We had a chat with Thelma Chuma about her experience with the GROW Mentorship Programme so far. For Thelma, it was love at first sight and all she needed when she heard about the clarion call for the application. She was convinced that it will be an important step towards building a better career and personal development.
What Inspired you to join the programme?
For me, it was also about looking for new perspectives. I wanted to be accountable, and I needed someone to hold me accountable while guiding me. Luckily for me, the GROW Tribe, which I am a member, told us about the mentorship programme. GROW is passionate about helping its member and I really look forward to the career opportunities I get exposed to daily. When the application for mentorship programme was posted, I didn’t hesitate to apply. GROW constantly pushes you to be advanced and if they are doing their best to improve the employability of young individuals, then I also need to push myself.
How has the programme impacted you?
Interestingly, after the on boarding session, we were required to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP). Before now, I was not aware of what this meant but we were thoroughly guided on how to create one. After creating this document, my goals become clearer. The programme kicked off in the month of May and was scheduled to last six months. So, I set goals for the next six months. I imagined that with the help of a mentor I would be able to get clarity about what path or career I wanted to follow in the future. I hope that by the end of this mentorship session, I would have more motivation to pursue my goals with a clear picture of where I want to be. I anticipated that I would be able to discern what were my needs for personal development and achieve them. I also aimed to get rid of the few obstacles that were preventing me from achieving my goals and reaching my full potential. I can say that I achieved all if not some of my goals for this mentorship programme. It has helped me set better goals for the future and helped me decide things that should be my priority in my coming years.
Tell us about your Mentor?
My mentor, Chinedu Mofunanya was patient and understanding with me. He provided a lot of wisdom and insight to most of the issues I brought up with him. He was also available at the appropriate time. I loved his passion. The passion and the love for what he is doing were highly refreshing to me. I really loved it.
What was your favourite aspect of the mentorship programme?
The mentorship programme has taught me communication, trust, and vulnerability. Even through it was a virtual programme, I connected with my mentor, and I also meet other people in my team. We talked about our goals, were vulnerable with each other and we communicated well. The Zoom calls became our escape, and I was always looking forward to each session. Every session was so unique. We built trust despite never meeting in person and that trust is so important, just being completely transparent. Every session was amazing and very inspiring and I am looking forward to still learning before the time is up.
How would you rate the GROW Mentorship Programme?
For me, it’s a 9/10. The remaining 1 is for improvements. I will totally recommend this programme and I am looking forward to the next cohort. Congratulations in advance to the beneficiaries.
If this mentoring journey has inspired you, you can join the GROW mentorship programme and you will be glad you did.