Early account of AAE, 2004-2009

Conception

The idea of an African Association of Entrepreneurs (AAE) was conceived in May 2003 by the founder, Mr. Cornelius Nartey. An entrepreneur who dedicated his spare time to community development projects for a local non-profit, collaborating with other volunteers in Ghana and across the globe. He recognized a need for greater impact.

Africa is home to enterprising individuals working in low-income communities who are adversely affected by unfavorable economic policies, illiteracy and poor enterprise support infrastructures. There was a
need to encourage volunteerism, to raise awareness and to address the generally low entrepreneurial spirit of graduates

Over the decades, the shift from entrepreneurship to a proliferation of petty trading accross is well documented. In Ghana, small enterprises, which employed between one to five people, covered close to 70 percent of the Ghanaian labor force, ranging from farming, agri-businesses, light manufacturing, arts and crafts, textiles and garments, tourism, financial services, construction, and carpentry, among many other businesses. To foster the growth of these enterprises, targeted interventions were required to enhance their prospects and competitiveness.

The First Projects

In May 2005, AAE implemented a project titled “Promoting the Use of ICTs in Pro- Private Sector Reform,” funded by a grant from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund. The aim of the project was to set up an Online Advocacy
Toolkit and provide a means of advocacy for entrepreneurs. At the time, internet access was relatively low; however, the project proceeded undeterred and successfully ignited interest in online advocacy.

Recognizing the importance of micro-finance services in encouraging entrepreneurial activities in impoverished rural communities, the AAE contributed to micro-finance initiatives in Ghanaian communities in November 2005. A total of 1715 small-scale business operators, comprising fishermen, fishmongers, petty traders, hawkers, mobile phone retailers, farmers, and food processors, participated. AAE staff received training from Ghana’s Cooperative Credit Unions Association and The Ministry of
Finance & Economic Planning. In 2011, AAE handed over the micro-finance operations to the communities involved, which now run as independent projects with the support of micro-finance specialists/consultants of their choice.

In November 2009, AAE began an outreach to other African countries and started its community website project, allafripreneurs.org. The action plan was to help build the human resource capacity of members by boosting management and learning skills of
micro, small, and medium enterprises. Through a partnership with the United Nations Volunteers Online Volunteer Service, AAE mobilized online volunteers for diverse support service task assignments, benefiting members of various African countries.
A partnership with The Youth Employment Network (YEN) marked the start of e-coaching services for AAE members in November 2009. E-coaches provided business support and advice to young entrepreneurs and accompanied them through the process
of setting up their businesses and finding solutions to specific business challenges.

Participating entrepreneurs benefited from the mentor’s advice, knowledge, and expertise in a specific industry. Mentors received training before beginning their roles, and the Marketplace provided an online platform for communication and networking. YEN, a partnership among the United Nations, International Labour Organization, and the World Bank, was established post-Millennium Summit in 2001 to address youth employment challenges by matching experienced mentors with young entrepreneurs.

Conclusion

The AAE’s formative years, from 2004 to 2009, marked the ideation stage of the organization. It encompassed business sector advocacy projects, community microfinance initiatives, partnerships, and initial efforts to extend AAE services across Africa and beyond.