One thing that gives me great fulfillment is mentorship. Every moment that I get to impact a life is priceless.
On 14th August I got a rare chance to speak to girls at St. Peter's Girls in Utawala courtesy of Brian Ombaka.
Together with me were other great mentors; Dorothy Otieno, Grace Ndirangu, and Corazon Amukhale.
Brian is very passionate about matters of mentorship and health. He is also a champion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goals 3 and 5. Brian had organized this session for us to mentor the girls as well as issue them sanitary towels.
Madam Dorothy kicked off the session by sharing her story. She was born and raised in Korogocho Slum and it is her dream for a better life that motivated her. Having a mother who had little interest in education and being in a volatile neighborhood her only way out was education. Dorothy's mother could not afford to take her to a tertiary institution and so she started working soon after finishing her Form 4. This did not deter her dream because she managed to go to campus years later and graduated with first-class honors even after being on ad off due to financial challenges.
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The next speaker was Grace who gave the girls guidance on how to remain focused in education and in life. She gave the girls seven key points to live by;
1. Everyone needs to understand their needs and set the right priorities in life.
2. Have a goal in life and a clear mind set
3. Choose the right friends, because they can make you or break you
4. Have healthy habits that build you
5. Avoid comparing yourself to others
6. Develop a support system
7. Have friends you can count on
Then came my turn to speak and my presentation was on self-esteem and value. Girls as very prone to having low self-esteem as they tend to feel pressurized to have a smooth face or even perfect figure as the media has made us believe.
I went ahead to encourage them to appreciate themselves as they are and look at what makes them unique. Then also focus on their inner self rather than their outside appearance.
I also encouraged the girls to be self-motivated and have confidence in who they are rather than depend on other people's opinions. As usual, I made them chant my slogan, "I am beautiful the way I am, I could not be any other way and I bring spice to life!"
Also Read: 5 Great Ways To Love Yourself in 2018
To close the session was Corazon with the topic of Menstrual Hygiene. She reminded the girls not to be embarrassed about being a woman. She gave them guidelines on how to maintain high standards of hygiene and also to be their sister's keeper. This is a very sensitive topic and as Decent Conversation, we are keen on sensitizing adolescent youth on matters of Menstrual health and hygiene. We are also in the process of establishing school clubs in different counties and we are open to partnerships.
Make Sure you also check out: What Nobody Tells You About Menstrual Health (#NomoreLimits)
The climax of the day was the distribution of the sanitary towels as well as having time to interact with the girls. This was truly a wonderful day and I look forward to more. If you would like to invite us to talk to students or even young adults get in touch at 0786404432.
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