The Vital Voices Women Mentoring Walks Uganda Chapter!

5TH UGANDA MENTORING WALK – NOVEMBER 16TH 2013
“Inspire, Equip and Skill the youth-BUILD THE FUTURE.”
History
Vital Voices Global Leadership Network members organize “Women Mentoring Women” mentoring walks in several countries throughout the world following their participation in the FORTUNE/US State Department Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership. The idea for “Mentoring Walks”
originated with Founder and Former CEO of Oxygen Media, Geraldine Laybourne, who developed these events across the United States and shared her experience doing so with FORTUNE/US State Department Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership participants. In 2008, pilot mentoring
walks were held in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Argentina, Peru, Serbia and Jordan. The events were met with tremendous success and reached hundreds of women. Each of the walks are held on the
same day and branded by Vital Voices Global Partnership. Mentoring walks are events in which established women leaders and rising women professionals convene and walk together in their
community. As they walk, they engage in discussion regarding their professional challenges and successes, establishing a mentoring relationship in which the seasoned leader guides and supports
their peers.
The purpose of Mentoring Walks
Individually, mentoring walks serve to engage established women professionals and emerging women professionals in mentoring partnerships. These partnerships aim to support rising generations of women leaders reach their full potential. Together, the mentoring walk events illustrate women’s dedication to building leadership globally and spotlight the accomplishments of women across the globe.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
“Mentoring is like a CANDLE, one can light up so many candles
without losing your glow, but together create more heat and
better light.”
Objectives of the Mentoring Walks
o To raise awareness about Mentoring as a key tool for personal development.
o To bring together women professionals and emerging women professionals in mentoring partnerships in order to create a network of role models.
o To illustrate women’s dedication to building leadership and spotlight the accomplishments of women in Uganda.
o To initiate a series of activities which identify, guide and support young women “to lead a life of Choice not Chance” so that they make positive transitions into adulthood.
Plan for the Mentoring Walk
Like other walks in 27 different countries globally, the Uganda Mentoring Walk is scheduled to take place on the Saturday 16th November 2013. It will bring together students from various schools, female managers from corporate companies, powerful women from public and private institutions, non-government organizations, women groups and organizations and women entrepreneurs totalling to 2000 people. The walk will begin from Centenary Park at 7:30am; go through Speke road to the Kitante Primary School where other activities will take place.
The theme for this year’s Mentoring Walk is “Inspire, Equip and Skill the youth-BUILD THE FUTURE.” It will focus on conversations that will contribute to the empowerment of youth in
Uganda. This year, the US Deputy Ambassador, Patricia Mahoney will be the Guest of Honour at the Mentoring Walk.
Other activities at the event
o A number of women will share their success stories at the event
o Exhibition to showcase girls’ women’s products/services
o Fashion Show from a role model fashion designer
o Poetry, music, dance and drama to showcase girls and women’s talents
o Inspirational Women of Uganda Awards to recognize women who have mentored other women Uganda Mentoring Walks 2009
In 21st November 2009, Uganda joined other 11 countries around the world for the Global Mentoring Walk. The first Mentoring Walk in Uganda was attended by 357 girls and women with the presence of Geraldine Laybourne, the Founder of the Mentoring Walk and
Jerry Lanier, the American Ambassador in Uganda. A movement for women was launched based on the concept that “Mentoring is just like a CANDLE, if you have one in your hand, you can light up so many other people’s candles without losing your glow.” This has
brought a new thinking among the women affirming that they can make a difference in another woman’s life. The old generation syndrome of women not supporting each other will slowly die out with big numbers of women building strong relationships with young
mentees.
Uganda Mentoring Walks 2010
On 20th November 2010, Uganda again joined other 9 countries around the world to participate in the Global Mentoring Walk. Women in Uganda have achieved the objectives of raising  awareness about Mentoring as a key tool for personal, professional and business development, brought together women professionals and emerging women in mentoring partnerships, created a network
of role models and spotlighted the accomplishments of women in Uganda. The mentoring walk brought together over 450 girls and women from various walks of life including secondary schools,
tertiary institutions, corporate companies, public and private institutions, non government organizations, community groups and women entrepreneurs.
