Only the Zongo communities can change their circumstances – Dr. Amin Adam
Accra: Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, says the future of a prosperous zongo community lies in the will of the zongo people to change their own circumstances.
He said the community must be willing to rise to the challenges of overcoming poverty and becoming successful through education and entrepreneurship.
“God is not going to come down and change our circumstances; we have to change our own circumstances,” he said.
Dr. Adam, made the remarks at the Zongo Startup Summit held under the theme “Empower, Connect, Transform: Elevating Zongo’s Entrepreneurial Spirit,”
He said that being a Muslim and living in a Zongo community was not just about seeking spiritual development but also living a good life based on good earnings.
“Muslims will think that Manna will fall from heaven for you, then you will stay in abject poverty. You will suffer, and you will struggle to survive,” he said.
He expressed delight at individuals who strive to change the negative narrative of the Zongo community through their endeavours.
“Zongos are usually condemned to places where crimes take place with people who are not serious and do not want to go to school. But the time has come for us to change this image.
“Achieving success is not easy. You will fall many times, and you will fail many times. But each time you fall, you rise, and that is what determines your success,” he said.
Dr. Daniel McKorley, Chairman of the MacDan Group, urged young entrepreneurs to be consistent at what they do.
He said the practice of changing business ventures based on what is in vogue does not augur well for sustainability and growth.
“You end up using 15 to 20 years of your life moving from one place to another, wasted,” he said.
Sydney Hushie, Regional Innovation Specialist at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), urged the community to support startups by patronising their products to sustain them.
He advised against leveraging ties of friendship and family to demand unnecessary reductions, credit purchases, and freebies, which inadvertently could lead to the collapse of the businesses.
Mr. Hushie also urged young entrepreneurs to be willing to share their businesses with others and create a growth mindset where they would willingly explore innovative ways of transforming ideas into viable solutions.
“If you are turning to entrepreneurship as a solution to quickly get out of unemployment, then you are getting on a path to failure,” he said.
About 15 entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to participants at the event.
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