Paahibu Space, Accra (2026)

18/08/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬.

As Senior High Schools prepare to close for vacation on 20 August, we have been reflecting on several weeks of Digital Walansi engagements across the Upper West Region.

Thirty young women have led 30 sessions across six schools, with each school receiving five engagements. Approximately 900 students have been reached directly as members of six Digital Walansi Clubs.

The original design anticipated 20 Fellows, five schools, 15 sessions and 400–500 students. The expansion has given us something more valuable than additional numbers to us having more time with the same students.

Across five engagements, our Fellows could return to conversations on digital safety, media and information literacy, TFGBV, privacy, misinformation, online scams, digital rights and responsibilities, and participation in digital public life. Students had time to encounter unfamiliar ideas, return with questions, relate them to their own experiences and learn with their peers.

They also kept asking how they could continue learning and remain connected after the engagements, and even after Senior High School.

That question is informing what comes next.

We are opening the Digital Walansi community for continued learning, useful and fun content, resources, opportunities for Senior High School students and leavers, and continued development for our Club members.

And we are opening it beyond our six schools to Senior High School students and recent school leavers across Ghana and Africa.

🔗 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbDGL23Jpe8cWjpegK2i.

The experiences of these students is informing the development of the Walansi Kontobile.

The experiences coming from the schools have already challenged some of our assumptions about what young people need from a responsible AI-supported learning and support platform. As the Network grows, we want to keep listening and gathering those experiences so that what we eventually build is shaped by the realities of the young people expected to use it.

In our local language, Walansi refers to a channel through which important information is received. In simple terms, it means “ A Voice with a Message or Agency.” Over the past several weeks, that channel has taken shape through our Fellows and six school Clubs. As the term ends, we are finding new ways for it to remain open.

To our Fellows, Club members, focal teachers and school communities who have made these 30 engagements possible, thank you for building this with us.

School closes for vacation on 20 August. Digital Walansi continues.

The Digital Walansi Project is implemented by PAAHIBU SPACE in partnership with WACC - Global
and the ITU160 Gender Champions Initiative of the International Telecommunication Union.

12/08/2026

For years, one of the most familiar demands in conversations about youth participation has been that young people deserve a seat at the table. It remains an important demand, particularly in institutions where decisions affecting young people are still made without them.

But what happens when young people begin building tables of their own?

Paahibu Space is still a young organization, and much of what we are building is still taking shape. What makes this journey particularly meaningful to us is that young people are not standing outside the organization waiting to be invited in. They are helping build it.

Across our team, young people are developing programmes, working with communities, building technology, conducting research, managing operations, telling our stories and contributing to decisions about what we do next.

That responsibility comes with mistakes, questions, experiments and plenty of things we are still learning how to do well. Being youth-led does not mean having all the answers. It means creating an environment where young people are trusted with meaningful work while having access to the mentorship, resources and support they need to grow into it.

If we want a generation of young people capable of leading institutions, businesses, governments and movements tomorrow, they need opportunities to practice leadership today through responsibility for budgets, people, technology, programmes, decisions and outcomes.

So, on International Youth Day, we are celebrating the young people helping us build PAAHIBU SPACE, but we are also thinking about the larger question their work raises:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝?

Turns out, Gen Z isn't just asking for a seat at the table. They are building the table too, and we are proud to be building ours together.

Happy International Youth Day.

10/08/2026

Every school engagement reminds us that digital inclusion is ultimately about people, not technology.

When conversations about the internet happen in public, they are often dominated by discussions about artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, or the latest digital innovations. Those conversations are important, but they can easily overlook the everyday realities of young people in our classrooms. For many students, the questions they carry into these sessions are far more immediate. They want to know how to recognize misinformation, what to do when someone creates a fake account in their name, how to protect their personal information, or where to seek help when something online makes them feel unsafe.

These are real questions from young people trying to navigate an increasingly digital world.

That is what makes the role of a Digital Walansi Fellow so meaningful. Our Fellows are creating a space where students feel comfortable enough to ask questions they may not have had the opportunity to ask before, and where teachers, Fellows and learners can openly discuss both the opportunities and the risks that come with digital participation.

Across every school we visit, one thing that becomes increasingly clear is that meaningful digital literacy cannot be built through one-off awareness campaigns alone. It requires continuous engagement, trusted relationships, and practical conversations that help young people apply what they learn to the realities of their everyday lives.

