On Wednesday 21st January 2024 - International Day of the Mother Language - we organised the Celebration Event for our 11th Mentoring Cohort. It was a chance for mentors and mentees to meet in-person, reflect on their time on the Mentoring Programme, make new memories… and do some speed networking too!
Some images from the Celebration Event of our 11th Mentoring cohort, at the Gallery Cafe in London.
The Celebration Events mark the end of 4 months of mentoring, and they are a highlight on each Mentoring Programme! This Programme, we have 18 pairs graduating from our Mentoring Programme - and we couldn’t be prouder of their time together.
For some pairs on our 11th Mentoring Programme, this was the first time they were able to meet in-person, whilst others had a chance to meet other participants of the Programme. The Routes team organised different activities for the pairs to share their learning, and participants spoke warmly about the relationships built, the confidence grown and the work on their personal and professional goals.
As we gathered on the International Day of the Mother Language, we also took the time to celebrate the richness in linguistic diversity that we all brought to the room. This then became part of a poem (text and video below) to commemorate our wonderful 11th Mentoring cohort!
Above: word web with different words related to celebration in the languages present in our Routes community.
Below: video of the poem ‘As the rain’ by Routes’ Head of Programmes Wieke Vink.
Poem for our 11th Mentoring cohort:
‘As the rain refreshes our learning and growth’
Today is the International Day of the Mother Language
And we all know Mother Earth is asking us for new words
Of care
and caregiving
healing and
mentoring
Women supporting women
to make improvements in their lives
to keep injustices at bay
to put more beauty on display
with the kids close by having fun in play
As we gather here today
in this Gallery Cafe
From different corners of the world and the UK
With the shared aim of supporting each other on our personal goals
With big dreams
for different routes
of building new lives here in the UK
Of being a manager one day
Of learning about apprenticeships
Of passing the English language test
To be reassessed
To be - once again -
A dentist
In our midst
We have researchers and a prospective counsellor
A digital marketeer and social care workers
And an athlete
Representing team play on the world stage
We, who know at least fourteen words for celebration
Dit feestje - in Dutch - is yours to shape
As you weaved together your words
In online and offline conversations
So we stand here today
In solidarity against the suffering in this world
As a witness to the power of connection
A testimony of an evening
With the words we speak
Full of vision and recollection
As the rain refreshes our learning and growth
A big congratulations to the mentors and mentees of the 11th Routes Mentoring cohort!
