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Mentoring in Post Conflict Kenya

posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 09:06 AM

Skills Venture provides one-to-one mentoring support to Kenyan small businesses at prices far below those charged by large commercial consultancy firms.

Support is provided by business experts from the UK, the USA and elsewhere, who are in Kenya on assignments of between five days and six months.

The fee includes matching you with a suitable mentor, support from our onsite team, and lunch and refreshments during yours days with us.

How it works

Our mentors provide support and boost your capacity in areas that are of particular concern or relevance to you, such as marketing, financial planning, or product development, among others.

Our mentors have at least five years’ experience and are carefully selected to ensure that they bring not only excellent professional skills and expertise to bear, but also have superior interpersonal ‘soft’ skills. They are fully inducted and enjoy the support of a team of trained Kenyan facilitators employed by Skills Venture.

Mentoring takes place at our base near Naivasha, a short drive from Nairobi. Some sessions can be held at your own premises if you prefer.

What makes us different

We will provide you with mentoring support that is tailored to your own individual circumstances, rather than generic classroom training. After a rigorous analysis of your needs, our mentors will provide support and advice in areas that might include planning for business growth, outperforming your rivals, and managing your organisation.

Mentoring days involve one-to-one consultancy, and the provision of practical advice and assistance that will help you to consider the issues that you are facing in a new way. You will have the benefit of talking to an experienced business person who has skills that can help you to take your business to the next level.

A case study

Elijah is a thirty-five year old entrepreneur who has been educated up to secondary level and runs a mobile phone shop in Nairobi, Kenya.

James is a thirty-year-old chartered accountant with seven years’ experience since qualifying with a major London financial services firm.

Elijah discusses his needs with one of our facilitators and decides that he requires inputs on managing his finances and his four employees effectively. James attends our induction course and assesses that the main skills he can offer are cash flow planning, book-keeping and managing staff.

James visits Elijah in his shop to see how his business operates and then spends a day with him every two weeks at our campus for three months. Elijah discusses his ideas for finances and staff with James, sets up new systems, learns skills and inspires James to rethink his own approaches!

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