned by Tahir Taajuddeen.

Tahir Fields Recycling is an oil refining company that recycles waste engine oil using green technology approaches.

At the commissioning of the site, Mr. Taajudeen unveiled a pre-treatment tank, filtration system, reactor, heating system, condensers, a post-treatment tank, and a tricycle to scale up his oil recycling.

He recounted how he was able to create jobs and increase daily waste oil recycling and refining from 12 litres to 940 litres after being awarded a matching grant of GH₵140,000.00 by the EU during the maiden 2021 GrEEn Innovation Challenge by SNV Ghana.

At New Edubiase, Supreme Pod Industry, a cutting-edge cocoa juice production factory was commissioned.

Mr Michael Acquah, the owner, said he identified the problem of under-utilised cocoa by farmers in the region and beyond as his driving goal to make complete use of cocoa.

“Over the years, the processing of cocoa has mainly been on the dried beans. In the value chain of processing this dried bean, there is the first part, which is the husk that normally goes to waste when farmers break the pod to do the fermentation.

So, this is why I have developed the technology and the innovation to extract and process into juice,” he revealed.

Equipped with a water treatment facility, machines, and essential logistics such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to protect its workers and ensure the highest standards of hygiene and product quality, the factory has created jobs for 25 young people in the community.

Mr Andrew Abuska owns Eye of the Brain Ecofeeds, where he collects and recycles household and food waste, using them to nurse maggots and make feed for fish, poultry, sheep, cattle, and goats at Akotosu near Kumawu.

He unveiled a facility intended to boost production from 15 bags per week to 100 bags daily as well as increase supply of organic fertilizer to more than 1,000 farmers in the District and across Ghana.

He had already received a matching grant of GH₵135,000.00 from the GrEEn Project.

At Nhyiaeso the team commissioned the Rural Green Recycling, a waste segregation site funded by the EU.

The facility which is equipped a crusher to shred Polythylene Terephthale (PET) waste plastic bottles before selling to recycling centres is owned by Mr. Frank Amoah Boateng.

Mr. Boateng after receiving a GH₵55,000.00 grant from the GrEEn project had increased plastic waste collection from 1.5 tons to 5 tons per month in Atasemanso.

He has also increased plastic waste collection from 0.2 tonnes to 4-6 tonnes per month in Obogu in the Asante Akyem South District.

Ms. Pamela Agbotse, founder of Pamela Chicks and Feed located in Jamasi, inaugurated a poultry feed production facility with a three-in-one (blower, hammer mill and mixer) machine.

The facility is set to produce 600 bags of feed a day as compared to the 200 bags she was producing in a week previously to meet market demand.

Furthermore, her increased production capacity has enabled her to secure a project to produce feed for about 80,000 birds.

Ms. Agbotse had earlier received a grant of GH₵100,000.00 from the project to expand business operations.

Foster Osae who owns Ofnet Farms in Jamasi also received GH₵70,000.00 grants to support his organic fertilizer production business.

He has expanded his capacity from 50 bags a week to 3,600 bags weekly, providing employment for 27 youth in the community.

Mr. Osae makes his organic fertilizer from agro and other farm waste such as cocoa and rick husks.

Madam Genevieve Parker-Twum, Senior Incubation and Acceleration Advisor on the GrEEn Project said it was relieving to see all the businesses that received the grant put it to good use.

“Of course, the SNV conducted due diligence with our partners, and we were certain that their businesses will not harm the environment and, importantly, provide jobs for youth.
To see it all come to fruition just shows impact is possible with the right type of support,” she stressed.