"Mentorship is a long-term investment and is a powerful concept - it's about being a cheerleader and providing support and recognition to the next generation. Mentors are often older, more experienced and wiser and have the potential to light the spark in a young person's life," says Mokgatle.
"Given the number of young women who are unemployed and therefore vulnerable in every possible way, the education and mentoring of girls is critical. However, there is another pressing reason, young women need to be encouraged to dream and to believe that they can achieve anything they set their minds to," says Managing Executive of Cell C Foundation, Suzette van der Merwe.
It's the reason why iconic 'Take a Girl Child to Work Day', introduced to South Africa's business community in 2003, now benefits an estimated 50 000 young women every year and the number of corporate companies supporting the initiative rose to 520 this year.
Its key purpose is to encourage schoolgirls to dream, to let them know that their ambitions are achievable, to allow them to experience time in an actual work environment, shadowing top executives. It is a practical step towards enabling them to make the connection between what they learn at school and their future career goals. It also has a Girl Child Bursary Fund that currently provides tertiary education for 20 beneficiaries in partnership with the Tomorrow Trust.
Van der Merwe says, "Our CEO, Jose Dos Santos has been very clear in his directive that as a company we need a large female workforce. Women empowerment and creating opportunities for young girls is at the foundation of the group's ethos. Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with knowledge, skills, self-confidence and social and economic status. These qualities enable women to become actively involved and participate meaningfully in our economy. That is why the group is passionate about this campaign and thankful for the support from corporate South Africa and civil society."
She adds that there has been some criticism of the exclusion of boys, but says it is not about excluding one gender. "Competent and confident young people will take this country forward and the group endeavours to set the tone and the pace. I like a term I recently heard used by a 16-year-old boy, who said he was not a feminist, but an equalist! That is our vision too, a world where male and female have equal opportunity."
For more information, go to www.cellc.co.za/girlchild.
