High school girls mentored on career and personal development
High school students from Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Ghana convened for the 18th edition of the ‘Take a Child to Work’ workshop on zoom, whose aim was to provide guidance to girls on career and personal development. The program aims to motivate high school girls to continue learning even after high school.
Students from Zimbabwe who participated in the career guidance program attested that the program has been helpful as they are now able to choose careers that best suit them.
Adonate Sibanda, from Solusi Adventist High School, said the program has encouraged them to pursue careers that have so long been male-dominated.
“These mentorship lessons have taught me that girls can also do jobs that people think can only be done by men. I have learned that women can also excel in subjects such as mathematics and other science subjects that have always been done by men in the past years,” she said.
The students were also taught about Information Technology Systems and their importance in the fourth industrial era.
Nicole Sibanda from Premier High School said the lesson have broadened their knowledge of the importance of Information Technology and entrepreneurship.
“The use of technology is being widely used these days to start, and expand businesses. Social media is also another tool that is now important in marketing businesses. We learned that as women we do not need men to help us become big entrepreneurs but we can do it alone if we understand and appreciate the use of new technology,” said Sibanda.
Another student from Zenzele Secondary School, Lora Tshuma said the mentorship program has helped many girls with personal growth.
“I think most girls here have learnt a lot about personal growth. I learnt that as a girl it is very important to read and research so that l can increase my knowledge and be able to grow personally and well as career-wise. So, I urge other girls to read a lot, expand their knowledge and be able to do things on their own,” she said.
The Women’s Institute for Leadership Development and The Haven Trust facilitated the program for a total of 10 students from Zimbabwe.
The Director of The Haven Trust Tholakele Mhlangu Khumalo said the program does not all only provide career guidance to high school students but goes on to give them mentors who will guide students in their career paths.
“This program is not limited only to providing career guidance to these girls but we even go to the lengths of assigning each student with a mentor who has majored in the careers they will choose and give them the guidance they need.”
“Our aim is to mentor these children from form 1 to form 6, guiding them, and giving skills. We want to encourage the girl child to be more proactive in educational activities. We do not want them to end at high school, but we want them to continue with school and see its importance,” she said.
Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work is a collaborative act of voluntarism with Women of Africa Arise. Over the years, the program has been a powerful agent for gender quality in the workplace.
