Dancehall artiste Livingstone Etse Satekla known in music circles as StoneBwoy has been using music to preach cocoa farming to youth in the country especially in the cocoa growing areas.
The musician has been touring parts of the Volta region as an ambassador of MASO programme that aims at empowering the youth of the country to participate in cocoa growing and rest of the cocoa value chain including allied service delivery in the cocoa sector of the country’s agriculture.
The programme focuses on creating employment opportunities for youth aged between age 18 and 25 in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Western, Central and the Volta regions of Ghana.
The MASO initiative is implemented in Ghana by Solidaridad, a global civil society organization, in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, Overseas Development Institute, Global Communities, NCBA and GOAL.
At a community durbar held at Akome Gborta in the Volta region, the award winning musician explained his role as a brand ambassador of the MASO programme and expressed his desire to use his music as a rallying tool to get the youth to go into agriculture especially cocoa as a serious business that have the potential to change their lives positively.
‘’We are working together so as to use my influence to attract the youth in the project areas. I hope to motivate the youth to achieve higher pedestals and through hardwork not only with my presence but with my music.’’ said StoneBwoy.
For the two- time Black Entertainment Television (BET) award winning musician, his association with MASO is a call to national duty.
‘’I don’t just associate myself with anything and anyhow, just for the fame of it. But as a youth icon, I believe that this is the best decision. This is very important for national growth,’’ Stonebwoy said.
’MASO’’, meaning ‘Lift it up’ has five years life span which started in 2016 and aimed at touching the lives of 81,661 youth.
According to the Programmes Manager of Solidaridad, Fred Frimpong, 4,700 have already been engaged.
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