By Anna Shilongo
WINDHOEK
The Katuka Mentorship programme concluded its sixth year with an award ceremony last week.
The Mentorship, which was launched by the late Lena Markus in July 2001, aims at empowering and encouraging entrepreneurs, business and professional women to achieve success in their careers through mentorship by other more experienced business and professional women.
It is a method of advancement, which provides support and training through relationship building.
Markus was the Businesswoman of the Year 2000 in the category Corporate/.Professional. Inge Zaamwani Kamwi is now the patron of the Mentorship programme following the death of Markus.
Giving an overview of Katuka’s activities, Sabine Kownatski said training in 2007 was not only restricted to mentors and mentees but also reached out to employees of participating members.
Referring to progress by individuals, she said former mentees would serve as mentors during 2008.
“It is about matching a mentee and mentor with similar personal and professional interest in a process of support, sharing and learning to help entrepreneurs/businesswomen, who want to start up or successfully run or achieve success in their existing field of business and reach their full potential,” she said.
The programme has produced significant results in the career of the participating mentees.
To date, 134 entrepreneurs and businesswomen have completed the Mentorship programme.
The Mentorship programme is also designed to facilitate career development of younger women by exposing them to the experience of individuals with established careers.
The programme is now calling on career women to join its ranks for next year. This would ensure that promising young women enjoy the benefit of learning from their more experienced colleagues.
Certificates were awarded to 18 mentors and mentees who have completed the programme for 2007.
Desere Lundon-Muller, Partner and Marketing Manager: Namibia Economist and organiser of the Namibian Businesswoman Projects expressed gratitude to the main sponsors, Telecom Namibia, for their profound commitment towards the development of women in the country.
“The much appreciated assistance which the women of Namibia have received has profoundly impacted on the emancipation of women and is one of the most effective ways to create a new generation of entrepreneurs and professionals and to stimulate economic growth in our country,” she stressed.
So far, 10 mentees and 14 mentors have registered for the 2008 Mentorship programme scheduled for February next year to be conducted by well-known human resource specialist Sabine Kownatski.
The second training session is expected in April and in the third week of August. The closing date for applications from the north is end of January 2008.