Progress and success in the Mentorship programs in Zambia and Zimbabwe

In June CTS visited ZACCI in Zambia and ZNCC in Zimbabwe to facilitate initial trainings on mentorship with a focus on how to set up and run a successful Mentorship program. The two individual projects have been initiated through the WEE network hosted by CTS. Mentoring has been part of agenda as an example of a tool for business and career development, to develop good leadership and/or specific competence for the participating mentors and mentees. CTS is working with Lucia Severed, KKiKK making use of her experience of running and setting up programs for mentoring in Sweden, and Russia.

Where the initial trainings focused on the host organisation the second training focused on the mentors and mentees and were carried out in October. In Zambia 10 young entrepreneurs and 9 micro companies have enrolled to the ZACCI Mentor program and where matched with 19 experienced business leaders. ZACCI has been working very hard and been successful in identifying the participating mentees and mentors and organizing the workshop. ZACCI are now planning both for the program but also to work closely with the group on human resources and marketing with a first meeting planned for January 30^th.

The Zimbabwe chamber have seized this opportunity and have already set up a mentor clinic via their Women´s Desk which was launched soon after the initial training/introduction took place. The ZNCC program has moved very fast and with success with the mentors and mentees already matched and having met a couple of times before the second training took place. The second training was started through a networking dinner gathering mentors and mentees as well as the Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lars Rönnås, Dep president Mr Norupiri ZNCC and Professor Bakasa-Sadza from Women’s university in Africa.

The training in Zimbabwe was very interactive and showed that the Women Desk of ZNCC had come a very long way and were clear in their minds on what they wanted the program for and why. ZNCC will organize 2-3 functions during the mentor program for the participants to listen to inspirational business women on challenging issues and then discuss how to tackle these in small groups.

Next year will show the results (as well as the continuation) of the hard work put in by ZACCI, ZNCC and CTS.

For more information contact malin.dacke@chambertrade.se