How I built my company through mentorship

I am sure you are wondering, how can one build a company through mentorship? Well my one year mentoring period with YPARD  was not only a fantastic experience for me but it also helped me initiate the process . My mentor, Dr. Franklin Peter Simtowe, and I had a cordial relationship and most if not all of our targets were attained. 

The mentorship began in June 2015 where together with 15 other youth drawn from across Kenya. After the mentoring orientation workshop (MOW), we held our first one on one meeting with my mentor in which we broke down the larger purpose road map statement into smaller, realistic and achievable monthly targets. This long term schedule helped me in  foreseeing the attainment and actual realization of my dream of transforming livelihoods of youth in Kenya through capacity building, mentorship and training in agribusiness. 

Through the facilitation of Dr. Franklin Peter Simtowe, my mentor, I was able to attend quite a number of conferences that helped build my networking, interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills. We had regular communication, mostly face to face meetings coupled with emails, direct calls and WhatsApp. We strictly adhered to our schedules and remained committed to the realization of the set goals. 

My Achievements

Amongst other achievements I attest to the mentoring program include the realization that indeed as youth, we have the potential to not only realize food sustainability by learning from our peers but also help us earn some income, improve our livelihoods and reduce the over dependence on our family members. This in turn helps in combating poverty resulting to healthier societies.

Additionally, as a beneficiary of the mentoring program, I built a company that in the coming months will provide consultancy services in agriculture, carry out trainings to youth on matters agribusiness, set up model farms that shall be firms and gradually help young people in Kenya and beyond move from agriculture as a culture, into agribusiness, changing their farms into firms. 

I must say that the mentorship surpassed my expectations and I would love to mentor others for their own good, the good of their communities, and the entire African continent at large. 

YPARD expanded the horizons of my thinking, and for sure as young people we can change the world. I am forever grateful to the global YPARD team, YPARD Kenya, mentors, fellow mentees and to my friend, my mentor, Dr. Simtowe.

I am, I will and I shall remain committed to the full realization of my purpose road map, even after the mentoring program. No one can curse the hands God has blessed.