Ahaspora Mentor Spotlight - Naa Bruce-Konuah

What inspired you to give back through the Ahaspora mentoring program? 
I have a passion to see the younger generation do better than the generation before them. Somehow, when we look around though, you find less and less young people pushing themselves to do more for themselves, their community or their nation. They are comfortable with just going through the various stages of life, but that is also because there are not enough people around them to support, encourage and let them know that there are many opportunities out there.

What has been your experience so far as a mentor?
I was assigned 2 mentees and though I have made really good progress with one, the other suffered. The relationship has been slow in building and that has stalled the mentorship progress. That aside, I have had a good learning experience as a mentor.

What has been your most memorable moment with your mentee?
Watching her develop confidently in herself and her abilities has been quiet memorable. I recently had her join me as a volunteer on one of my official community development activities for children. The initial idea was for her to come see what I do; I put her on the spot to take the community school children through an Oral Health Education. She exceeded our expectations and I was really proud of how she confidently handled the entire exercise.

What would you say to aspiring mentors?
Don’t hesitate to get into the program. The process of getting to know your mentee and the experiences is very rewarding; you get to learn more about yourself and you realize you are not just being a friend to a young person, but rather  inspiring and affecting positive change and growth.

Would you recommend this program to aspiring mentors? Why/why not?
I definitely would. Whilst young people need to be encouraged to put in their best in everything they do and also provided with opportunities to develop themselves outside the classroom, our generation of young adults have opportunities to give back to the society in ways that will benefit the younger generation. The Ahaspora Mentoring Programme provides just that environment to harness both.