In 2012, when a South African teen named Thando Dlomo was part of the inaugural graduating class of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, she hadn’t the foggiest clue where her life would take her. In 2007, she was one of 72 students who wandered the 52-acre grounds of the institution that would be responsible for her realising her biggest dreams and putting behind her the poverty and its various entanglements she had grown up a part of. Her mother had previously struggled to provide her with basic necessities like food and school fees. At the academy it was the first time Dlomo would have her own bed, let alone her own room. She says of her days there: “I just felt deeply cared for, provided for, and I felt like I was in a very whole and nourished environment.”

After graduating Dlomo moved to the United States to attend the Johnson C Smith University in North Carolina before going on to the prestigious Annenberg Center at USC, where in 2018, she received a master’s in journalism. Since then she has become a content producer for Entertainment Tonight in Los Angeles, where, she says “I’ve found a little niche for myself”. She also mentors young girls, showing them how to turn the pain of their past into their greatest strengths.

Had Dlomo’s mother been able to outrun AIDS, the leading cause of death in sub-Sahara Africa, which claimed her life when Dlomo was only 15, no doubt she would have been proud to see that her daughter was able to put the legacy of her impoverished background behind her, and more importantly, survive the trauma of the generational curse of poverty.

Importance of mentorship

Dloma’s success story came about by a kernel of an idea media mogul Oprah had in 2002, while in conversation with then President Nelson Mandela about combatting poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. So, she thought, why not build a school for girls who are desirous of overcoming childhood poverty and trauma and who possessed “resilience, courage and spirit that make them stand out among their peers”?

You don’t have to have Oprah’s wherewithal to finance a school. Maybe, just consider becoming a mentor. All it takes is an awareness that there is in fact a lack of gender equality in this country, and that this impedes economic growth and development. This is not a “women’s issue”, as some people think. The fact is, reports show that in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries, of which Jamaica is a part, half the economic growth over the past 50 years is attributable to girls having better access to education. Sustainable development in Jamaica is therefore a consequence of providing equal access to not just education for girls, but also employment opportunities for women, who are the head of households in so many homes in Jamaica.

How to become a good mentor

The National Commercial Bank (NCB), in this month of March that recognises International Women’s Day and International Women’s History Month, is putting out a clarion call for mentors, both male and female, who will reach out to Jamaican girls and women who show potential but aren’t necessarily equipped with the expertise and tools they need to succeed. We believe that, through the collective efforts of mentors (both male and female), we can empower women to achieve #EqualityForSustainability.

NCB is particularly keen on realising gender equality in positions of leadership, hence the urgent call for mentorship by entrepreneurs and professionals. The fact is, leaders carry significant power to make change, so it is important to create more diverse leadership positions to reflect the equitable society we want to live in. #EmpowerHer.

Take an area as crucial as Jamaican politics, for example. As at 2020, eight women made up the 21 members in Jamaica’s Senate. Sure, this is more than in 2012 when women occupied only five out of 21 seats. But it’s not nearly enough. And what percentage of women are building generational wealth by investing in the stock market? According to the Jamaica Stock Exchange, roughly just 37 per cent.

When you’ve become settled in your career and feel that you are able to take a woman who shows potential under your wing, what’s next? Pay it forward; pass on your insights to her. Your personal journey can be a source of inspiration and guidance for her to emanate as she tries to navigate a world whose odds are stacked against her.

I have been blessed to have several mentors who have poured into various areas of my life. I have career mentors, spiritual mentors, and financial mentors. I encourage everyone to mentor another along their journey; it will help you too. I often assume I have nothing to share but once asked I am forced to step back and take stock, allowing me to see just how far I have come. Life’s challenges provide good fodder to guide someone else.

Here are five traits for becoming a good mentor:

1. Make sure you’re a positive role model.

2. Hone your skills of communicating, listening, and showing empathy.

3. Be patient; your mentee may not get it right immediately.

4. Allow her to make her own decisions and mistakes.

5. Offer constructive criticism only.