It is quickly becoming one of the most important relationships people can enter to make the most out of their personal and professional journeys. The demand for mentorship in institutions of higher learning is undeniable, with 87% of students requesting it. Mentorship also improves retention and onboarding as well as offer tremendous benefits for both parties and can help them extend their networks, grow as people, and find fulfillment faster.
There’s no right or wrong time to enter a mentorship relationship. Thankfully, through Engendering MEntorship — eGEM project, concerted efforts have been put in place to fast-track students’ social, personal, and professional development; opening new doors and creating more opportunities to develop more interpersonal and leadership skills as well supporting female students in completing their education.
This project is implemented by Lakehub, Vrije University Amsterdam and Maseno University, with financial support from Nuffic. It is expected that by building a mentoring culture, having a supportive and enabling organisational environment at the Maseno university will result in lower drop-out rates for these students.
Mentors Capacity Building
The need for this type of support was recognized after a series of immersive workshops done by the implementing partners, mentors drawn from both public and private sector and Maseno university staff, who will institutionalize the implementation of the enGendering mentoring program. We also invited Dr. Mandy Hllengwa, from Rhodes University in South Africa, who has mentored many female students in her university. Many of these students became examples of the result of good mentoring during education.
Generally, understanding the mentee’s needs remains critical in developing this mentorship lab. Through the trainings, communication skills ranked at 65% among the mentors, while conflict management and counselling came in at 47% and 28% respectively. Majority of the mentors agreed that these were essential skills needed to build a strong mentor-mentee relationship.
Therefore, we caught up with Ms. Alidade Mboya, one of the mentors who has been part of the trainings. She is the founder of Kenya Self Help Project — an organization whose primary goal is promoting gender equity and school retention program. She shares how insightful her experience has been during the development of the mentorship lab for Maseno University female students:
What tips or advice would you like to share with those new to mentoring?
Be prepared — set some goals as to what you want from the mentoring session/s. Go into each Mentorloop session with an agenda and don’t be afraid to let your mentor know you want to discuss a certain topic or issue. Be open, listen, and put into practice what you’ve learnt.
What do you think the ‘secret’ is to a good mentoring relationship?
I have been lucky enough to mentor mentees who are open and willing to express themselves, but I think going into a mentoring relationship with an open mind and a willingness to let conversations flow naturally without a fixed agenda really helps.
What is one way that mentoring has changed your professional or personal life?
Being a mentor has definitely given me a new element in my working life that I am really excited about. For me, it’s the chance to look forward to speaking to someone who has new perspectives and different experiences, and to exchange ideas and information that help both of us!
What tips or advice would you like to share with those new to mentoring?
Be open and curious about your mentee’s background and experiences, and remember that if you give the relationship time and attention you should both have a really rich experience.
What’s next for e-GEM?
While mentorship has traditionally been built on a personal, face-to-face connection, tech has changed the way we communicate, connect and mentor. As a technology and social Innovation hub, Lakehub is developing a mobile Mentoring Application to help in transitioning into digital mentoring. Not only will this this help in institutionalizing the mentorship lab in Maseno university, but it will add a new and improved level of connection between the mentor and mentee.
With this technology and digital tools, eGEM mentors will be able email an article they feel is relevant with their mentee, they can set up a video call to check-in and see how the mentee is doing or they can even pass along an encouraging message.
eGEM Mentorship is a unique approach to learn from experienced professionals, gain confidence and develop a student’s career. The strong relationship with a mentor builds confidence and helps professionals progress in their industry much faster than usual. Not only does a mentee develop their professional skills but they benefit from a listening ear, get advice, inspirations, encouragement and the needed support at key steps of their career path.
Authored by: Purity Akoth, e-GEM Local Co-project coordinator.
About the author
Purity Akoth is the Head of Communications at LakeHub. She has a Journalism background from Maseno University and is a member of AMWIK and PRSK with a passion for social impact storytelling, innovation and digital inclusion.
*The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of LakeHub.*
