–as Commonwealth women’s mentorship scheme gets underway here

FOURTEEN young Guyanese women are expected to benefit from a six-month-long Commonwealth Women’s Mentorship Scheme that was launched on Friday at the Bel Air Gardens residence of the British High Commissioner.

According to Kezia Campbell, one of the coordinators, the project is essentially inter-generational in nature, in that it targets future female leaders between the ages of 18 and 29, and pairs them with mentors who share the same professional interests, and who hail primarily from Rotary International.

“The aim is really to help those young persons to draw inspiration and receive guidance from our mentors, who are professionals,” Campbell said.

For this project, about 700 applications were received from young women the world over, but only about 10%, the equivalent of 70 applicants, were selected. The majority of the selectees are from the Caribbean; 14 are Guyanese.

There are also 70 mentors, but just one is Guyanese. She is Ms Elizabeth Cox of the Rotary Club of Georgetown.

Campbell said that since a good many of the mentees hail from Guyana, it was felt that it was only fitting that the official launch of the scheme should be held here.

As British High Commissioner, Mr Greg Quinn said in his welcome address, “The purpose [of the scheme] is relatively clear and simple; it’s to empower women, and to empower girls.”

The objectives of the programme, he said, are to provide mentees with guidance, advice and support; to create mutually beneficial relationships between both mentors and mentees; to demonstrate the impact and utility of intergenerational relationships and to share experiences.

He reflected upon his younger days when he, too, benefitted from mentorship, and how the experience helped shape the person he is today.

Vice-Chairperson for Inclusion and Engagement of the Commonwealth Youth Council and Ambassador for Seychelles, Ms Angelique Pouponneau related that the idea of this mentorship scheme came into fruition one year after it was first advanced at the inaugural Women’s Leader summit.

“It serves to reinforce the idea that we are one Commonwealth family. Women can empower women beyond national boundaries, [and] it reinforces the promotion of gender equality through intergenerational partnership,” she remarked.

Additionally, while this scheme is only in its pilot stage, it has been conceptualised and implemented, and will be analysed by young people.

Moreover, Poupponneau highlighted that this programme provides stark evidence to show that women want mentors for their personal and professional development, with over 700 women applying for the programme.

Before a brief session of networking, the women were edified in some of the fields that women have been involved, and what these 14 mentees will be involved in similarly.

These include overcoming domestic violence, environmental leadership and economic empowerment.

The 13 of the 14 mentees of this programme are: Leanna Kalicharan, Tishana Narine, Elon Alonzo, Leota King, Chevaunne Perreria, Devina Roopnarine, Shabena Kabir, Shivanie Rampersaud, Shaunssey Profitt, Sara Henry, Kadija Murray, Lisa Hussain, Satwanti Baburam.