First time as a Community Mentor

It was October 2022, when I received email from World Pulse in regards with the invitation to apply as a community mentor. 

What is this mentoring program? It is a six-month opportunity to connect monthly on a 1:1 basis to develop a leadership skills and provide support depending on the mutual agreement between mentor and mentee.

What I personally gain from the mentoring program? It has deep connection with a grassroots changemaker, see direct impact from your support and recognition for your time by being awarded a World Pulse Community badge and certificate.

In order for me to be considered as a mentor, I should hold an Encourager badge, complete mentor assessment and attend mandatory orientation call.

As explain from World Pulse Team's email, I don't need to have a special qualifications to be a mentor.  What I can do is to listen, ask questions, help mentees, be accountable to their goals and their organisations.  

Then, on November 3, I received an email with a final mentoring match yay! excited woot wooot!!! 🥳

I've sent an email to my mentee and agreed to meet last December.  However, we reschedule it because December is a busy month, so we moved it this January.  

Today, finally we meet each other via WhatsApp 🥰.  Funny is that. I actually set our meet up schedule on my calendar, but something came to my mind, went to have some walk, and eventually I realized oh my goodness I have video call today! And I'm already far away from our house, I don't have my my phone charger, and my battery is 29% (whaatttt! 😂).  I need to find a quiet place for a video call.  I went to a coffee shop (will not tell you the name of the coffee shop 😂) so I can sit, and because of my wondering thoughts, I've spent 4 dollar for a coffee so I can sit (what a day).

So I told her what happened and my situation, so before my battery went off we had a quick selfie, had a short conversation and continue our chat messages while my battery last.  

We had a great conversation (I love this mentoring).  Funny again! We can't hear each other 😂 because I don't have my earphone, and the coffee shop is a little noisy. So I told here, let's answer the questionnaire Dawn sent us, email it and I will answer as well.  

With that, we come up with this: Through this mentoring relationship we hope to gain new perspective and enhance communication and leadership skills.  We also hope that at the end of the mentoring program, we want to accomplish personal & professional development, gain self-confidence in expressing ourselves and build friendships.  We will meet once a month on Saturday at 2PM UK time through Whatsapp and can send message whenever needed.

I asked my mentee her World Pulse profile so I can tag her. Unfortunately, she can't access her account, but you can see her profile here.  She already inform the team to ask assistance.

Rhada (she's beautiful 🥳) is a Social Worker, had a strong background in Sociology and Gender Equality.  She's hardworking person and always interested to new knowledge.  Presently, she is a Gender Equality  Specialist.  She loves dancing, cooking, travelling, research new knowledge and Single. 

This is our first meeting, so we are looking forward for more and I hope to be a mentor whom I needed to be doing this 👉 to hold space, ask questions and listen with empathy.  The mentor is not expected to conduct skills training, or even share advice!  Mentors are there to empower their mentees by acknowledging the amazing leader they already are (copy paste from email).