The 17th of January is International Mentoring Day and to celebrate, SAYes hosted two mentor meetups. We kicked off the day in South Africa. Set in a beautiful Cape Town park, with the majestic Table Mountain on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, we hosted our first IN-PERSON mentor meetup since the pandemic.
Introductions revealed a wonderful mix of experience in the group, from veteran mentors, to those paired with their very first mentees straight out of training; as well as others eagerly waiting to begin. Our new Board member, Khanyi Mdhluli, delivered a passionate and inspiring message, sharing SAYes’ vision and our goals for 2026 and beyond.
To deepen the conversation, we broke into small groups to explore questions such as, “What barriers do young people face most today?” and “Where does mentoring have the greatest impact?” After a short break, a round-robin invitation allowed mentors to share insights and moments of inspiration, bringing the formal part of the gathering to a close.
But no one was in a hurry to leave. Mentors lingered in the sunshine, cappuccinos in hand and strangers becoming friends.
We will have more meetups in the future, but you don’t have to wait for our staff to plan them! If you want to plan a meetup in your city, contact Colleen Pinto to get started!
