Employment mentors provide key support to mentees in identifying their strengths, motivating them and preparing them for navigating the labor market, finding a job and staying employed. As an innovative approach within the social protection system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, employment mentoring offers numerous benefits. These include the development of a platform and the creation of a roadmap for further strengthening institutional support and supporting the economic development of local communities.
Naida Kokić has been the director of the Izvor Nade Foundation for many years, and her greatest passion is working with young people and mentoring them.
“When I learned more about employment mentoring, I realized it was the perfect opportunity to use my experience, knowledge, and energy to make a real difference in the lives of young people. I was particularly attracted to the idea of empowering young people to take control of their lives and live up to their potential,” she says.
Naida noted that mentoring for employment is extremely important for Bosnia and Herzegovina, on several levels.
“Our country is facing numerous challenges, including a high unemployment rate, particularly among young people, brain drain, and a lack of social cohesion, among others. Employment mentoring is not a magic wand, but it can empower young people to face their challenges, offer support and guidance in finding solutions, and help them develop the skills and confidence they need to overcome obstacles,” says Naida.
For Naida, the employment mentoring process is a two-way path of learning and growth, one that has positively impacted her in many ways. In her career, mentoring has inspired Naida to be more creative and innovative in developing programs and activities for youth. “Above all, mentoring has taught me patience and empathy. When you work with young people from diverse backgrounds, with each bringing their own experiences, you realize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s essential to approach each individual with understanding and care,” says Naida.
In working with mentees, finding the right balance between supporting and challenging them is Naida’s biggest challenge: “I want my mentees to feel that I am there for them, that I understand them, and that I provide them with unconditional support. However, at the same time, I want to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone, to take responsibility for their actions and to face their fears.”
Naida draws inspiration for mentoring from various sources, especially from the sense of belonging to something greater and the joy of witnessing the progress, growth, and development of the young people she works with. She views every victory and change, no matter how small, as her own, which gives her the strength to persevere despite the obstacles she faces.
Naida is already seeing positive changes in most of her mentees – some are major and obvious, while others are more subtle, but equally important.
“Some of the young people I work with have, thanks to mentoring, become more successful, found a job, or become more actively involved in social activities. What they all have in common is that, through the mentoring process, they felt that someone believed in them and that they were not facing their problems alone,” she says.
The process of employment mentoring has deeply enriched Naida both professionally and personally, and if given the choice, she says she would choose to be an employment mentor again.
“The feeling that I can offer support, guidance, and be there for someone during their most challenging moments is what truly fulfills me and motivates me to keep going,” says Naida.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT is implementing the project “Social Mentoring for Youth in BiH” within a broader regional project “Social Inclusion of Disadvantaged Groups in the Western Balkans (SoRi III)”, which is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Institute is developing a social mentoring approach for work integration, based on the methodology created by the Association for Research, Communication, and Development PUBLIC from Skopje.
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