Processed rice, colourful garments and other locally produced goods took centre stage as beneficiaries of the Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism (#BRAVE II) project showcased their skills and enterprises at a district-level exhibition in Bawku West.

The exhibition brought together livelihood beneficiaries, the Bawku West District Assembly, STAR-Ghana Foundation, partners and other stakeholders to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to showcase what they produce and engage with potential customers and market actors.

For the beneficiaries, the exhibition represented an important step in the journey from skills acquisition to enterprise development and market access.

James Ayamwego (first from right), District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bawku West, looks on as processed and packaged rice produced by BRAVE II-supported entrepreneurs is showcased during the exhibition.

From skills to products

In Sapelliga, rice processing is not new. What has changed for beneficiaries such as Amshetu Ayamba is the skills and support received through the intervention.

According to Amshetu, the training has helped the group improve how they process and present their rice products.

“Now when we go to the market with our products, it is different – we stand out from the rest.”

She said the group would like to expand its activities and access more materials and support to increase production.

For Amshetu, the benefits extend beyond her enterprise. She hopes the income generated will help her support her daughter’s education, including her ambition to attend nursing training college.

Sewing was another skill on display at the exhibition.

For Issah Hawawu, a seamstress from Sapelliga, the intervention provided an opportunity to acquire dressmaking skills within a shorter period.

She noted that sewing traditionally requires several years of apprenticeship, but the training enabled participants to acquire practical skills within one year.

The products on display offered a visible demonstration of what the trainees are now able to produce.

“We are producing to sell,” Issah said, while appealing to the District Assembly and other stakeholders to support more young people to acquire skills and create livelihoods locally.

Creating opportunities closer to home

For Eunice R. Agbenyadzi, Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation, the exhibition is part of a broader effort to support young people and women to build decent livelihoods.

STAR-Ghana Foundation, in collaboration with BElim Wusa Development Agency (BEWDA), is currently supporting more than 150 households in the Sapelliga area through livelihood interventions.

Agbenyadzi explained that economic opportunities can play an important role in helping people build more secure livelihoods and contribute to household needs, including children’s education and healthcare.

She said the exhibition was also intended to demonstrate the talent and potential within the beneficiary groups.

“The exhibition is to show people that they are talented — the groups — and with little support they can do more.”

She encouraged stakeholders and community members to support the beneficiaries by purchasing their products and helping connect them to buyers.

Processed and packaged rice produced by the BRAVE II-supported entrepreneurs showcased during the exhibition.

A role for the District Assembly

The District Chief Executive (DCE), James Ayamwego, expressed appreciation for the partnership with STAR-Ghana Foundation, describing the exhibition as an opportunity to see the intervention and its results more clearly.

He encouraged the District Assembly and other stakeholders to build on the initiative and strengthen collaboration to address economic challenges in the district.

For the DCE, the intervention goes beyond identifying challenges — it demonstrates practical ways of responding to them.

He called on stakeholders to see the collaboration as a collective effort and to continue supporting the initiative.

Finding markets for locally produced goods

The exhibition also generated discussions about potential institutional markets.

A caterer who visited the exhibition noted the potential of the stone-free local rice for institutional catering, including the school feeding programme, where removing stones from rice can be time-consuming.

For the beneficiaries, such connections could make an important difference — turning an exhibition display into a potential customer relationship.

The District’s Business Advisory Centre, which supports micro, small and medium enterprises, was also among the local structures that can play a role in connecting emerging enterprises to business development support.

The journey continues

The Bawku West exhibition demonstrated that the beneficiaries are not simply recipients of training. They are producers, entrepreneurs and potential suppliers of goods and services within their communities.

For some, the immediate priority is access to materials and equipment. Others are looking for irrigation and agricultural inputs, while others need stronger connections to buyers and institutional markets.

The exhibition provides a platform to begin building those connections.

From skills to products. From products to markets. And from markets to stronger livelihoods.

That, ultimately, is the opportunity the BRAVE II market linkage exhibitions are seeking to create.