This video captures only a few moments from our school engagements, but behind every clip is a classroom full of curiosity, thoughtful questions, and young people who are eager to understand the digital world they are growing up in.

As we continue this journey, we remain convinced that building safer and more inclusive digital communities begins with listening just as much as it begins with teaching.

06/08/2026

𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

That was one of the biggest reflections from our Fellows working with the Northern Star Senior High School.

Our Fellows began by exploring what it means to build a healthy digital life, not simply avoiding online harm, but developing the habits, judgement, and responsibility needed to participate confidently in today's digital world.
The conversation then shifted to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). Students explored what it looks like in practice, who it disproportionately affects, the consequences it leaves behind, and the legal protections that exist for those experiencing online abuse and harassment.

But the most meaningful part of the session came after the presentations. Students were organised into groups to reflect on what they had learned, challenge one another's thinking, and present their own perspectives to their peers.
That simple shift changed the room, where students were no longer listening to information, but were interpreting it, applying it to real-life situations, and building understanding collectively.

Conversations moved beyond "What is digital safety?" to "What does responsible digital behaviour look like in our own lives?" Beyond "What is TFGBV?" to "How do we recognise it, respond to it, and support others?"

These moments continue to remain relevant because digital citizenship is not developed through awareness alone. It grows when young people are given the confidence to ask difficult questions, exchange ideas respectfully, and recognise that they each have a role to play in shaping safer and more inclusive digital spaces.

Through the Digital Walansi Project, we are creating learning environments where young people develop the knowledge, critical thinking, and confidence to participate responsibly in digital public life, and to carry those conversations into their schools, homes, and communities.

With full support and partnership with WACC - Global
and the ITU160 Gender Champions Initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), we are advancing girls' safety, voice, and civic leadership in digital public life.

05/08/2026

Building technology that truly works for communities starts with listening.

Over the past months, we have sat with women entrepreneurs in markets, businesses, and community spaces. We have asked questions, listened to experiences, conducted surveys, facilitated focus group discussions, organized co-creation sessions, and tested ideas together.

Every conversation shaped Ndiara.
What started as a vision is gradually becoming a digital ecosystem designed to help women entrepreneurs learn new skills, manage their businesses, connect with other entrepreneurs, and access opportunities that help them grow.

This short video captures some of our moments of learning, collaboration, laughter, testing ideas, and building something alongside the women it is meant to serve.

We are grateful to the EU Youth Empowerment Fund for supporting this journey and believing in youth-led innovation that is rooted in community voices.

This is just the beginning.

European Union in Ghana | World YWCA

03/08/2026

Mondays at PAAHIBU SPACE usually begin with community calls, planning meetings, school visits, brainstorming sessions, proposal drafts, mentoring conversations, and asking one question over and over again “How can we create more opportunities for young people and communities to thrive?"

At PAAHIBU SPACE, we are building beyond projects to building systems that advance opportunities for girls, young people, women entrepreneurs, and communities access the knowledge, tools, and better systems they need to lead meaningful change.

This is another week of learning, collaborating with our communities to build solutions that can increase the agency and sustained improvement in the livelihoods of our communities.

We remain open to meaningful partnerships and collaboration that can advance the work we do in our communities.

Send us a DM or email us via [email protected].

31/07/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲

Over the past few weeks, our Digital Walansi Fellows, have returned to Wa Senior High Technical School week after week, not to repeat the same conversations, but to build on them.

The journey began with introducing students to digital safety and responsible online participation, while establishing the Digital Walansi Club to ensure that learning continues beyond the project itself.

From there, each engagement introduced a new layer of learning, where students explored practical ways to secure their digital accounts through WhatsApp Two-Step Verification, discussed how to protect their personal information and privacy online, and later examined the realities of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), learning how to recognise online abuse, respond safely, and support a more respectful digital environment.

But what makes these engagements unique is that the learning doesn't end when students leave the classroom.
After every school session, our Fellows continue into the surrounding communities, engaging parents, traders, riders, and other community members in conversations about digital safety. Whether helping someone strengthen the security of their WhatsApp account or discussing online privacy and digital threats, they are ensuring that safer digital practices extend beyond the school into everyday community life.

