Visiting A Girl Mentorship Session

We would like to thank Charlegne, a past Makomborero A-Level Scholarship recipient who has put together this wonderful report regarding her visit to one of our Girl Child Mentorship groups.

‘In October this year I was invited to one of the Girl Child Mentorship Program sessions hosted by Makomborero Zimbabwe. The mentorship program targets vulnerable girls attending school in high-density neighbourhoods in Harare often referred to as ghettos. The sessions are designed to help the mentees develop different skills including communication, leadership, creative thinking, and other life skills. This not only equips them with the skills to succeed in the classroom, but also fosters personal growth, helping them become well-rounded students.

The session I attended was hosted at my former school, and I shared my unique experience as both an alum of both the school and the Makomborero Scholarship program. As someone who grew up in similar circumstances to some of the mentees, I faced a lot of the same struggles and appreciate the impact this program has on their lives. After losing the bread-winning parent before I turned 16, I was on the verge of dropping out of school before I was selected to be on the scholarship program which altered the trajectory of my life. 10 years later, I hold a BEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering and an MSc in Carbon Management, both from the University of Edinburgh. When I was most vulnerable, Makomborero supported me by nurturing skills that I needed to take the next step, and provided resources that broadened my horizons.

What stood out to me the most during the session was the effort the mentors made to create a safe space for the mentees to share their struggles with specific skills and how that translated to their academic and personal lives. The mentors are an incredible group of Makomborero alum who are pursuing different careers, and are often from the same backgrounds as the mentees. They are generous enough to be vulnerable with the mentees, sharing their struggles and how they overcome them and inviting the mentees to do the same. This means the mentees have access to career and life advice from mentors who understand the unique challenges they face both in the home and at school.

I was especially inspired by the mentees themselves, and their resilience even in difficult circumstances. It was a privilege to witness a session in person wherein the activities really made their determination and drive to attain their goals and empower themselves shine through. Interacting weekly with their mentors and fellow mentees is a sure way to cultivate an environment where their goals are affirmed and they are armed with practical tools to realise them, something I know from personal experience is essential at that age.

Makomborero Zimbabwe and all their initiatives like the Girl Mentorship Programme are funded through the generosity of our donors. You can support this important work by donating on the website on this link.