CASE STUDY: Mentoring
Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) is an initiative of the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI) of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS), funded by UK aid from the UK government, and GRSS. GESS will transform the lives of a generation of children in South Sudan – especially girls – through education.
Quality Education Component
GESS’ Quality Education component takes a holistic approach, including school-based teacher professional development training, community-based school governance, supportive school supervision and school-based mentoring for girls. The mentoring component was a pilot programme implemented in selected schools, designed to complement existing activities under the Quality Education component, as well as other GESS activities. It was designed to build on the investment in school-based mentoring in Primary and Secondary schools, and targeted girls as mentees.
The GESS mentoring model was initially piloted in 236 Primary schools in the following seven former States of South Sudan, with teachers as mentors: Central Equatoria State, Eastern Equatoria State, Western Equatoria State, Lakes, Warrap, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Western Bahr el Ghazal. This was then developed into a second model, piloting mentoring in 69 Secondary schools in the same seven of the former ten States, trialling both teacher-led and peer-led mentoring models. Following the 2015 GESS Annual Review, the decision was made to shift mentoring from Primary to Secondary schools due to budgetary limitations.
The GESS mentoring programme consists of 16 teacher-led and 16 peer-led sessions for Secondary school students for a total of 32 mentoring sessions to be conducted in selected Secondary schools in South Sudan. These mentoring
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sessions were delivered by trained teacher-mentors and peer leaders on a weekly basis. The sessions alternated so that the lessons learned during the teacher-led mentoring session one week, were followed by deeper discussions and activities on the same topic the following week, led by the peer-mentors. This approach reinforced key messages and content for mentees, increasing their knowledge and skills to overcome barriers to their ability to stay in school and perform well. The GESS mentoring programme was designed to complement other components of the wider GESS programme, such as the social and behavioural change component led by the GESS Output 1 lead, which involves the development and use of radio programmes. The topics in the mentoring sessions were designed to correspond to some of these radio programmes, so they could be used to complement session delivery. Examples of these topics include: ‘My Body, My Decision’, ‘My Menstrual Cycle’ and ‘Peer Pressure’, amongst others.
Mentorship, in its various forms, is effective in helping young girls achieve their full potential, with regards to academic achievement, delayed sexual activity and protection from STIs/ HIV and pregnancy, reduction of early marriage, and gains in self-confidence. Mentoring can be a powerful and effective tool to support girls in fragile, under resourced environments to reach their full potential . Overall, 305 schools (236 Primary schools and 69 Secondary schools) have been reached with the GESS mentoring component.
Objectives
This study aims to illustrate the experiences of the GESS mentoring component. The main focus of the study is to explore the various roles that have been played by Head Teachers, teacher-mentors, peer-mentors in delivering the mentoring programme, as well as their expectations. The
study is also concerned with the experience of mentees, their expectations what they gained from participating in the programme.
Methodology
This case study takes a qualitative, interpretivist approach, as it is more concerned with the experiences of individual Head Teachers, teacher-mentors, peer-mentors and mentees, rather than seeking universal truths.
Purposive sampling was use in order to identify people who had been involved in the mentoring programme. The sample includes:
• 10 Head Teachers
• 11 Teacher-Mentors
• 11 Peer-Mentors
• 14 Mentees (Focus Group Discussions)
Data collection took place in schools. Semi structuredinterviews were used with Head Teachers, teacher-mentors and peer-mentors, and focus group discussions were used with mentees. The sample is small due to time and cost factors, but also due to the fact that implementation of mentoring closed early in several locations. Therefore, this study is not generalisable, but concerned with individual experiences.
Head Teachers
This section looks at the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of Head Teachers in the GESS mentoring programme.
What was your motivation to sign up your school for mentoring?
