From Skills to Opportunity: KIC Empowers more than 300 Women in Manso Akroso

More than 300 women in the Manso Akroso District Assembly are gaining new opportunities to strengthen their livelihoods following an entrepreneurship bootcamp organised by the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC).

The initiative is part of KIC’s commitment to supporting young people and women in local communities with practical skills that can translate into income-generating opportunities. By combining entrepreneurship training with hands-on skills development and starter support, the programme is helping women turn locally available resources and their own capabilities into viable economic opportunities.

Before the training commenced, the KIC team engaged with the District Director, Mr. Stephen Boadi to discuss the initiative and its potential to contribute to economic empowerment within the community.

Building Skills for Enterprise

During the bootcamp, participants received practical training in the production of a range of products, including sausage rolls, meat pies, jam rolls and liquid soap. The hands-on approach was designed to give participants practical skills they could apply immediately within their communities.

The training goes beyond teaching participants how to make products. It introduces women to opportunities for value addition and entrepreneurship, enabling them to explore ways of turning skills and locally available resources into small businesses.

Following the training, KIC provided participants with starter packs to help them begin applying their newly acquired skills and take their first steps towards establishing or expanding income-generating activities.

Empowering Women, Strengthening Households

For many women, access to practical skills, resources and opportunities to earn an income can have an impact that extends well beyond the individual.

When women are able to establish small businesses or generate additional income, they can contribute more significantly to household needs—including children’s education, food, healthcare and other essential expenses. The benefits can also extend into the wider community as women purchase supplies locally, serve customers and create opportunities for others.

Through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, KIC is therefore supporting a pathway from skills development to economic participation, giving women practical tools to build greater financial independence and contribute to the wellbeing of their families.

Creating Opportunity from Within the Community

The programme reflects an approach to community empowerment that recognises the potential already present within local communities. Rather than focusing solely on employment opportunities outside the community, the training equips women with skills they can use to create opportunities where they live.

For the women of Manso Akroso, the starter packs represent more than equipment and materials. They provide a practical starting point for putting new skills into action, testing business ideas and building livelihoods.

As these women begin to apply what they have learned, the impact has the potential to ripple outward—from individual women, to households, and ultimately to the wider community.

Through initiatives such as the Women’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, KIC continues to support communities with the skills, opportunities and resources needed to build more resilient livelihoods and create pathways for inclusive economic participation.