Joana Ohene

YEP period 2022 - 2024, batch 26

YEP Role

I work as a Hub Manager at the Circular Economy Hub in Ghana which is being implemented by MDF West Africa in partnership with Centre for Enterprise Learning and GIZ. My role as Young Expert requires to plan, coordinate, evaluate and supervise the hub activities (design, set up, build and manage the hub), contributing to the operationalisation of a sustainable circular economy hub with a Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution along the Organic-Waste-Value chain.

The Hub is to assist young organic waste-to-value-chain actors such as young entrepreneurs to gain access to markets and build capacity of start-ups, early-stage and established businesses owned by youth, migrants and women entrepreneurs. This all leading to improved livelihood, food security and creation of decent jobs for communities in peri-urban areas in Ghana.

Skills

• Project planning and implementation
• Financial planning
• Operations management
• Entrepreneurship development

Background

• Nationality: Ghanaian
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance

Experience before YEP

I have worked with MDF West Africa in the entrepreneurship support in growth and sustainability area for the implementation of large projects.

I started as Project Support Assistant and moved to supporting the set up of the Ghana Innovation hub. In this role I participated in the planning and implementing of this Entrepreneurship Development Hub: a sector agnostic co-working and private offices space with a training facility that supports (youth-led and woman-led) entrepreneurs with innovations in Ghana through venture incubation, business and skills development. As the Facility coordinator for the Hub, my role was planning and organising the programmes (trainings and events) and event associated with the project and all other entrepreneurship ecosystem activities.

I was also the Project Support/ Assistant Coordinator for the Orange Corners Acceleration Programme in Ghana, also being implemented by MDF. I have been responsible for the planning and coordination of the recruitment and selection of participating companies for the six cohorts over the past two years. In this role, I have also been responsible for the communications, profiling of entrepreneurs on social media, planning & organising training events and network events.

In my function, I had the privilege to participate as co-facilitator in several trainings programmes for entrepreneurs including the British council’s Jobs for Youth: Migration and Employment Promotion programme, where we supported young people in setting up small businesses in various sector via ideation, incubation and acceleration trajectories.