The Backstory

Many of the parents (mainly the mothers) of the girls at the Soronko Academy: West Africa's first coding and human centered design school are discouraging their daughters from learning to code or pursuing further studies in computer science. Why? It’s because they don't understand the value of what they believe is an impractical skill, but also because they believe it will make their daughters delay marriage. When I heard this from the school's founder, Regina Honu, I knew I had found the right partner organization to launch my mentorship program.

Here’s how it started

My goal was to take these smart driven highly ambitious girls on the path towards success and help navigate roadblocks. Whether it's societal myths, familial constraints or self doubt, I want these girls to imagine beyond their current circumstance by giving them role models they can aspire to...and beyond. I want to give them access to the opportunities that they have been preparing for; opportunities that may be few and far between for young Ghanaian girls living in Accra, but opportunities that with the support of a global community can be more easily accessible. If truly your network is your net worth, I want to enrich their lives and future careers with an invaluable global network.

Since our launch in Ghana, we have held sessions in Kenya and South Africa for girls from Kibera and Soweto respectively, Africa’s largest two slums. We also help a virtual program in 2020 to bring our girls together online. Next, we move to Zambia!

THE PROJECT

We are raising funds to create Girls MAP; a Mentoring and Advancement Program for high potential girls across Africa. Our program brings talented high-ambition women from around Africa, its Diaspora, and the world to various African destinations for the experience of a lifetime that includes mentoring and inspiring a new generation of empowered female leaders. We are equipping our mentees (aged 12-19) with the skills and knowledge to not just cope, but thrive in the digital age.

Our program began its journey in Accra, Ghana July 2018 with just 20 girls from the Soronko Academy. You can read about our first bootcamp here. We have since launched our programming in South Africa and Kenya. You can join our trips here or donate below to support this project.

After the social impact days, Girls MAP members will continue to benefit from:

HOW TO support

Support the project with a contribution. If you can't afford to give - although no amount is too small - or please share with friends.

Join a Girls Trip Tours experience to become a mentor. Women from all over the world are welcome, including women local to the countries we are visiting.

Lastly, if you know any companies whose Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals align with our mission, please refer them to email@girlstrip.tours