Uganda Mentoring Walks 2011
Over 500 participants gathered for Uganda’s third Mentoring Walk on November 19th 2011 to join other 11 countries across the globe. We had established women leaders, rising women professionals and a number of secondary school and university students. All clad in the beautiful lime green and blue t-shirts, participants engaged in conversations regarding their careers, life experiences, challenges and successes; and to some as we later learnt from various speakers after the walk, it marked the beginning of mentoring relationships. To grace the occasion, we had the American Ambassador, Jerry Lanier and Vital Voices Global Partnership staff from Washington DC, Celena Green and Sarah Ewing. Also in attendance was Thombi Msimang, a renowned woman entrepreneur from South Africa.
Uganda Mentoring Walks 2012
On a bright morning of Saturday 17th November 2012, Uganda proudly joined the rest of the world in celebrating this global event with the theme: “Equipping youth with Leadership, employment and Entrepreneurship skills.” The Ugandan Flag Bearer, the President of CEDA International, Rehmah Kasule together with the US  Ambassador Scott DeLisi and his wife Leija flagged off the 4th Uganda Mentoring Walk. Hand in hand, side-by-side, a group of more than 1500 strong and hopeful Uganda girls and women proudly set off for the 5 kilometre journey with a lot of pride. As the walk progressed, the women engaged in discussions about their backgrounds, offered advice and shared their different life experiences with each other. Among the Speakers were US
Ambassador Scott DeLisi, Hajat Rehmah Kasule, Latifah Kiribedda, Lillian Muganga, Lillian Aero and Maggie Sheahan, a young American who came to Uganda as a volunteer four years ago and whose work in Mentoring at educate! has positively impacted over 3000 youth in Uganda. Participants were also treated to wonderful dances, songs, poems, fashion show and an exhibition showcasing
successful businesses run by female youth in the country. At the end of the event seven Inspirational Women of Uganda received Awards including Victoria Sekitoleko, Rebecca Kadaga, Bendicta Nanyonga and Olivia Wanekha, the current Ugandan Ambassador to USA. The Mentoring Walk was made possible by the partnership of CEDA International, Women of Valor Foundation, GEM-Uganda, Educate, Grana Fish Supplies and Icon.
Success stories as a result of the Mentoring Walks
Following the famous African proverb “If you walk alone, you will go very fast, and if you take others with you, you will walk very far”, the events have brought a whole new thinking among the girls and women of Uganda. We have seen the space grow beyond just the walks to a platform where old, young, experienced, non-experienced girls and women mentor and support each other. Some of the accomplishments highlighted since last year’s Mentoring Walk were:
o Mentorship is now recognized as a key tool for personal, professional, business and community development. Several mentoring programs have been launched in the country by various organizations.
o The Flag Bearer, Rehmah Kasule’s participation in the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship where she met President Barack Obama
o Jalia Nabukalu attending the Youth Leadership Summit in Washington DC
o Ninah Tolyewo, a former student of Gayaza High School joining a Medical school in Canada with full sponsorship from Geraldine Laybourne
o Grace Nanyonga, a young entrepreneur attending the Fortune/US State Department Mentoring program.
o Remmie Male and Angella Bulamu attending the IREX Community fellowship in USA.
o Martha, Fauziat Kimbugwe and Sharmilah Nakaayi got scholarships to go to UK, Canada and India to study Engineering, Social Work and Counselling and Community Development respectively.
o The Mentoring Walk has been a catalyst for starting other projects in the schools like the Go-Green, Talking Compounds, Speech Competition and Auspicious Achievers.
o More than 460 strong mentoring partnerships built between with young mentees and experienced mentors.
o Entrepreneurship mentoring in universities around the country
o Mentoring Clubs established in Uganda and in Rwanda where women network, learn and share experiences.
o Graduating of 175 young women from the Rising Star Mentoring Program impacting more than 12,000 girls in 7 girls’ secondary schools.
o Monthly Mentoring Nights to equip women in employment and women entrepreneurs with leadership and business skills.
o Creation of data-base of a network of role models and mentors
o Launching of the UniAction Program in 8 universities, a program aimed at preventing human trafficking and sexual exploitation among university women.