2020 mentee, Zhaneta, shares her experience of the Routes mentoring programme, and how it is helping her to overcome her fear of speaking in public, whilst supporting her in her goal to help other expectant mothers.
I heard about the Routes Programme from [a charity supporting new and expectant mums]. In this Community, I'm doing voluntary work in helping other mums in difficult situations.
I'm very happy that they could help me to find an amazing staff and positive people in the Routes programme. I started in this programme at the end of September. After just two months with you guys I'm proud of myself. Now, we are at the end of November and I can do more to achieve my goals. Without your help this wouldn't be possible in such a short time.
I especially want to talk a bit about my mentor. In easy words I can say that she is a woman who has managed to be very successful in helping me. She is an amazing woman with a beautiful heart. She always does her best and gives me lots of courage and good advice to think positively about myself and to be confident.
At the moment I’m in training with [the charity I volunteer with] and I do practice with her before the training: my problem is that sometimes I feel shy during public speaking and she is helping me to not think like this. Catrin told me that my English is very good and she can understand everything that I'm saying. After each meeting with her I feel more peaceful and ready to do the training or to speak with other people. She sends me some links about confidence. They are really helpful. Everyday in the morning I’m doing practice to be confident. She teaches me to relax my mind before I have to speak in public.
Also, we are both pregnant and we share our experiences and difficult situations during pregnancy. Together, we are doing practice for breathing. We do practice in helping ourselves during the labour.
Catrin found for me a course for Doulas. I would like to be a Doula in supporting pregnant women and new mums that had difficult situations like mine in the past. This course, which is starting with an introduction workshop in the beginning of December, is free, without payment. I can't wait to join the workshop and to learn new skills.
I'm very emotional that I've started such great things for my future. With you, I'm sure that I can realise all of my goals by the end of January 2021.
