Every effort needs motivation; it was the 4th of September 2017 when the AfricAid team and Opportunity Education members met with excitement for our annual Mentors training. The day began with staff eagerly sharing their expectations for the training.
Ezra Yoyo, a professional trainer, was the facilitator for day one, focusing on planning and being organized. This segment was participatory, with staff reflecting on their daily routines. The use of the Eisenhower box helped our Mentors to categorize their work into what’s urgent, important, not urgent and not important. The first day finished with a session on time management, lead by Anande Nnko who used a challenging video that showed how to multiply our time.
Archbold Hamphery, a university principal, facilitated a session on how to be proactive and conduct self-assessments on day two. The determination to recognize areas for improvement and achieve these improvements was one of the activities that Mentors were taught to ensure they are proactive in their work. Ester Piniel ended the segment with a group activity which involved staff acknowledging each other for the good work they have done in transforming our Scholars.
The third day focused on creating a conducive environment and the importance of teamwork. Julius Ejalam, the headmaster of Cornerstone Academy, was the day three facilitator spoke on how to give and receive constructive feedback using different case studies.
Working as a team, identifying potential in each Scholar, and understanding personalities are some of the key points to help create a positive work environment. On the fourth day, Nimpaye Kataze, founder of LEAD organization, elaborated on different personalities, work styles and how to identify the strengths and weaknesses of people you work with and using these to identify which assignments worked best for us.
Mentors finished the training with new knowledge and skills which left them feeling energized, aware of their potential to work together, and impact Scholars to transform their lives and communities.
