Mentoring Stories with Sally and Sausan
While we are a month into the fourth cycle of the Routes Mentoring Programme, this is also a great time to hear about the experiences of participants on the programme before. What have they learned? How do they look back? And where are they now? In this blog post, civil servant Sally and her mentee Sausan reflect on the joy, laughter and lessons they shared and on keeping a positive attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sausan: ‘We met last year [on the 2019 Routes Mentoring Programme]. I joined the programme because I wanted to improve my English and learn how to find a job. It was exciting for me: meeting new people and gaining a new experience.’
Sally: ‘I joined for a similar reason: I love new people and new experiences. I had mentored in the past and I really liked the ethos of the Routes programme. It is a great opportunity to share some of the skills you have with someone else, while also learning from her. We came to the sessions as equals.’
Sally and Sausan would meet during the day and work together on Sausan’s goals. ‘From the start, Sausan was really invested in the programme. Sausan has amazing patience, compassion and positivity. She is really resilient and always looking for the best in a situation.’ Sausan: ‘When I met Sally for the first time, that was a really beautiful moment for me. She was friendly and smiling. I felt very comfortable working with her.’
‘During our first sessions, we found out that we had many things in common,’ adds Sally. ‘We discussed politics, food and our expectations for the programme. We connected on a level that makes everything else easier.’
Sausan: ‘Sally is very flexible and talented. She explained things to me in a nice way, in an easy way. About language, she said that I didn’t need to worry. ‘That comes with time.’ Looking for a job, she said ‘just keep going.’ She really encouraged me.’
Sally would find herself looking forward to the sessions with her mentee. ‘I would take a break from work, meet Sausan and come back to work with a different frame of mind. She brightened up my day. It was really lovely helping her to find ways forward for her. That was a big moment, I think: talking about what she wants. Towards the end of the Programme, we also had our photos taken. That was really fun! We laughed so much, for three hours. Sausan is always smiling.’ Sausan agrees. ‘I smile very easily.’
After the programme finished, the two of them kept in touch and Sausan passed her English test. Sausan: ‘I was studying English online and we met up to practise before the exam. Sally and I had such a nice time on the Mentoring Programme. It was great to be working towards something together.’
Sally agrees. ‘The Programme is a short time in life, but has long-term impact.’
For her, being a Routes mentor not only led to a lovely new personal connection, but also in lessons learned to apply at work. ‘Perspective is really important and so is communication. In my current job, I manage a team and being part of this Programme helps with understanding. It helped me to see people in a different way and to try and understand the challenges people face. It also helped me to take a step back and think: what is really important? It has brought a new perspective on my life, really - on what challenges mean and how to look at them differently. Sausan had many things to overcome, but she is always positive and looking for ways forward.’ This is also helpful in times of a global pandemic. Sausan: ‘With this situation of Corona, life still continues. We should still be looking at the future and focus on staying positive.’
Over the years, Sausan has developed her own strategies for doing this. ‘Thinking is very important. We should try and use it in a positive way and read positive stories. That really helps.’ Sally: ‘The current situation feels unsettling, but again, I see Sausan is really positive. That is a lesson we can all learn from her.’
