- Destina Mensah, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, completed the UNITAR "Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa" programme in March 2024.
- Inspired by traditional Ghanaian cuisine, she launched a healthy cereal business promoting nutrition and cultural heritage.
- The UNITAR programme provided key skills in project management, pitching and digital literacy, helping her scale her business.
- Funded by the Government and People of Japan, the UNITAR programme ran from November 2023 to March 2024, empowering 7,000 women and youth across 24 African countries.
25 February 2025 - Hiroshima, Japan - Destina Mensah wants to bring good nutrition to more people while preserving Ghana's rich culinary heritage. Inspired by Tom Brown, a traditional breakfast meal cherished in Ghana, Destina launched a business that provides healthy food options and bridges the gap between modern living and cultural identity. A 2023 UNITAR digital skills and entrepreneurship programme helped her define her vision and bring her idea to life.
Reviving Tradition Through Entrepreneurship
As more young people move to urban areas and adopt busy modern lifestyles, Destina worried that they were losing the traditional meals that provided healthy nutrition. In her market research, Destina found that people were interested in the traditional meal but wanted some improvements.
Thus began Destina's journey to redefine the taste of traditional meals, adding missing ingredients and packaging neatly. Along the line, she hoped it could also create jobs for young people.
Just as she was starting to develop her business idea, Destina learned about the UNITAR "Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa" programme. Applying for the programme was already useful for her: applicants were required to write down their purpose and goals, which helped Destina better define her vision for her business.
UNITAR Digital Skills Africa
The UNITAR "Developing Essential Digital Skills for Women and Youth in Africa" training programme offered free thanks to the generous support of the Government and People of Japan, aimed to enhance the employability and competitiveness of African women and youth with digital skills for a digital-driven world. It was run in three phases and included online training, self-led projects and a virtual boot camp, for the top 25 participants culminating in an in-person leadership workshop. Destina was part of the Microsoft track (the other was the IBM track), where she honed skills in resilience and teamwork. Throughout, Destina felt that UNITAR and the Japanese government were attentive to the trainees' needs, providing thoughtful support to help them grow and expand their knowledge.
The training programme was just what we needed." -Destina Mensah, UNITAR alumna, Ghana
Destina learned how to assess startup potential and pitch ideas to investors. She practiced giving a one-minute pitch and refined it based on feedback - an exercise she found immediately useful for her frequent participation in exhibitions, where she goes to market her product.
People come to your booth [and] you have less than a few seconds to catch their attention and tell them what you do", she says. Now, she can.
The digital skills Destina learned also significantly transformed her business operations. She now uses AI to predict customer trends, plan effectively, respond to market demands and thus improve customer satisfaction.
Commitment to Community Development
Another encouraging aspect of the UNITAR programme was the chance to meet and collaborate with other young women entrepreneurs. A commitment to community development is at the heart of Destina's entrepreneurial vision, and in connecting with other entrepreneurs, she discovered new ways to contribute to her community and country. Her team is now planning to donate free breakfast packages at special events, so she can introduce her products to local communities while promoting healthy eating habits.
This training will be essential for us to give back to our community" -Destina Mensah, UNITAR alumna, Ghana
She also hopes to establish a network of young Ghanaian entrepreneurs, where they can collaborate, learn and inspire one another.
The UNITAR connection may also help Destina realize her aim to expand to the international market. Today, Destina's products are sold in local shops, but in the pipeline is the possibility of distributing them in other countries through her fellow UNITAR alumna.
To Aspiring Entrepreneurs: "Keep Learning and Enhancing Skills"
To aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women, Destina says to continue learning and enhancing their skills.
There is a difference between being an illiterate [person] starting a business and a person who has had a bit of education", she says.
Education and knowledge will help entrepreneurs operate effectively and to seek further knowledge.
Destina also emphasizes the importance of embracing technology, which is indispensable in today's business landscape.
If you can't operate a laptop or [word processing and spreadsheet apps], how are you able to keep records?" she asks. "You won't be able to get the kind of investors that you need."
Finally, Destina advises young entrepreneurs to write down why they are in the business, and what their driving force is.
If you start a business, write your purpose down, your vision, why you are in business. … When [the] opportunity comes, you are able to better engage. … [And] when everything seems to be going against you, [the] why … will keep you moving." -Destina Mensah, UNITAR alumna, Ghana
For Destina, that driving force is in bringing good nutrition to people and seeing the joy it gives.
UN Volunteer Thalia Louca contributed to this article.
