Rescue Mission: Socio-Economic Empowerment of Teenage Mothers in Yilo Krobo Rural Communities through Textiles Entrepreneurial Skills

Rural communities are often saddled with high unemployment rates among youth and teenage mothers, who face social stigma and a cycle of poverty. To address these challenges, this study implemented an intervention project focused on textiles to empower teenage mothers in the Yilo Krobo municipality of Ghana. Using a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design, the study sampled 85 teenage mothers from Aboabo, Nkurakan, and Huhunya through questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Results showed that 57.8% of the participants earned an income from various jobs but faced challenges like limited access to resources and social discrimination. To combat these issues, training in textiles—specifically in tie and dye, macramé, and appliqué—was introduced as a way to build entrepreneurial skills. This initiative enabled teenage mothers to overcome socio-economic barriers, create marketable products, and craft unique stories of creativity and success in the growing textile industry.