Women Paying It Forward South Africa launches their 2023 mentorship programmes

Women Paying It Forward South Africa launched their 2023 mentorship programme in partnership with Noordgesig Secondary School at the View Wedding and Events on March 18.

The programme creates a platform where professional women, through mentorship, mentor young women about matters impacting society.

Empowering young women

One of the organisation’s founders, Ellenice Williams-Maredi, said the organisation intends to empower young women to make better-informed decisions while creating a culture of paying back to society.

“I think a lot of us can relate to growing up without role models or mentors because we typically come from environments where there weren’t many. As a young girl, I yearned for that because I always knew there was something better but I just didn’t know what.

“One of the reasons we founded this organisation was to give back to the community because, as our mentors have alluded, it is critical that as we rise, we bring others with us.

“I believe young girls must see women who look like them, sound like them and had some success in life to show that it is possible to be who you want to be regardless of your background.

“We want to make a difference, have an impact and change lives. We believe in the principle of paying it forward because someone has done so for us in the past,” said Williams-Maredi.

“We want to empower underprivileged schools because these schools do not have resources and as a result, they miss out on a lot because it does not expose their learners to different opportunities.

“We work with Grade 10 learners because it is a stage and age where young people are struggling with identity, trying to fit in, and figuring out who they are and their career choice is difficult.

“We have recruited 10 mentees for our intake as we are currently self-funded. It limits the number of girls we can choose and the number of schools we can impact. We wish to recruit more girls and partner with more schools in the future.

“We had a meeting with the principal first to get his approval. Then we had a session with all the Grade 10 learners discussing the programme and handed out application forms to be completed, along with permission from the parents.

“We are actively looking for funding opportunities and would appreciate the assistance. Our goal is to implement a program for boys as there is a great need for this. We are committed, even though we have full-time jobs and we do this as a passion.

“We have been blessed over the last three years with individuals who have partnered with us and supported us to do what we can. I express my gratitude to everyone who has partnered with and supported us throughout the years. We have grown so much and managed to impact the lives of many young people.”

Thank you

The principal of the school, Arnold Louw, said he is ecstatic and hopes the chosen girls learn and teach others as well.

“It is an answered prayer because I had been praying for something that would open our children’s eyes, give them opportunities and for them to understand that there is more to be just in the school.

“They also have to learn there are other people from whom they can learn and for them to become confident in life and strive to become better people. I thank God for sending them my way because I always wanted to collaborate with them.

“I believe we must provide our children with more than book knowledge. I love that the organisation are all about ubuntu so that the girls can reach out to others and touch other people.

“I can’t wait to hear about their adventure. I just want to say to them values are much better than valuables,” said Louw.

To give back

One of the mentors, Mahaai Inderjeeth, said she is a mentor for the second time and one of her personal goals is to give back to the community.

“I believe there are a lot of requirements and needs in the society of today’s children, particularly young women who are influenced by different generations and eras and who are influenced by the digital space. There is also a lot of youth pressure and the world has changed stereotypes.

“What we want and have been achieving through the mentorship programme is to empower young women at a critical juncture in their lives and that is the age between 15 and 16 years. We want to look at real issues that communities are dealing with through the mentorship programme, such as mental disorders and the stigma attached to female wellness and menstruation, sexual changes, hormonal changes and how children are classified in society based on their backgrounds,” said Inderjeeth.

An opportunity like no other

One of the mentees, Keneilwe Khotleng, said she was overjoyed because when she applied she wondered if she would ever get accepted.

“It feels good to be one of the chosen girls because many applied. Being one of those chosen makes me very grateful. I hope to learn a lot and they also told us that once you finish the programme, you gain confidence, which is something I want to achieve because I lack it,” said Keneilwe.

Anyone who wishes to know more about the organisation, contact Ellenice Williams-Maredi on 082 960 1977 or Pamela Hendriks at 072 6015447 or via email at ellenice@womenpayingitforwardsa.org.za / pamela@womenpayingitforwardsa.org.za