On mentoring and being mentored

In September, I came across an opportunity to volunteer as a peer mentor at Business in the Streets. BITS, as it is known, is a Toronto-based not-for-profit organisation providing access to top-tier business training, peer mentorship, micro-financing, and ongoing business support to youth from disadvantaged, marginalised and underserved communities. They offer programs and events for young people who are ready to embark on an entrepreneurial journey and are interested in pursuing their own economic opportunities. I applied, and after an interview with Zhanina Bregu, I was in.

I started the program in October without knowing what to expect, but with an open heart and mind. They matched me with a team of three bright and inspiring mentees. Through eight weeks, we navigated the YCEO program together, aiming at transforming my mentees' ideas into viable businesses. Along the way, we learned together about business canvas, minimum viable product, accounting and bookkeeping, marketing, and much more. Most importantly, we talked about our feelings, fears, and joys of that which can be a solitary journey.

The most challenging incident was the birth of my daughter one month earlier than planned. She should arrive on 10 December but decided that 9 November was more fitting. Juggling work, my other volunteer commitments, BITS, and a newborn baby was hard, but I kept going until the end of the program on 4 December without giving up. My mentees were very generous and understanding - and together, we made it.

This was my first experience mentoring formally, and what an excellent way to start! I felt supported by the organisation, the managing team, the other mentors, the instructors, and my mentees. Above all, I discovered that mentoring is also being mentored when one keeps a receptive attitude. The people with whom I had most contact - the mentees, the other mentors, and our instructor - brought with them diversified backgrounds, accents, origins, ideas, and worldviews and showed me things I could not see on my own. And in the end, I learned much more than I could teach.