UK-based social enterprise stirs passion for learning in Ghana

An award winning North East Media Training and Production Company in the UK, is ready to transform lives of Ghanaians through provision of a route to higher education.

Mr Dan Makaveli, Managing Director of Social Enterprise, Media Savvy Training Solutions and a lecturer at the University of Sunderland said the Company was created five years ago, with support from the Enterprise Place Development of the University.

Now hoping to expand its reach, Mr Makaveli explained: “Media Savvy is looking to take its work across the globe, and have highlighted Africa and Ghana in particular as her first destination in the international market.”

He was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the opening session of the launching of the Media Savvy Ghana, newly established media training school, a subsidiary of Media Savvy on Tuesday in Sunyani.

The school offers courses in television and video production and provides opportunities for students and graduates to enroll for an accredited postgraduate course within the University of Sunderland’s Media Department.

Mr Makaveli explained that Media Savvy Ghana is poised to raise the aspirations and employability prospects of individuals within hard to reach groups in the country through the delivery of digital arts and media training.

“The company’s intention to come down to Ghana is devised following a trip I and a Mr Joseph Mackay Kumah, a UK-Ghanaian based student made to the country while we were studying at the University of Sunderland”.

“We travelled back to Ghana in early 2015 with the dream of taking Media Savvy to Joseph’s home country,” Mr Makaveli added.

“You know Joe is from Sunyani, a city of a similar scale to Sunderland, and we decided to initially deliver our programmes in his home city,” he said

Mr Makaveli said the company had worked really hard to secure funds from groups and individuals in the UK and had ambitious plans to invest to raise the standard of the learning environment in the country.

He expressed gratitude for the support the company had received from donors and benefactors including UnLtd, the University of Sunderland, Teesside University and John Shepherd at White Oak.

The Enterprise Place Business Development Manager of the University of Sunderland, Mr Vince Robson stated “we are delighted to be contributing to one of the service’s Alumni businesses”.

“Watching Media Savvy grow from working within our shared office space to a sustainable business which now runs from its own office is great, and their new venture with Media Savvy Ghana is a very exciting development,” he said.