We each need to ask ourselves, as youth workers, whether we see ourselves as leaders. How can we teach leadership if we cannot model it? Youth workers may not see themselves as ‘big bosses’ but we are leaders. We are leading activities for young people and we have an opportunity to show them that women […]
Author Archives: Project GROW
This Mentoring Toolkit has been developed by youth workers in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa with two aims: To inspire you and give you the tools to start or improve mentoring for girls in your own youth clubs To act as a template that you can adapt for mentors in your youth projects This Mentoring […]
“Culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we can and must make it our culture.” Chimamanda Adozie Adichie Mentoring is a sustained and trusting relationship where an experienced person (the mentor) helps another person (the mentee) to achieve their […]
The mentoring journey for young women starts with self-awareness and goal setting; these resources are great for when the relationship or the new academic year starts. They facilitate discussions and are good food for thought to understand where the mentee is, where she wants to go, and how to get there. You then carry on […]
A mentoring relationship is based on a mutual understanding between the mentor and mentee. It should be based on mutual respect, trust and openness if it is to be successful. It is best practice to have a written agreement between a mentor and a mentee – this allows you to be clear about what you […]
Building trust with your mentee is important, and this isn’t something that happens immediately. Many of the young women we work with struggle to trust adults – they have had experiences of adults abusing and neglecting them, or been taught to be cautious about sharing information with strangers. These questions are suggestions for you to […]
An important part of the mentoring journey is for a girl to recognise her talents and strengths. So often the young women we work with (and even we ourselves) focus on their deficits. Girls and young women compare themselves to their friends (or celebrities) and find themselves lacking. Here are some questions to discuss with […]
Before we can help a young woman or girl to set goals for herself, it is important to understand how she perceives herself. What makes her happy? What does she feel is lacking in her life? We can only start building when we have established what foundations have already been built. This tool will help […]
So often our relationships are built upon shared interests and memories. Another great ‘get to know each other’ tool for mentors and mentees is the one below. You can share your favourite things, and discuss them. This will allow you both to understand what inspires you, your values and your goals: What is your favourite: […]
Until young women work out what they are giving time, headspace and heartspace to, they can be unclear about what they are prioritising and directing their energies to. Using a 10-point scale, support your mentee to select items according to how high a priority they are in her life. She should give one point to […]