Lesley Lorna Apana became a Safe Space Facilitator for the Sewin community within the Cape Coast Metropolis in 2022. As a health worker stationed at the Cape Coast Technical University campus, she brought with her several years of experience working with adolescents. Her strong rapport with young people and her passion for mentoring instilled confidence in parents within the community, who entrusted their daughters to her care for weekly Safe Space engagements.
During the initial year of implementation, Lesley worked alongside a co-facilitator to deliver the full 31-hour Safe Space contact schedule. Her co-facilitator relocated from the community, leaving Lesley to continue the sessions independently. Despite this challenge, she remained committed and continued working single-handedly with the adolescents. Lesley attributes her sustained commitment to the tangible positive outcomes she has witnessed. These include an adolescent mother returning to school, increased agency among the girls in making informed decisions about relationships, and noticeable shifts in their aspirations for the future.
Reflecting on her experience, she shared:
“I have realized that the lessons over the years are yielding positive results in my community. The changes in behavior among the girls have attracted their peers to join the group. Some parents also approach me personally to encourage me to continue, as they have observed significant improvements in how their daughters relate to boys and conduct themselves. Many have entrusted their daughters to me as a mentor. There is no way I am going to stop doing this; I love it, and it gives me great fulfillment.”
Lesley has fully embraced ownership of the project and has successfully sustained the girls’ Safe Space for four years. Her dedication and consistency have made her a point of reference for facilitators from other communities, particularly in discussions around the sustainability of the PASS project.
