By Robin & Tracy

This year our mentorship training took a new spin, as we needed to adapt to the virtual space and with this said we hosted our first virtual mentorship training.

The training was introduced to all our new mentors for 2021 and we also had the privilege of introducing the same training to an incredible group of people from Qhakaza Kukhanye Foundation, who have taken up the task of serving the next generation too. The sole purpose of Qhakaza Kukhanye Foundation is to equip youth from underserved communities and to provide them with access to opportunities in order to realise their potential. Throughout the session the participants remained engaged and valued all the new learning around mentorship. We facilitated the virtual session in two segments namely:  Mentorship in a nutshell and Building the Mentor-Mentee relationship. 

The key purpose of our mentorship training was to equip and sharpen our mentors with the necessary tools for their journey of mentorship. The key learning of the day was that, ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’, meaning that a person is a person through other people and that is mentorship. It is about being of service to our communities and empowering those who come after us. 

At the end of March 2021, we hosted our first virtual Mentor Appreciation; the evening was filled with gratitude letters shared by the mentees to their mentors. These letters expressed the mentees gratitude towards their mentors and this added a special touch to the virtual space. Throughout the past year, we have found various ways to keep the human connection amongst our beneficiaries alive.

To our 2021 mentors…happy mentoring!