Project Update: A Successful Close to the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC) Internship – Weeks 6 to 8

The two-month internship period of the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC) has officially come to a successful close. Over the past eight weeks, the 12 HBC participants and their host companies engaged in a rewarding learning and working experience.

While the interns tackled real business challenges by adapting, thinking critically, and developing practical solutions, the host companies benefited from fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to support key areas of their operations.

Here is a look at the final three weeks of the programme:

Week 6: Record Keeping & Basic Accounting Workshop

Participants continued their weekly activities such as content creation, prospecting, and signing offtaker agreements, while taking time for professional development. On Friday, 15th May, the HBC collaborated with the GNBCC SME Desk project to organize a training session on Record Keeping and Basic Accounting. This joint effort was designed to integrate GNBCC’s Private Sector Development (PSD1) projects and equip the young entrepreneurs with vital skills to support SMEs.

Held at Vandzilah Technology, the workshop was facilitated by Akwasi Dampson, Finance Manager at the GNBCC and Founder of Citadel Accounting Services. Akwasi masterfully made financial management relatable by using farming analogies:

• Assets were described as the roots that keep a business grounded and growing.

• Expenses were the nutrients needed to sustain it.

• Liabilities were obligations needing careful management.

• Profit was the harvest of a business owner’s hard work.

Through practical examples, participants learned how to record routine activities like purchasing stock and making sales. They also learned how to interpret financial records, discovering that high sales do not always translate into healthy profits.

Week 7: Final Touches and Networking

The penultimate week focused on preparing final internship reports, finalising deliverables, and documenting outcomes from meetings.

On Friday, 22nd May, the HBC Team guided participants through a progress exercise to review their journey. The teams reassessed their initial business case solutions and KPIs, highlighted accomplishments, and examined the constraints they faced during the internship. Additionally, the group participated in a practical session to hone their networking skills. They received feedback on common networking mistakes and reviewed their professional development tools, including their CVs and LinkedIn profiles.

Week 8: Company Presentations and Final Reports

In their final moments with their host companies and teammates, participants wrapped up their projects. The week’s activities centered on company presentations and the submission of the Final Internship Report, which provided a detailed outline of key metrics, achievements, and recommendations.

Looking Ahead: Meet the HBC Participants!

In our upcoming newsletters, we will be sharing the individual profiles of these 12 talented HBC participants. These young professionals have demonstrated remarkable adaptability, critical thinking, and financial literacy over the past two months.

Members and partners who wish to work with or recruit any of these promising individuals are highly encouraged to reach out to them directly! Keep an eye out for their profiles in the coming weeks.