ONDJILA means walking in the Umbundo language and the Female Leadership Project in Angola, in partnership with the Big Muxima Organization, decided to make this transformation journey by inviting 7 young women aged 19-23, who are still in homes or nursing homes. welcome and with the support of 7 mentors with high professional experience, taking one step at a time in the transformation and growth of these girls, supporting their integration into active life, through the development of their interpersonal and technical skills.

In a program that was supposed to last for 7 months, we were faced with the need to prolong it. A first walk has already been carried out, but it is important and urgent to continue so that they can learn and put into practice the acquired knowledge.

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The first 7 mentors who made themselves available for this first walk

1. Eva Santos

2. Rui Fernandes

3. Dicla Burity

4. Sara Lopes

5. Lúcia Stanislas

6. Sandra Dias

7. Jose Carlos da Silva

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The transition from foster care centers/orphanages to independent living is fraught with many challenges, starting even before these girls leave the centers. Most of the children who enter the reception centers/orphanages in Luanda / Angola have experienced neglect and violence, with a significant number of young people who suffer more than one type of abuse. These young people experience various traumas, which influence their ability to develop healthy bonds and relationships. All of this can lead to social isolation and a lack of resources provided by relationships that aid an individual's growth and adjustment over time. For most young people in reception centers, there is no safety net they can count on during the transition to independence. For young people outside the foster care system, parents or their relatives assume the role of someone that young people can trust when they go through difficult times or when they need help to find jobs or complete their studies, etc. The lives of young people in reception centers can be much more uncertain, leaving them without connections and social support.

 

Women's Leadership in Angola and Org. Big Muxima has incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approved by the UN in September 2015 into their organization's governance strategy and system.

 
The SDGs are 17 objectives divided into 169 goals, which require global action to end poverty, preserve the planet, and improve the lives and prospects of all people by 2030. They were approved on September 25, 2015, by the Member States of the United Nations as part of a new sustainable development agenda: Agenda 2030.

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The Ondjila Mentoring Program meets Objectives 4, 5, 8, and 17.

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1st PHASE OF THE ONDJILA PROGRAM

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As a pilot project, it aimed to develop leadership and entrepreneurship skills in the acquisition of specific knowledge within these areas. Empower young women, teaching them the skills that will help them to know who they are and how to express their full potential, to enable them to create change in the world, thinking about TODAY, thinking about Angola, but projecting tomorrow, the future.

 

TARGET AUDIENCE

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1. Ana Afonso

2. Hope

3. Ester

4. Ambrosina

5. Evangelist

6. Juliet

7. Ermelinda

 

Our target audience is 7 young women, 5 continue to live in the reception center, Mamã Muxima in Luanda, and the other 2 girls, also lived in the same center, but are currently living with families that have welcomed them.

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DURATION

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Initially, it was planned for 7 months (from 14 August 2020 to 8 March 2021), but we concluded that we would need more time. That way, we decided not to set time, the relationship established with the girls will last as long as it lasts, the mentors are comfortable with the idea of ​​continuing without stipulating time and we were already preparing the entry of more girls and more mentors.

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2nd STAGE OF THE ONDJILA PROGRAM?

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• Set a date for the start of the second phase

• Define the selection process by inviting new mentors

• Define the selection process for new mentors, obeying the initial criterion - Young Women aged 19-23, who are still in homes or shelters

• Set up a first meeting only between mentors and the organization to present the project and we will talk about the objectives and goals.

• Set up a second meeting for the presentation of the new mentors

• Periodic evaluations based on the challenges launched

• Final evaluation

• Start the second phase

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URGENT SUPPORTS FOR THIS 2nd PHASE

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Establish contact with companies in Angola and/or abroad that want to help this mentoring program facilitate the work between mentors and mentors, helping to create the desired impact for the development of these young women.

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THE MAIN NEEDS AT THIS TIME:

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• Computers (New or Used)

• Internet connection through one of the signal providers in Angola, sponsoring the connection for a period of at least 1 year, while the Ondjila program runs

• Support books/school supplies

• Internship vacancies within companies that want to make this option available, giving these young women the opportunity to start at one point

 

MENTORING FOR YOUNG WOMEN WHO LIVE IN HOSTING CENTERS, HAS EXCLUSIVE FEATURES:

 

• Mentors should be aware that their mentor may have problems developing a close and trusting relationship with them due to their past experiences of neglect or violence;

• Both mentors and mentors must have good support from the program team;

• An approach that goes beyond the construction of mentoring relationships, helping young people to develop life skills, such as problem-solving and goal setting, professional training, financial and domestic management, and the search for accommodation

• Establishing networks and links with community resources and services that enable young people to successfully transition to independent living when they leave the care center system

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OBJECTIVES OF THE ONDJILA PROGRAM

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• Contribute to the development of young women living in a reception center in Luanda;

• Stimulate and increase networking and relations of exchange of experiences within the entrepreneurial universe in Angola and in other geographies;

• Provide new perspectives on new businesses and challenge innovation through constructive discussions;

• Develop skills and competencies;

• Improve self-confidence in acting and making decisions;

• Give and receive feedback positively;

• Achieve goals in less time;

• Increase performance and productivity;

• Learn to deal with failures more positively;

• Acquire a new professional perspective;

• Define career goals;

• Identify strengths and weaknesses;

• Qualify networking;

• Reduce stress levels;

• Identify limits and blocks;

• Better manage time;

• Create visual action plans;

• Master strategic innovation tools;

• Provides sources of support, encouragement, and problem-solving for complex issues;

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