Quick information guide

To choose a good mentor:

  • Identify areas that need strengthening: what skills do you need to learn immediately?
  • Assess your mentor: are you likely to clash with him/her? Do you have the same values? Is he/her a good listener?
  • Accept challenges: are you encouraged to learn/try something new?
  • Get ready to return the favour: what can your mentor learn from you? 

For mentorship to succeed, both mentor and mentee should mind:

  •  Timing
  • Clarifying expectations
  • Logistics (management)
  • Respecting their energy
  • Accepting feedback 
  • Personalising mentorship

Types of mentorship and benefits

1. Outside the company
 This is an informal linkage with suitable experts, these mentors are generally neutral and objective. The mentee gets a chance of being connected to:

Benefits

  • wider knowledge and experiences
  •  business owners (especially for senior business managers)
  • wider network and contacts

2. Within the company

This is a formal, structured employee learning through linkage with senior experienced people in a given Organisation/Company. This type is generally used as a way of  nurturing an internal pool of good employees and leaders for succession.

Benefits

This type of mentorship helps to:

  • Build strong organisational culture and employee morale
  •  Plan for succession easily
  • grow the company in a focused and measurable way

Mentorship in Uganda

"The key to success is your commitment, both to your business and to your mentoring relationship" - Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)

Mentorship is very important for your professional growth - especially when running your own business. A more experienced person (mentor) with strong networks understands your struggles and is able to provide guidance as you (mentee) grow your business. 

This is an invaluable support and learning tool but for the mentor/mentee relationship to work, both parties have to receive positive benefits from it.

In Uganda, organisations that support women in business usually provide mentoring services. 
 

 4 steps to creating a structured company mentoring programme

  • Define programme objectives (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed - SMART)
  • Create structure to deliver
  • Train participants on mentorship and launch
  • Continuously assess and improve

Tips for a successful mentorship

  1. Timing
    Mentors: Find a mentee - it's never too late
    Mentees: express your need clearly
  2. Clarify expectations
    Mentors: Why?
    Mentees: What do you want out of this?
  3. Manage logistics
    Mentors: How and where and regularity of meetings
    Mentees: Be proactive with scheduling
  4. Respect their energy
    Mentors: Invest in your mentee's success
    Mentees: Your mentor's time is valuable - treat it that way
  5. Embrace feedback
    Mentors: Give open, honest input - even when it's hard
    Mentees: View feedback as a gift
  6. Personalise mentorship
    Mentors: invest yourselves in the success of your mentee
    Mentees: Build trust with your mentor
angle-left Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa - Uganda Chapter (CEEWA- U)

Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa - Uganda Chapter (CEEWA- U)

About the (CEEWA- U)

The Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa - Uganda Chapter (CEEWA- U) is a registered non-government, not-for-profit and women membership organization working to promote economic empowerment of women in the development process. It was legally registered in 1997 Registration No: S.5914/1947 - 1881).

Its vision is “A Uganda in which women’s economic aspirations, rights and productive potentials are fully recognized and mainstreamed in the framework of equitable and sustainable human development”.

The mission is to promote the economic empowerment of women in the development process through gender disaggregated research, advocacy, training, information dissemination and documentation.
Areas covered by Mentorship

  1. Adoption of entrepreneurship development skills

  2. Adoption of advocacy skills

  3. Adoption of Leadership skills

  4. Supporting women in Business management skills

  5. Adoption of ICT skills
What is the enrollment procedure and what is required from mentees?

CEEWA-Uganda conducts mentorship programs for its beneficiaries especially women in business and groups, based on the available resources who have attended capacity building programs.

Mentees are usually visited and monitored on a periodic basis depending on the duration of the running project. Mentees/ beneficiaries are required to be women farmers, women entrepreneurs and women groups in areas where CEEWA Uganda operates and beneficiaries of previous programs.
What is the enrollment procedure and what is required from mentors?

Mentors apply and submit their CVs to CEEWA and are selected based on their professional backgrounds and experience in business development.

CEEWA members and staff with different professional background in Banking & Finance, agriculture, gender development, business or entrepreneurship are also encouraged to apply and serve as mentors.

 
Links to E-Learning resources 

The resources are not available online but exist in both hard and soft copies at CEEWA Uganda office.
Additional services beneficial to women 

  • Introducing mentees to district leaders like district production officers, community development officers and other business development service providers

  • Offering Monitoring support visits

  • Exposure visits
Events organised that can be beneficial to women entrepreneurs

Formation of partnerships with other institutions like Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL), TECHNOSERVE, Action for Rural Women Empowerment (ARUWE), Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT Uganda)
Contacts

Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa - Uganda Chapter (CEEWA- U)
Opposite Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church
Kiwafu Road- Off Ggaba Road
Kansanga
Tel: +256 0) 393 287 133
Email: info@ceewa.org
Web: www.ceewa.org
share-alt