The biggest change Rebeca Lewis has seen among young Ghanaian women enrolled in her STEAM programme is their growing confidence, she has revealed.
According to the former US diplomat and founder of Ascend Global Impact, the initiative is helping young women overcome self-doubt and develop the courage to turn their ideas into practical ventures.
“We spoke about confidence. That has been the number one thing that we see,” she said.
Ms Lewis was speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV about Ascend Innovators, a global talent accelerator focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
The programme started in Ghana in 2025 with about 20 young women at the university level. It has since expanded to more than 60 participants, making Ghana the organisation’s biggest chapter.
Ms Lewis said the confidence gained through the programme is already translating into action, with some participants venturing into entrepreneurship.
“We have young ladies that have been mentored now by some of our experts to go ahead and to have the courage to start taking a vision and an idea and putting action to it,” she said.
She cited the example of one participant who has started a fintech business, describing the development as part of the change the programme seeks to encourage among young women.
She said building confidence begins from within. She believes young women must first understand their individual worth and purpose before they can fully embrace opportunities available to them.
“So it comes from within,” she said.
“I always say again, that foundation, understanding that we have all been created as unique individuals and there’s a certain power.”
She said this belief is central to the work her organisation does with young women, particularly in helping them develop the courage to pursue careers and businesses in fields where they may traditionally feel underrepresented.
“One of the things we work with our young women on, is understanding who is guiding them and why they have been created and put on this earth. And once you realize that, that courage is easier to understand and to move into,” she said.
The programme combines one-on-one mentorship with masterclasses designed around the needs of participants. The sessions cover areas such as artificial intelligence, project management, programme management and confidence building.
Ms Lewis said participants also have a say in the areas they want to learn more about, with Ascend Global Impact bringing in professionals from its wider network to provide the training.
“They have a wish list. They tell us what they need, and we bring in our team, our connections to do that on more of a global scale,” she said.
She believes the confidence being built among the young women is important not only for their individual careers but also for the communities they come from.
Ms Lewis said the organisation’s approach is to give young women access to opportunities and mentorship while allowing them to develop solutions to problems in their own communities.
“We empower our young ladies to really be the solutions to their problems for their specific communities,” she said.
She also urged young people not to wait until every condition is perfect before pursuing their ambitions.
“If you have enough faith, you take the first step and then things start to line up,” she said.
