BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
HAVING been mentored to impact on lives of people in their communities for a month by Fortune/US State Department Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership, three influential Nigerian women — Tara Fela-Durotoye of House of Tara; Detoun A. Ogwo, CEO of AGDC; and Lucy Kanu, Founder of Idea Builders — have returned to give back to the society, what they learnt through various projects targeted at women, young entrepreneurs and the youths among others.
Fortune/US State Department Global Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership, inaugurated in 2006, has mentored over 116 women from 39 countries.
In the course of the training, Detoun Ogwo, 2010 candidate, was placed at Goldman Sachs/World Bank, while Tara Fela-Durotoye and Lucy Kanu were at Exxon Mobil in 2010 and 2008 respectively.
The Director of ADGC Employability and Enterprise Development, Detoun Ogwo disclosed that her programme is aimed at creating gainful employment for Nigerian youths.
In similar mold, Tara’s “ Be inspired Campus Tour” is working to improve the lot of women.
Coming home in 2008, Fortune alumnus, Lucy Kanu launched the Women Mentoring Partnership to mobilize enterprising young women.
Working together as part of their collaborative “Pay forward” project, Tara Fela-Durotoye will be rolling out the mentoring walk in Delta State while Detoun Ogwo anchors the Ogun State leg and Lucy Kanu, Lagos.
The Walk will start from November 20 in 12 different countries across the globe and at different times as may be suitable to them.
THE Global Women’s Mentoring Walks”, builds upon the success of mentoring walks events organized in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Argentine, Peru, Egypt, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Bolivia, El Salvador and Serbia in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The mentoring walks are the collaborative “pay forward” outcome of the mentoring partnership in collaboration with Vital Voices Global Partnership and Idea Builders Initiative.
IN Nigeria the mentoring walk will include over 5, 000 participants across Lagos, Delta, Abuja, Ogun and Akwa Ibom State.
Sharing their experiences, Fela-Durotoye said, “I truly had an amazing time in the US. When I got nominated for the programme, I had my reservations, but when I got there my mind was completely changed. One thing I learnt was seeing influential and successful women from different countries taking their time to mentor me and other women. Many of them were mature women, probably in their 50s.”
“I was in Exxon Mobil, so I was exposed to the vice-president and president of the organization,” she added. “It was amazing going into their offices and to see that they had gone to my website, read so much about me, and were truly interested in my progress and my story.”
“And I said to myself: if these great people can pick interest in me, then I needed to do something to inspire more people and women in Nigerian to impact on lives,” she said.
“I was exposed to an American corporation, a company that has 85,000 employees; they have invested in 120 countries — actually the most profitable countries in the world; and seeing how companies like that are run. The culture of the organisations was controlled, measured. Some of those learning skills, I brought back into my organization; even while I was still in America, I tried to implement some of those things within my organisation and I saw the difference.
“For me, it was the best thing that could happen to me in the year 2010. With that same fire and energy, I have come back home to do something to say I am grateful for that opportunity, and I would like to do something to change Nigeria as a Republic.”
And for to Ogwo, “The fortune programme for me was life transforming. I remember the day I got a call from the US State Department saying that I was one of the two women nominated! It was a very intensive selection. When they sent the letter, there were two individuals, who had been assigned to me as my mentors. They were able to make time in four weeks to show me how things are done; how women leaders live. I went into the Google search and into the World Bank; and I was mentored by incidentally the lady, who started the 10, 000 women programme and also the Fortune Mentoring Programme by name Dina Powell and our very own Dr Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
A month before I left for this programme, we had 7, 500 applications for 70 provisions; so I already knew that the opportunity was presented to help me scale up what we are doing: we are trying to create a gap between the universities and what the employers are looking for. Before I got to America, it was amazing that these women had known who I was, they had studied my organisation and were willing to support me; one of them said to me: ‘you must succeed and we are committed to your success!’
We are trying to create change; we are back energized and empowered to make a difference. We have created a network.
Lucy Kanu, “it was a fantastic experience; the competition to get into the programme is tight. It makes you feel that ‘I am not here by chance and there is an opportunity.” Not everyone can go for that programme, so we have a responsibility as people who have been given an opportunity to come back home and duplicate the best practices that we have learnt.
Kalu advises Nigerian women to do the right thing, give themselves the benefit of doubt that they can do it, help young entrepreneur.
“If you are a top women, please leave the ladder standing, we need to climb that corporate ladder; if one falls, please hold her hand and take her up instead of mocking her. Let us do things that will support young women to achieve.”
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