We sincerely appreciate and notice the difference that the conversations you are having with your mentee are making in her life. Last month was another wonderful month that taught the girls new values and behaviors. Besides the usual IT & agriculture training, the girls also covered the following life skills lessons.
Career Guidance
During the month, the girls took a deeper dive into their careers. They explored their personalities to understand whether they are realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising or conventional. They took away tips on how to prepare for interviews and also learned about the importance of projecting a professional image. The girls participated in mock interviews too. The session also focused on the basis for job hunting, with an understanding that job hunting is about finding purpose and community success and not just about making money.
Shine Program - Self-Esteem
The Shine Program is a women empowerment program that builds the life skills of women. The
topics covered during this training included: the importance of self-esteem, steps for improving self-esteem, how to say 'No' and the benefits of saying 'No'. They also learned about how forgiveness helps us build our esteem and move from a point of victim mentality. Finally, they had a session where they learned practical ways in which to build self-confidence.
Creative Writing
During this session, the girls were required to understand what creative writing is and its importance. They were also taught the techniques involved, how to start and the mistakes to avoid. From this session, they learned how to write poems, etc. You may ask your mentee to share the materials that she wrote during these classes.
Leadership, Ethics & Work Readiness
During this training, the girls focused on learning the rights of a citizen, with a view to understanding the ethical basis for wealth and prosperity of a country. They briefly learned about labor laws, the South Africa Bill of Rjghts, the philosophy of Ubuntu and the principle of Batho Pele.
Celebration of the Heritage Day
The Heritage Day is celebrated every 24th of September in South Africa. It is a celebration of South Africa's diverse culture and heritage. Every South African is encouraged to celebrate the culture, beliefs, and traditions that make up the diverse culture. The girls marked the day by dressing in traditional outfits. In class, they discussed the importance of culture and the cultural practices that are unfair to women. They then had fun dancing and singing to traditional songs. At home, some of them attended the King Shaka celebrations in Durban.