Following a successful pilot phase, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is now ready to welcome a new intake of Mentees and Mentors for its Mentoring Women in Business programme. The Mentoring Women in Business programme aims to support women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, India, Israel, Palestine, Kenya and Swaziland through mentoring.
Anyone with expertise and time can apply to become one of the Mentors. From May 2011 entrepreneurs from India, Kenya and Swaziland will join the mentor programme as Mentees and will be matched with successful entrepreneurs or professionals worldwide. The application dead-line is the 18th of April; please Apply Now.
Guilia Corinaldi of the Foundation says: ?Being a Cherie Blair Foundation Mentor is an unique opportunity for developing your mentoring skills, supporting women entrepreneurs across the globe and helping to close the gender gap in the SME sector. Mentoring requires your commitment, time and dedication. Your participation in the Mentoring Women in Business programme will require a minimum of one hour of your time every two weeks and you will be expected to be proactive in communicating with your Mentee and be available to meet with her according to a schedule you will agree together.
She continues: ?In the application form you will have the chance to express an interest to be a Group Mentor; if you do so, you may not be matched with a Mentee right away, and your primary role will be maintaining a vibrant and engaging mentoring community, initiating contributions to the public forums, encouraging discussions among members, organising Webinars and ensuring a steady flow of expertise among Mentors and Mentees alike. Mentors are asked to provide a minimum donation of �100/US$150 per year to help support the programme.?
If selected, all Mentors and Mentees will be requested to go through an on-line training (i) on how to use the platform and the relevant Google tools to engage with each other and (ii) on how to develop a strong and effective mentoring relationship. The training will be done on-line and through Webinars; we have designed the training modules to be as clear, concise and effective as possible, trying to avoid taking up too much of your time. Please let us know if we have succeeded! Once the on-line training is completed, the programme manager will match you with a Mentees based upon business interests and goals and you will be able to start your mentoring relationship, which will continue for 12 months.
A decision on your application will be made by May 13th. If you would like additional information or have any questions please don?t hesitate to contact us.