Celebrating Success: The 2024 Annual Mentorship Retreat
We’re still buzzing with excitement from our highly successful annual 2024 physical mentorship retreat in Nairobi, themed "The GLOW Culture." This three-day conference brought together more than 100 GLOW scholars and graduates, encouraging learning and bonding in a vibrant and supportive environment.
Kicking Off with Purpose:
We began the retreat with a session that reminded us why GLOW exists, highlighting our values and programs. An expert trainer then led a discussion on self-promotion and personal branding, empowering our scholars to present themselves confidently.
Real-World Preparation:
Top Human Resource practitioners and industry leaders from fields such as medicine, business, and research, both in government and the private sector, joined us as panelists for the mock job interviews. These nail-biting sessions prepared our graduates for the job market by simulating real-world interview scenarios.
Awareness and Wellness:
Our newest group of GLOW Girls participated in awareness training on gender-based violence and mental health wellness, crucial topics that are often overlooked but are essential for their personal safety and well-being.
Circles of Hope CBO leading the discussion on GBV.
Discovering Hidden Strengths:
The StrengthsFinder exercise, led by renowned leadership coach Samantha Raniere, felt like discovering our hidden superpowers! Each girl took an exciting online test to discover her top 5 strengths and talents, setting the pace for serious self-discovery and growth.
Samantha Raniere leading the StrengthsFinder session.
Celebrating Wins:
The retreat wasn't all serious. In our 'I am Remarkable' session, we celebrated wins, big and small. This training inspired everyone to share their achievements, highlighting accomplishments and facts that illustrate just how #remarkable they are. Seeing the girls light up as they recognized their wins was incredibly satisfying.
Empowering Self-Defense:
Our trained experts conducted self-defense exercises that covered awareness, prevention, boundary setting, and practical defense techniques. These invaluable skills helped everyone feel safer and more confident in any situation.
A self-defense training in progress.
Heartfelt Connections:
As we neared the end, emotions ran high during our heart-to-heart session on relationships, self-sabotage, and family dynamics. We laughed, cried, and grew closer as a community, strengthening our bonds and support for each other.
Voices of GLOW: Here’s what some of the attendees had to say:
GLOW Girl: "The GLOW retreat is the most exciting, educating, and empowering event in my life!"
GLOW Girl: "When I came to this retreat, I was hurting and broken. But on this last day, I am leaving feeling reborn, loved, encouraged, and empowered."
GLOW Girl: "This was my first time traveling far away from home, but I was received with so much kindness; I was home."
GLOW Graduate: "The mock interview experience not only sharpened my skills but also boosted my confidence in presenting myself professionally."
GLOW Graduate: "Exploring StrengthsFinder helped me recognize my unique abilities, which I will apply for greater personal and professional fulfillment."
Samantha Raniere: "I feel beyond blessed to have the opportunity to work with GLOW. The culture you have created, the care you give to the girls, the effort you put into running a flawless 3-day retreat for over 100 people - I could go on and on!"
Addolorata Maria: "Your dedication to addressing employment, youth upskilling, and bridging workplace gaps is truly commendable!"
Gratitude and Future Plans:
We extend heartfelt gratitude to our speakers and mentors whose passion and expertise made this retreat unforgettable. Your support has made a real difference in the lives of these young women. Here’s to continued growth, empowerment, and celebrating the amazing women we’re becoming.
Get Involved:
We invite you to support the GLOW Foundation and help us empower more individuals. Whether through volunteering your time or making a donation, your contributions make a significant difference. Together, we can continue to shine and create brighter futures for our scholars.
Keep shining with GLOW! Keep GLOW-ing!