Paul Arithi 
MentorMe uses a matching software that enables the organisationto match over 1000 Mentors and Mentees according to their needs and career growth requirements.It also offers a community of learning across the two countries through events ,training and networking.[PhotoCredit/Courtesy}
MentorMe Kenya creates new economic prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa
MentorMe the German-based programme has anoounced its launch in Kenya,as part of a wider transcontinental Initiative to unlock employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young Kenyan people.
MentorMe Kenya has partnered with the German Development Cooperation to offer an expansive network of Mentors from both Germany and Kenya by giving Mentees access to international outlook to the diverse sectors covered in the programme.
MentorMe uses a matching software that enables the organisationto match over 1000 Mentors and Mentees according to their needs and career growth requirements.It also offers a community of learning across the two countries through events ,training and networking.
”We are excited to roll out this programmefor the first time in the African continent and to establish our presence in Kenya .The programme has been highly successful in Germany since its inception,having facilitated over 2,500 mentees to realize career development and business growth goals.For us Mentorship is about more than just encouragement,its practical guideon how to define goals,where to source for relevant funding, where to find accessible learning tools for specific sectors and forecasts on emerging areas of disruption.We ultimately aim to make a significant contribution to young people’s lives”. Said Karin Heinzl.
The partneship is extended under the ‘‘Employment and Skills for development in Africa”(E4D)programme ,commisioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development(BMZ) and implemented locally by the Deutshe Gesellschaft fu’r Internationale Zuusammerbeit(GIZ).It’s also co-founded by Norwergian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
Speaking on the partnership GIZ Country Director,Bodo Immink said,’‘GIZ is committed to equipping young and Micro and Small Businesses with the relevant skills and capicity to reduce unemployment and increase economic sustainability.In this Partnership we are especially seeking out young people and women’s businesses that are focused on the Green Economy to address the current and very urgent matter of climate change.We will continue to support MentorMe Kenya through its main objevtive to offer industry-specific mentoring,training and networking events”.
MentorMe Kenya is designated to help 200 job-seeking Kenyans between the ages of 18 and 35 find new jobs and to support upskilling of 300 micro,small and meduim-sized enterprises (MSME’s) for employment creation,enterprise development and gender as well as pay equality by at lest 10%.
”The mentee will be accompanied by their mentors from Gemany and Kenya for ten months.In regular monthly exchanges via Zoom,Skype or in person on site,the mentees benefit from the professional and indusry experience as well as from the networks of their mentors”.Said Salline Handa,MentorMe Kenya County Programme Lead.
The Intercultural exchange with members with mentees from Kenya is also a benefit for the mentors from Germany,Karin Heinzl,Founder and CEO-MentorMe,is convinced:”This is time well spent for both sides.The important thing is to meet at eye leve.You help job-seekers and MSME’s to gain a professional or economic perspective ,learn an incredible amount yourself from this person from a completely dicerse cultural sphere,and thus jointly create new opportunities,both locally and globally” said Heinzl.
Registration link and more information:https://mentorme-ngo.org/mentorme-kenya/
