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GeoHeat-SSA: Geo-Intelligence decision-support platform for urban heat governance in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) addresses the growing threat of extreme urban heat in rapidly expanding African cities. In Ghana, rising temperatures interact with dense development, vegetation loss, informal settlement growth, limited public infrastructure, and uneven access to cooling, creating serious risks for health, livelihoods, and urban liveability. However, many local authorities lack the data, technical capacity, and practical tools needed to identify heat hotspots, understand who is most vulnerable, and test effective responses.

Implemented by the Global Youth Innovation Centre (GYIC), a non-profit organisation, the initiative is helping to rewrite the narrative for marginalised groups in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital.

The organization has flagged with concern, large companies, wealthy businessmen, and politically exposed persons acquiring large tracks of land for plantations and industries in areas occupied by smallholder farmers.

Funded by the Advocates for Community Alternatives and the Sora Kaufman Fellowship, the project is a beacon of hope, forging strong partnerships with the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, Social Welfare Department, and local microfinance institutions. This ensures a sustainable network where women don’t just survive—they thrive, pioneering new livelihoods that uplift their families and inspire entire communities.

Women working in Sunyani’s informal sector, especially those running small and medium-sized enterprises, continue to face steep barriers to financial inclusion. High interest rates, limited access to credit, and gaps in financial management skills keep many trapped in unstable income cycles. But a new initiative is helping to change that narrative.

Participants underwent intensive, hands-on training aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice. They acquired practical skills in baking and professional makeup artistry, enabling them to pursue immediate income-generating opportunities.

The initiative forms part of efforts to reduce unemployment among vulnerable groups by providing them with marketable skills and enterprise support that can lead to sustainable income generation.

The programme combined certified vocational training with entrepreneurship development, financial literacy, digital marketing, customer relations and business mentoring. Participants received training in pastries and bakery production, soap and detergent manufacturing, cosmetology and bead making, enabling them to transform their newly acquired skills into viable businesses.