The American Towers Corporation (ATC) Ghana, yesterday had inspiring mentorship engagements with the one hundred (100) best girls as part of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation’s Girls-In-ICT Open Day event in Accra.

The initiative, which impacted the Savannah, Northern and Eastern regions last year, aims to address the gender disparity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields by providing girls with the exposure, mentorship, and encouragement needed to pursue careers in technology and engineering.

In his welcome remarks, the Chief Executive Officer for ATC Ghana, Mr. Ashutosh Singh, said his organisation was committed to the collaboration with the Ministry to equip young girls with ICT skills and the gender digital divide.

“As you may know already, ATC Ghana is the leading infrastructure provider in Ghana supporting the delivery of mobile network connectivity. You will learn about what we do and the role IT, technology and engineering play in our work”.

Mr. Singh also mentioned that the STEM space offers vast opportunities for those who were equipped with the right skills and knowledge. Noting that it was no secret that women and girls were underrepresented in this field, this was why initiatives like Girls in ICT and activities for the day was crucial. “Our focus is to provide you with the exposure, mentorship, and encouragement needed to pursue careers in STEM.

The Girls toured a cell site and visited the Network Operations Centre (NOC) to gain insights into how infrastructure enables communication and internet browsing and how its performance is monitored. These experiences provided a comprehensive overview of ATC Ghana’s operations and the crucial role that IT, technology and engineering play in ensuring reliable mobile network connectivity.

The participants were divided into nine groups, each engaging in unique mentorship breakout sessions. These included activities such as creating a Makey Makey Hula Controller, a Two Player Wire Game, a Piano Mat, Dance Dance Revolution, an Interactive Solar System, a Whac-A-Mole Game, a Running Cat animation, a Carnival Coin Game, and a Piano and Drum project. These sessions were designed to combine fun with learning, showcasing the vast possibilities within the IT and technology sectors.

The highlight of the day was the interaction with ATC Ghana’s women engineers and ICT professionals. These mentors shared their experiences and offered invaluable advice, inspiring the girls to pursue careers in technology and engineering. Practical sessions on robotics and electronics further demonstrated the applications of these fields in operational efficiency and problem-solving within the telecommunications industry.