What is the name of your organization?
MentorHer Ghana
What is the name of your solution?
MentorHer Progress Academy
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Empowering Ghana’s youth with technology and digital skills to bridge the digital divide and create future-ready leaders.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Obomeng, Ghana
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
GHA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
MentorHer Ghana is addressing the digital divide and lack of access to technology education in rural and peri-urban communities, particularly for young women. In Ghana, only 15% of students graduate with STEM-related skills, and women make up less than 30% of the country’s technology workforce (UNESCO, 2021). The challenge is even greater in rural areas like Kwahu, where schools lack proper digital infrastructure, and young women face cultural and financial barriers that prevent them from accessing technology education. Without intervention, these youth are left behind in an increasingly digital world, limiting their economic opportunities and future career prospects.
Globally, 2.9 billion people lack access to digital tools and internet connectivity (ITU, 2021), and in Sub-Saharan Africa, only 22% of women have basic digital skills compared to 33% of men (World Bank, 2022). This gendered digital divide results in fewer opportunities for women in emerging tech fields such as AI, software development, and digital entrepreneurship.
MentorHer Ghana’s Progress Academy addresses this challenge through VR labs, AI-powered learning tools, digital literacy programs, and mentorship for young women. By equipping youth with 21st-century skills, we create pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation, ensuring that rural communities are included in the digital economy.
What is your solution?
MentorHer Ghana Progress Academy is a technology-driven learning center designed to equip young women—and the broader community—with digital skills, coding, AI, and entrepreneurship training to prepare them for the digital economy. While the Academy serves as the headquarters for MentorHer Ghana’s programming, select classes and facilities will also be open to boys and the wider community, ensuring that digital education benefits all.
The Academy features Virtual Reality (VR) labs, where students engage in immersive coding, design, and business simulations. AI-powered learning tools personalize education, allowing students to progress at their own pace with real-time feedback. A digital learning management system (LMS) provides access to online courses, tutorials, and mentorship opportunities, ensuring continuous learning beyond the classroom.
Students participate in hands-on workshops covering app development, digital marketing, e-commerce, and AI applications. They also receive mentorship from industry professionals, guiding them toward careers in tech. The Academy promotes tech entrepreneurship, providing youth with the skills to develop and launch digital businesses.
The solution empowers youth with the tools to secure jobs, create businesses, and lead in Ghana’s digital future.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
MentorHer Ghana Progress Academy primarily serves young women in rural and peri-urban areas of Ghana, who face significant barriers to accessing technology education and economic opportunities. However, select classes and facilities will also be open to boys and the broader community, ensuring inclusive access to digital skills development.
In Ghana, many youth—especially girls—are underserved in STEM and digital education due to limited infrastructure, cultural biases, and financial constraints. Women represent less than 30% of Ghana’s tech workforce (UNESCO, 2021), and rural students often lack access to computers, coding programs, and digital literacy training. Without intervention, they remain excluded from the global digital economy.
The MentorHer Ghana Progress Academy directly addresses these challenges by providing hands-on training in coding, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), digital marketing, and entrepreneurship. Students gain practical skills, mentorship, and career pathways in tech-driven fields, increasing their chances of employment or business success.
By equipping youth with future-ready digital skills, the Academy fosters economic empowerment, gender equity in tech, and community transformation. Graduates will be able to pursue careers, start businesses, and contribute to Ghana’s digital economy, ensuring long-term, sustainable impact for themselves and their communities.
