The summit, held in Bengaluru last week, featured a session about mentoring women.
Credit: Special Arrangement
The Mentoring Summit India 2024 underscored the need for mentoring youth from marginalised backgrounds as they have limited access to role models outside their communities. Mentoring can help in their personal and professional growth, said experts at the recently concluded event.
Speakers brought attention to government mentorship initiatives like Prerana. It is designed to pair subject-matter specialists, industry experts and civil servants with government polytechnics, engineering, and first-grade colleges in Karnataka. The aim is for experts to upskill higher education students through lectures and skill workshops on a free and honorary basis. Interested experts can write to dce.prerana@gmail.com for details.
Srikar M S, principal secretary, department of higher education, Karnataka, also spoke about the need for industry exposure for such students. He said around 440 government colleges in the state face employment challenges.
The event, mostly attended by government school teachers and students and corporate professionals, also shone light on organisations engaged in mentoring. Eklavya Foundation supports and counsels youth from SC and ST communities who can’t afford education after Class 10. The SC and ST communities are still unrepresented in mainstream jobs, said its cofounder Smita Tatewar, herself a first-generation learner from a nomadic tribe. Visit eklavyaindia.org for details.
Another speaker Deepanjali Lahiri highlighted the lack of Muslim women in the workforce. She runs a leadership and professional development incubator for Indian Muslim women, called LedBy. It is open to women who hold a degree/diploma or are in the process of completing their degree/diploma. It provides access to industry experts and peer mentoring. Look up ledby.org
The event was organised by Mentor Together. Arundhuti Gupta said it was her mentor who inspired her to start this non-profit for assisting youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. “A mentor helps a mentee see what they can become beyond their strengths,” she shared. Find details on mentortogether.org
Bhumi is another organisation that was spoken about at the two-day summit. It is empowering youth in the 20-30 age group through its education, leadership development, and civic volunteering initiatives. Details on bhumi.ngo