BTA2023 Telecel Ghana held a session to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in incorporating sustainable business practices into their daily operations.
The sustainability workshop is one of the events and perks available to businesses participating in Telecel’s SME Month celebration in September, which aims to empower, assist, and strengthen the growth of new enterprises.
The sustainability event was hosted and facilitated by Mckingtorch Africa, an environmental and climate advocacy organisation. It drew a diverse group of entrepreneurs and their employees from SMEs such as Landmark Homes, CTA Investments, Abii National Savings and Loans, Equity Health Insurance, G&J Ghana, Reime Ghana, and Moolre Limited.
According to a Telecel press release, participants were educated on how to implement Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) concepts into their SMEs in order to create long-term business success.
The event also shed insight on how sustainable practices might assist SMEs in attracting investment, grants, and long-term support from international donors.
Makafui Awuku, Founder and CEO of Mckingtorch Africa, delivered a presentation on the business case for ESG practices, design thinking for sustainable solutions, and attaining sustainability in SMEs.
He discussed how SMEs might decrease waste, explore eco-friendly procurement and packaging, conserve water in their operations, engage host communities, become more energy efficient, and use upcycling and sustainability games to promote positive environmental change.
“Profitability and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. You do not need to finish developing our business before considering sustainability. It can be incorporated as one of the main features because sustainability equals profitability. Makafui Awuku stated that SMEs will save a significant amount of money by reducing waste, water, and energy, as well as other components that will benefit them in the long term.
Tawa Bolarin, Director of Enterprise Business and Wholesale at Telecel Ghana, who attended one of the breakout group sessions, stated: “It’s been an enlightening and useful hands-on sustainability workshop.”
“I am delighted that all SMEs in attendance learnt about the different ways they may incorporate sustainable practices into their business operations. More importantly, they have learnt how sustainable practices can help them obtain grants and financing for their businesses.”
Attendees participated in upcycling breakout sessions, where they created earrings and lip balm containers out of glass and plastic garbage, as well as innovative art works out of plastic waste, repurposed material, and leftover refrigerator insulating foam.
These hands-on exercises demonstrated how to convert garbage into usable objects and items.
