Paying It Forward: Samirah Faruk on Closing the Gap for Women Mentors

Samirah Faruk is based in Kano, Nigeria, where she works as a social development professional in the NGO sector.

Samirah takes part in the Women in WASH & RWSN mentorship programme as a mentor.

Noticing a Gap and Deciding to Fill It

Samirah’s decision to mentor grew directly out of what she observed while running vocational training for women in rural communities. “I became a mentor because I needed to pay it forward especially to women in my community with experience gathered, there was a gap that I saw when I started vocational training for women in rural communities that women do not have access to female mentors as most of the mentors available then were males.”

What she finds most rewarding is watching that gap close in her own mentees. “What I find most rewarding in my experience is seeing my mentees become confident, leaders in their field and growing in their careers and businesses.”

A Success Story That Came Full Circle

Samirah recalls a mentee who was enlisted to exhibit her products on a runway and won second place. The mentee dedicated the award to Samirah, even though their formal mentorship relationship had already ended. “That touched me because my relationship ended with her on the program but three years later she told her story of how I guided her on her journey to success.”

What Mentoring Has Taught Her

Samirah points to emotional intelligence as one of the biggest lessons of mentoring. “I learned emotional intelligence on how mentees can experience fear, self doubt, frustration, failure, overconfidence, burnout, pressure and thus all the experience gathered has made me grow as a professional.” That growth led her to formalize her skills further. “I took a course recently with the Women in Digital Business Program/ITCILO and now, I have a certification as a mentor.”

Her Advice to First-Time Mentors

Samirah lists a set of qualities she considers essential for anyone starting out. “Be a good listener, have some form of practical knowledge of the path of the mentee, have emotional intelligence, be able to ask powerful questions (open ended) and give honest and constructive feedback and finally grow yourself in seeking knowledge to be better as a mentor after each mentoring experience.”

Why She Believes Mentorship Matters

Samirah connects mentorship directly to the ability of mentees to avoid preventable mistakes. “Mentorship is important for the society because it creates an avenue for growth of mentees in all sectors as the mentees can tap from the wealth of experience of the mentors so that they do not make mistakes, make structured decisions and make independent choices.”