Uwicyeza: A nursery bed for tomorrow's women leaders

A girls journey from childhood to maturity can be vague and complex. But through mentoring, young girls do not only gain the confidence and zeal required to prosper; they also become successful and responsible members of society. When Katie Carlson came to Rwanda for research for her thesis in 2011, she didn’t know that her move would change the lives of the girl child in Rwanda. During her stay, her involvement in gender networks exposed her to women leaders and mentors in the country, and that’s when she became interested in working with teenage girls to support them through their journey to becoming the next generation of women leaders. Carlson initiated the Uwicyeza Project which was launched this year in August; it incorporates coaching and mentoring young girls with community development projects. It is a three-month project which involves six weeks of training, followed by six weeks of mentoring. Students from different schools meet at Lycee de Kigali every Saturday morning and work in their respective groups, usually for two to three hours. Carlson elucidates the power of mentorship as that which can have an immense impact on the life of the girl child. She describes mentoring as that which holds elements of friendship - something that goes beyond that - it helps girls to see themselves in a new light and also provides them with practical guidance and support to achieve their dreams in real life. Through this unique one-on-one mentoring relationship, girls learn core values and skills that will shape their future and stay with them for the rest of their lives, Carlson says. “The power of mentoring can really be seen in our everyday lives when a girl child or any child has a positive role model in their life, someone who supports them to achieve their goals and offers advice when they need it. That can have an incredible impact on the child and it shapes them for the rest of their lives. “Mentoring for girls is particularly important because of the unique challenges that girls face as adolescents. Having to deal with gender discrimination and violence at much higher rates than boys plus the barriers they face to be able to finish school. Girls generally need more support to build their self-confidence and leadership skills so they can envision a bright future,”Carlson adds. Some of the girls being mentored by Gloria Uwera. Maureen Kalimba Isimbi, one of the mentors in the Uwicyeza Project says that mentoring young girls is one of the surest ways of helping them find the right path. She explains that the girls are guided in different ways, stimulating their self-confidence and how to handle themselves when they are caught up in particular situations. “I share my ideas as an experienced person, we provide the girls with skills so that they may learn how to carry out their projects perfectly. There is a project they are working on, so I help elaborate more on the ideas they already have,”Isimbi says. Isimbi adds; “One of the ideas I share with them is to have a small but efficient budget, how to handle themselves when things don’t work as expected, how to work as a team and share responsibilities.” Isimbi adds that the girls have already started putting to use the skills they have acquired. “The girls have come up with a mentoring project called My Sister’s Keeper where the girls teach their colleagues in primary about gender, leadership and other issues. “I was impressed by the girls’ motivation because they did this as a way of giving back what we gave them,” Isimbi says. Their aim is to make the project sustainable; to benefit generations. Florianne Uwera Cyamweshi, another mentor, says that helping the girls through mentorship is not just of benefit to the girls. “If you light a path for someone, it will also brighten your path. When we help the girls, it also helps us in some way. We use our skills and experience to empower them in different ways and also guide them with their projects,” Cyamweshi says. Cyamweshi says with mentoring, a huge impact is yet to be seen for our generation, “Our girls are putting their skills to use, and they are also tutoring others. You can see that the wisdom is being passed on, they are also showing others that someday they will be in the same shoes, which is why I think we all have something to offer.” Gloria Uwera, a senior four student at White Dove Girls’ School, is one of the lucky girls who have received mentorship from 100 Women Who Will Impact Rwanda and Uwicyeza Project. She says a lot has changed for her in regards to academics and her mode of interaction with her fellow students. “During the camp, it was the first time I got to know about mentorship and through the Uwicyeza Project, I learnt a lot. We are instilled with confidence and leadership skills, both of which are relevant tools for the girl child,” Uwera says. One of the girls responds to a question asked by the mentor. (All photos by L. Atieno) Uwera adds that mentorship is a good and exciting thing because when shelooks at herself before and after, there is a very huge difference. “I wish it could spread across the country so that most girls can access it,” she says. Bennice Umutoni, also a senior four student at White Dove Girls’ School, says that she has been taught leadership skills and issues related to gender, among others. Umutoni says, “I am very happy about this idea of mentorship and I am glad I’m sharing it with others. We teach the primary pupils so that they too can improve the lives of others who may not have a chance at education.” The 100 Women Who Will Impact Rwanda (100WWW-IR) is another initiative aimed at mentoring young girls in Rwanda. In August it brought together 100 young women from across Rwanda and had panelists discuss topics such as leadership and the power of mentorship, as well as educational and career opportunities. Patricie Uwase, the founder of the initiative, says that the programme has indeed had a great impact on the 100 girls they have so far reached out to. “We have yet to measure the long-term impact, nevertheless, before and after the camp, we issued an assessment to all the girls to analyze the impact, and overall, all the girls’ confidence has improved,” Uwase says. The mentoring project, which reached out to twenty schools, lasted a week and a total of 100 girls participated.Uwase says she has a future plan of having each of the girls linked to a personal mentor and making the mentoring camp an annual event. “My dream is to reach as many girls as possible to plant the seed of self-confidence and determination in them,” she says. editorial@newtimes.co.rw I SAY: Beneficiaries share their experience I’m now computer literate Obine Uwimana, P4 Obine Uwimana I have learnt a lot these past three weeks. Before, I didn’t know how to express myself in English in public, but now I can at least stand before people and speak in English. On top of that, I can operate a computer without any difficulty, which wasn’t the case before. I am more confident Umutoni Uwase, P4 Umutoni Uwase Mentorship has helped me build my confidence at school. At first there were things that I couldn’t understand in class and I kept quiet because I didn’t have the courage to ask the teacher. However, I thank God for our mentors who are taking their time to teach us important aspects that we wouldn’t have been taught elsewhere. If it is wrong, I say no Jessica Uwase Ishimwe, P5 Jessica Uwase I can express myself, not only in class but also in my day-to-day activities. This mentorship programme has opened my eyes to unique and important aspects in life that will help me live comfortably in society. For example, I have learnt how to say no to what is wrong. I am not shy anymore Lynca Teta, P5 Lynca Teta I was once a shy girl who couldn’t even look someone directly in the eye. But now it’s simple. I face people and have a conversation with them without a problem. I have also built my confidence, if I have an issue, I don’t worry about how or where to start from. Socialising with my friends has also become much easier. Compiled by Lydia Atieno

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Uwicyeza: A nursery bed for tomorrow's women leaders