One of the most encouraging observations across these engagements has been the willingness of students to participate. They have asked thoughtful questions, shared their own online experiences, reflected on real-life situations, and demonstrated that when young people are given the space to engage, they learn while becoming active contributors to safer digital communities.

We remain committed to building a generation of young people who are equipped not only to protect themselves online but also to become trusted voices for digital safety, responsible digital citizenship, and meaningful participation in digital public life.

The Digital Walansi Project is implemented by PAAHIBU SPACE in partnership with WACC - Global and the ITU160 Gender Champions Initiative of the International Telecommunication Union.

28/07/2026

What happens when the "channel" carries the right message?

In our local language, Walansi refers to a channel through which important information is received.

That understanding is at the heart of the Digital Walansi Project.

During our introductory engagement at Jamiat Islamic Girls' Senior High School, we shared with students that while the meaning of Walansi remains the same, the "channel" looks different today.

Our Digital Walansi Fellows are that channel, and the message they carry is one that advances girls' safety, voice, and civic leadership in digital public life.

Our Digital Walansi Fellows invited students to reflect on their own digital experiences. Together, they discussed where students get information, the platforms they use every day, the opportunities technology has created, and some of the challenges they have encountered online.

From there, our Walansi Fellows introduced the journey ahead.

Over the coming weeks, students will explore digital citizenship, digital footprints, online safety, misinformation and fake news, cyberbullying, online harassment, privacy and security, digital opportunities, and the laws that shape our digital lives. Through the Digital Walansi Club, they will also have a space to continue these conversations, ask questions, and support one another beyond the classroom sessions.

As our Fellows begin this journey with the students of Jamiat Islamic Girls' Senior High School, we are reminded that every meaningful change starts with a message, and with people willing to carry that message into their communities.

The Digital Walansi Project is implemented by PAAHIBU SPACE in partnership with WACC Global and the ITU160 Gender Champions Initiative of the International Telecommunication Union.

23/04/2026

𝟓 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦e

Today is Girls in ICT Day 2026, a moment to reflect not only on access, but on what meaningful participation and influence in digital spaces actually looks like for girls and women in Ghana.

Across Africa, ICTs are increasingly shaping how girls and women access opportunities, learn, trade, and exercise their agency. Importantly, more girls and young women are coming online, but beyond participation and access, girls deserve the safety, confidence, and the ability to engage online without harm.

Recent insights from our work show a clear tension where 87% of girls want to be active online, yet 79% say they are afraid. This is the gap the Digital Walansi Fellowship is responding to.

As we mark this year’s Girls in ICT Day, we are sharing five reasons to apply for the Digital Walansi Fellowship Programme, an invitation to engage with this work more directly.

𝟏. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞
Technology-facilitated Gender-Based Violence ( TFGBV) is limiting how girls participate in digital and civic spaces.
This Fellowship places you within a structured, community-based response.

𝟐. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲
Fellows become equipped to:
• Identify and respond to TFGBV
• Counter misinformation and strengthens media and information literacy, AI literacy and digital safety.
• Understand how to handle sensitive disclosures safely and refer girls to appropriate support.

𝟑. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬
As a Digital Walansi Fellow, you will be supported with continuous personal and professional development, lead sessions, engage diverse groups, and support peer learning in real-world settings.

4. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
Fellows contribute to building safer, more responsive school environments through clubs, workshops, and reporting mechanisms.

𝟓. 𝐁𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 '𝐖𝐞𝐛' 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬' 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞
Fellows contribute to a growing ecosystem of young advocates working on digital rights, digital inclusion, safety, and civic engagement.

The Fellowship is designed for young women who are ready to respond to digital harm in their communities, support safer participation for girls in schools
and contribute to building more inclusive digital environments

If this is work you care about, we encourage you to explore the opportunity.

📅 Application Deadline: 20th May, 2026

👉🏽👉🏻👉🏿👉Apply Here: bit.ly/DigitalWalansiFellowship

Through the funding partnership from WACC - Global and the ITU Gender Champion Initiative, we remain dedicated to advancing girls’ safety, voice, and civic leadership in digital public life.

Paahibu Space

18/08/2026

12/08/2026

10/08/2026

06/08/2026

05/08/2026

03/08/2026

31/07/2026

28/07/2026

23/04/2026

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