A Year of Youth Spotlight Series – Eve Asante of Ghana

A Short Bio about Yourself

My name is Eve Asante, I am 33 years old, and I live in Ghana. I am currently the Managing Director of Asante & Partners and have a Masters in Global Project Management.

I initiated a social responsibility project dedicated to empowering the youth of Ghana by creating job opportunities that promote entrepreneurship, education, and skills development. This initiative has already made a significant impact, reaching over 160,000 youths in Ghana, with the potential for further expansion as the project continues to evolve.

My project has been recognised and supported by esteemed organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, British Council, UNDP, KGL Foundation, and other stakeholders.

Tell us a little about your event/project (how it came about, number of young people benefited and impact it had)

I have always wanted to give back to my motherland and moved my company here in 2022. When hiring new staff in Ghana, I realised that young people needed to improve their skillsets to be employable.  As a solution-focused individual, I immediately wanted to help in resolving this issue so that young people in Ghana did not have to face the same challenges that I did. Many of the young people in Ghana are actually the breadwinners for their family, so giving them a job opportunity that would help sustain their households was a win-win situation for me.

It may in fact be utterly impossible to be successful without helping others to become successful

Maya Angelou

So far, we have trained up to 2,000 young people in the last year. However, we have identified 160,000 young people who could be trained. I believe our training process is very rigorous and efficient, and we have introduced the element of securing virtual work experience with some of the leading companies in the world.

The impact has been overwhelmingly positive, and being able to help the young people attain their dream graduate job is the exact reason behind my initiative. I am proud of my team and our participants who work hard to secure these jobs.

What inspired you to work on this particular issue?

Honestly, if you are in a position to make a difference, why wouldn’t you? I am also young and it took others in a higher position to also help me get to where I am today. So it’s only right for me to help others. Currently, the statistics in Ghana for youth unemployment are horrific, considering young people make up over half of the population. That fact alone is all the inspiration I need.

What should your country/community do to address this issue?

I am aware that youth unemployment is a global issue, however for us in Ghana, it cannot continue to be a national crisis. Like I stated earlier, our youth population is too large for us to ignore this issue. There is also a large pool of the youth not in school, employment or in training. Our government must keep addressing this issue.

It is also quite disheartening to have university graduates unemployed, for over 7-8 years in some case, after securing their degree.

What was the most memorable moment during the event/project?

My aim is to change the narrative for the youth of Ghana, and I get to witness that when we get a call or email from our participants to let us know they have secured a job. We have also secured a partnership with a group called Mentivity in the UK who provide us with free laptops for the youth who secure remote work opportunities. Removing any form of barrier when it comes to employment has to be the most memorable moment for me in this project.

What is your vision for this project?

My vision is to have a pool of well-trained and employable young people, not just Ghana but across the whole African continent. You have no idea how brilliant the youth of Africa are, and I cannot wait to provide them with the resources and opportunities they need to excel.

What keeps you motivated?

Knowing I am making a difference definitely keeps me motivated.

Tell us an unusual fact or piece of trivia about yourself?

I believe my passion for Ghana comes from the fact that I grew up with my grandparents for almost nine years of my early life. I loved every minute of it!

What is your favourite quote? Why?

‘It may in fact be utterly impossible to be successful without helping others to become successful’, this was said by Maya Angelou. I think it’s quite self-explanatory; if you have ever thought about being successful, start by creating something that helps others.

What youth issue should be a priority for the Commonwealth Youth Programme and why?

I think anything related to the development of the youth, especially around employment skills. The Commonwealth Youth Programme must prioritise the training and upskilling of young people as it is essential in this constantly changing world. These skills will not only help the new generation reach their full potential in their careers but can also assist in navigating daily challenges in life.