Ernestina Edem Appiah

"I got into the STEM field because I started working as a secretary and fell in love with Information Technology."

"I also saw for myself whilst working as a secretary that, all the IT consultants were really being paid well."

"As a secretary i was earning only 10% of the salary of an IT Consultant, so i made used of the technology tools available and slowly with the guide of some professionals, i got equipped with the right technology skill sets and within months, I established a career in STEM."

"Being named as one of the 100 inspirational women in the world by BBC in 2015 is a great achievement."

"Being a co winner of the Reach for Change and Tigo’s Digital Change maker’s award in 2016 is another achievement."

"Empowering over 10,000 elementary school children with basic programming skills in Ghana directly or indirectly is another great achievement."

"When i started family, it was difficult to put projects together without interruptions."

"I had to work extra hours both day and night to make up."

"As a founder of an NGO, we mostly rely on support both in cash and kind to expand to many other communities."

"We lack a lot of resources that can enable us to scale and tinker a lot."

"We have learnt to overcome them by introducing more computer science unplugged activities."

"My advice is that girls must ignore pressure to pursue a different field."

"They must capitalize on technology to learn new skills or improve on their skills."

"Technology is reinventing the world."

"Kids need new skills to prepare them for a successful career in the future but the current ICT (Information Communications Technology) curriculum does not include them which is quite alarming."

"This is where Ghana Code Club comes in."

"It is a volunteer led, after-school digital fun club that equips children between the ages of 8-17 years with coding skills."

"We have piloted with five schools and are ready to be launched into the majority of schools in Ghana during the first quarter of 2016."

"I always dreamed of leading a team of IT professionals in creating cutting-edge solutions for Africa."

"This passion emerged when I worked for an IT firm in Accra back in 2000 as a secretary."

"I admired the IT consultants so much, especially the only lady among them."

"I remember I took home only about 10% of what the IT professionals earned at the time."

"I wanted to enroll on an HTML course (HTML is the standard coding language used to create webpages) but the little money I earned I used to take care of my siblings. Instead of waiting forever, I decided to teach myself any way I could."

"I got in touch with a web designer who for a small fee introduced me to the basics of HTML."

"I practiced any time I got the chance and within weeks, I was designing my own websites."

"With more confidence in my skills, I took out a classified ad promoting myself as a virtual assistant and took on four clients, including one web-based telecom company in the USA."

"In 2004 I was able to resign as a secretary, rent an office and eventually hire people to provide additional support."

"I was so grateful and so happy with my progress that I wanted to do something to empower others with the kind of skill set that got me this far."

"I registered the NGO, Healthy Career Initiative in 2007 with the objective of empowering students with the skill set they will need to thrive in the 21st century but unfortunately it remained relatively inactive due to my heavy workload."

"I got married and had children and things slowed down even further as I realized I needed to work from home and be there for my kids when they needed me."

"One day, when my boy was 5, I was searching the internet for a simple programming platform to start teaching him and came across a blog about kids learning to code in the UK and the kind of things they were building that triggered my enthusiasm for my inactive NGO."

"I wanted Ghanaian kids to create the same exciting digital stuff kids in the developed world were creating."

"Things like interactive stories, websites, games and animation."

"I put plans together and Ghana Code Club was born."

"The best part of my job is being in the classroom with the kids feeling empowered that they have created things that can be used by another person from any part of the world."

"The smiles on their faces make me feel wonderful and hopeful that these kids will go on to develop the digital footprint of Ghana and Africa and impact the world as a whole."

"Technology is the catalyst to development in every country so Ghana also needs to emphasise its importance and steer resources towards technological advancement."

"Every home should have access to a computer and the internet."

"Then if kids can get trained in the right skills, the country will breed more entrepreneurs, innovators and problem solvers who are needed in every ministry to develop logical thinking."

"We aim to launch into 20 or more schools within the first quarter of 2016 reaching not less than 20,000 children."

"We also hope to organise an inter school competition to see the impact of creativity, problem-solving and collaborative skills within our code club members."

"We then hope to establish a training centre that will assist deprived children who in one way or another wish to participate in our code clubs but are unable to."

"We are always looking for support and donations to carry out our plans successfully!"