Mentorship

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The origin of the word 'mentor' can be traced back to the Greek mythodology. Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. The adoption and usage of the personal name 'Mentor' in English as a term meaning someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced person or a colleague. This was as a result of Mentor's relationship with Telemachus (son of Odysseus) who later became Mentor's foster-child.

Mentoring is the process of giving advice to a person or challenging a person to do his/her best on both a personal and professional level. As a child, parents and other close family relations fill this role. In a typical African community, this role is played by almost all elderly people.

In mentoring, the mentor has to have a sense of selflessness knowing that the highest compliment that can ever be paid to you as a mentor will never occur in your presence. Mentoring is also not a club or a special group that is reserved for special people. Anyone at all can be a mentor and it is advisable for every individual to have a mentor; be a mentee and also be a mentor at one point in life.

A mentee is the protégé or the student of the mentor or the one being mentored. In the Greek mythodology, Telemachus would be seen as the perfect description of a mentee. A mentee should be humble and ever ready to learn new things.

Today, mentors provide expertise to less experienced individuals to help them advance in their careers, enhance their education and build their networks. In many different arenas, people have benefited from being part of a mentoring relationship or a mentoring programme. (eg. YLMP)

Finally, being able to rely on individuals who will share their experiences with you is invaluable for you to establish a great future.