Bank Windhoek has supported the Katuka Mentorship Programme for the past five years while witnessing women’s development and its benefits. Mentees within the programme agree that while the Namibian job market can be challenging, having a supportive and established mentor makes attaining career goals easier.
The annual Katuka Mentorship Programme held its certificate ceremony on Thursday, 21 November 2024, in Windhoek. The ceremony celebrated the completion of the mentors and mentees programme for 2024 and welcomed the new intake for 2025. The Programme matches a mentor and a mentee with similar professional or personal interests to share their skills and expertise throughout the year. It further upskilled women in a learning environment assisting them reach their full potential.
Bank Windhoek’s Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sponsorships, Bronwyn Moody, said Bank Windhoek understand that women empowerment is essential in creating an inclusive society. “Empowered women contribute to economic productivity and improve communities’ living standards through sustainable development and progress for all,” she said.
The Katuka Mentorship Programme Patron Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi said mentorship is about commitment to time. “Time is an irredeemable commodity. It benefits those who respect their time and the time of others,” she said.
Programme Organiser Desiree Lundon-Muller said the Programme’s core objective is to create a platform for personal and institutional success. “In its 23rd year, we have seen 525 entrepreneurs and businesswomen who completed the Programme. Today, 40 mentors and mentees will receive certificates while 56 have enrolled for next year’s Programme,” she said.
Real estate agent and mentee for 2024, Angeline Shaningwa, was proud and happy to share her growth journey during the ceremony. “The journey was not easy at the beginning. It took some time and effort. Eventually, I realised that I became more disciplined, and it became easier as I went along. I was afraid of making mistakes, but I learned that through the mistakes, I become stronger by learning where to fix and how to do better next time,” said Shaningwa.
One of the mentors for 2024, Simonee Shihepo Mulamata, joined the Programme as a mentee before she became a mentor. She said the Programme is a life-transforming experience. “As a mentor, you grow and see your mentee’s growth while discovering your life’s purpose. Over the years, I have learned to run my race and learn my uniqueness. Even though the journey is not easy, it is possible,” she said.
The Katuka Mentorship Programme was launched in July 2001 by the late Lena Markus, who was awarded the Businesswoman of the Year in 2000.