Article by Selena Tan,
“Somebody said, ‘Experience is the best teacher,’ but we can never live long enough to make all the mistakes by ourselves and learn from them. We must learn and have the ability to learn from other people—and those people are mentors.” ~ Caren Wakoli
In the third webinar series offered to The Junior Membership Program, renowned speaker Caren Wakoli, the founder and executive director of the Emerging Leaders Foundation and a dedicated mentor of young people, explores why effective mentorship is critical for personal growth and development in academics, finances, health, and relationships. According to Wakoli, effective mentorship combats and reverses the effects of bullying and social media pressure among the youth, resulting in higher self-esteem, lower rates of depression, increased productivity, and most importantly, the belief in one’s potential and ability to live one’s life to the fullest by overcoming obstacles to attain one’s goals. This, in turn, guarantees a brighter and stronger future for the nation and the world.
Throughout the interactive session, Wakoli develops an intimate connection with her audience by opening up about her own struggles with low self-esteem and obscurity during her transition to university; her journey to identifying her purpose and passion to represent and mentor young people; and other recounts of challenges, personal drive, and breakthrough.
Wakoli reveals that despite having received multiple accolades and awards, what she treasures most is her ability to become an improved individual, thanks to the guidance of friends, family, and mentors who motivated her along the way, reshaped her perception of failure, and guided her
to overcome her doubts and fears. Today, Wakoli has identified her niche in helping the younger generation become the best versions of themselves by holding onto their dreams.
She continues to pass on the gift of mentorship by facilitating it among younger generations at the Emerging Leaders Foundation and by sharing her success story. In this webinar series, Wakoli also reveals—with palpable passion—her perspective on how young people should handle pressure
from external factors and the importance of mindset, higher education, self-awareness, self-love, self-trust, and networking, all the while supporting her points with real-life examples.
To learn more about Wakoli’s story, her five key takeaways from her life’s work in facilitating mentorship, where to find mentorship is one’s current life, and other invaluable lessons, click on the YouTube links below to watch the webinar recordings (each targeting a unique age group of young adults).
Ages 13 -19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGokRbyBm8&t=15s
Ages 20 – 25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANapNSNbjSI&t=82s
Topic: Effective Mentorship for Personal Growth
Speaker: Caren Wakoli
Moderator: Judith Sidi Odhiambo
