3 Young People from Grassroots Hub Participated in Global Solvers Co-Lab489 at Aubervilliers, France

Photo Credit: Emmanuel Clifford Gyetuah, Participant, Co-Lab489

To take on the Sustainable Development Goals on a global scale, you need a training experience that offers an international engagement. The Global Solvers Workshop, dubbed Co-Lab 489 UN-Limited sought to assemble highly skilled change-makers working in their communities. The workshop consisted of 20 representatives from across the world (Chile, USA, Japan, Morocco, Ghana, Uganda) invited to a 6-day working space in Aubervilliers, France. They received a vigorous learning experience in topics such as intercultural communications, system thinking, design thinking and socio-economic elements to birth understanding of the challenges they seek to solve. Participants also received skills and tools enhancements to enable them implement effectively the designed solutions to replicate them on a global scale from their communities.

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[As, a participant myself, it was an uplifting experience that reshaped my insight into the SDGs and my approach into how to work towards the resolution of the Goals.]

Photo Credit: Melton Foundation Media Team

The Co-Lab 489 Goal

With several strategic partners such as the Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung, Development Perspectives and Aubervilliers Municipality, Melton Foundation organised the first ever Global Solvers Co-Lab:489 UN-Limited to convene 20 competitively selected leaders to learn, collaborate, network and co-create meaningful solutions to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Participants developed a deep understanding about SDGs, 4, 8 and 9 most especially, explored how they intersect, develop strategies to mobilize meaningful actions in their communities to generate local impact with a global context in mind.

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The Ghanaian Team

Photo Credit: Lawrence Young, Trainer, Co-Lab489

Four Ghanaians participated in the Global Solvers Lab. Three participants were from Grassroots Hub. The other Ghanaian participant is Emmanuel Clifford Gyetuah, a certified Advocate of the Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana and also works with Youth Advocates Ghana as the International Programmes Officer. Emmanuel Clifford is the project coordinator for the Citizens Report project which he presented at the workshop in Pecha Kucha style. The Citizens Report Project is a youth led data initiative that uses citizens generated data to monitor the implementation of the SDGs in Africa.

Grassroots Hub Participants

Three participants of the Global Solvers Co-Lab were from Grassroots Hub, an eco-entrepreneurship hub based in the Kenyasi community of the Brong Ahafo of Ghana. They are Nana Yaa Korankyewa Ayim, Georgina Boateng and David Ohene-Asante. These young participants used the opportunity to exhibit the various projects at the workshop.

David Ohene-Asante’s work is focused on ICT skills training for youth to boost their economic activities and maximize their profit. Through this project, he has been able to reach out to several unemployed youth in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Photo Credit: Melton Foundation, Media Team

Ms. Georgina Boateng’s project is aimed at building a community of women in mining through networking, training and mentorship. The Women in Mining Forum seeks to increase the women intake into the extractive industry to 5%.

Ms. Nana Yaa Ayim involves using nutrient recycling process to transform waste into organic fertilizer and animal feed. The sale of the products from her company are also used to embark upon waste education campaigns to educate children on environmental protection and co-friendly lifestyle.

Photo Credit: Melton Foundation Media Team

The Co-Lab brought together talented young people leading several projects to advance the implementation of the SDGs at all levels. One other brilliant aspect of the workshop is the time and opportunity for participants and trainers to connect and network and exchange ideas and best practices at the individual level.

Watch what Nana Yaa Korankyewa Ayim said about her experience at the Co-Lab.