There is no doubt that this is the most heart-warming date in our education calendar! It is the moment when the IIG mentees pay tribute to their IIG mentees and showcase their journey. A journey that began on February when we paired up young talent in the industry with leaders who had chosen to give back. A journey that required commitment on both parts and a whole lot of moving out of comfort zones!
The final presentations were a revelation to the audience. Every mentee shared what they had learned in the last nine months and how their lives had changed. Some have been promoted. Some have changed roles and all of them had developed a new, strong mindset.
This Roots and Wings journey is a deeply personal one, for both mentees and mentors. So it was not surprising that we shared tears at the presentations. In fact, there were moments when we were laughing and crying at the same time!
This programme has grown its own roots and wings – 2019 saw the number of mentors and mentees double since 2018. And the mentors were highly innovative this year! They created wonderful memories with their mentees by dovetailing their meetings with other interesting activities. And they took them with them to important functions and events.
My personal thank you goes to the esteemed mentors who selflessly gave of their wisdom. knowledge and time. Jenna’s gratitude is for the mentees who stepped up and tried new things.
And MOST OF ALL. well done to every mentee who stood up and shared their journey. Your confidence was the best gift to us and we are very, very proud of you!
This beautiful journey culminated in a graduation celebration on the 21 November 2019
Linda Coetzee