Several interesting themes came out during the discussions with Head Teachers, revealing why they believe mentoring to be important. The most common of these were that mentoring contributes to reductions in early pregnancy, reductions in absence and drop out, as it helps both learners and teachers understand these issues and other cultural barriers that girls face in accessing education. One Head Teacher commented that as girls face additional, unique problems, they need additional, unique support. Head Teachers also said that mentoring leads to increase in girls’ enrolment. One teacher commented that the previous year his school had 170 girls enrolled, and this year it increased to 200 girls. Head Teachers also believe mentoring to be important in the long-term, commenting that it teaches girls how to become successful people in the future. One Head Teacher said that, “Mentoring means guiding people and the young generation towards prosperity. Teaching is not just giving knowledge, but
guidance of knowledge”. Others spoke about how mentoring gives girls skills in creativity and confidence in speaking, debating, negotiating, and discussing the challenges that they face. Nine of out the ten Head Teachers involved in the case study had attended one or more of the mentoring sessions. This is a possible demonstration of how much Head Teachers value mentoring in their schools. It is not a requirement of the design of the mentoring programme that Head Teachers attend the sessions; that they are doing so of their own volition is a positive sign. Mentoring is more likely to succeed in their school if they are actively involved, and other teachers and learners also see that the school leadership values the programme.
Other than what GESS provided, what other support are you giving towards the mentoring? How are you supporting mentoring?
The type of support that Head Teachers give towards the mentoring varies greatly. One Head Teacher said that she collaborates with the teacher-mentor, parents and the girls themselves, when they need to solve problems that cannot be solved by the teacher-mentor alone. Another Head Teacher provides a tea refreshment for mentors and mentees, and monitored that the sessions were being conducted as planned. In another school, the Head Teacher seeks support from the Director of Gender and Social Welfare when he needs support in finding solutions for some of the challenges that the girls face. Three Head Teachers said that they support mentoring by allocating space within the school to conduct the mentoring sessions. One Head Teacher explained that money from the Capitation Grant is going directly to building a girls’ bathroom, which is a solution to challenges that came out during the mentoring sessions. Another Head Teacher explained how the school supported mentoring by buying a machine to replace the radio, as they found that it was difficult for several people to hear the radio at the same time due to its small size. As the support from different schools towards the mentoring programme varies, this can also have an effect on the success and sustainability of the mentoring programme in the school. The experience of mentees is therefore varied from school to school.
What change do you hope to see in girls who participate in the mentoring program?
The most common hopes that Head Teachers have for girls participating in the mentoring programme is behavioural change, both in terms of leading to improved relationships and in terms of reductions in peer pressure, early/forced marriage and early pregnancy. One Head Teacher hopes to see improvements in girls’ examination performance as a result of the mentoring programme, while another hopes to see girls completing Secondary school. One Head Teacher commented that he “would like girls to teach themselves even without teacher-mentor. They can share their experiences freely”. Another Head Teacher commented that he is already
seeing this, “as girls they can advise themselves, not waiting for anyone to come from outside to advise them”. This shows that Head Teachers have an accurate awareness of the goals of the mentoring programme, as their aspirations align with what the programme set out to achieve.
How and to whom have you communicated information about the mentoring program to school community stakeholders, e.g. PTAs, Payam education Supervisors and Board of Governors?
When asked which community stakeholders have been communicated with regarding the mentoring programme, the Head Teachers responded as follows:
Another Head Teacher shared how mentoring has led to positive changes in his school:
“We have contracted someone to build a bathroom near the girls’ toilet. We had girls going home early saying that they were sick. When a girl absents herself, she’ll stay at home for 4 days and miss lessons. I asked them to share their problems with me on a one-to-one basis and with the help of the female teacher. The girls can change there. We bought sanitary supplies in school for use in emergencies. The female teacher lives in the compound. We decided she should live here so she can better help the girls. I thought they would fear me as a man but they have been able to open up to me and speak about nature.”
What made you choose the teacher who is the mentor?
While in general this is very positive, one Head Teacher commented that you “can’t get these people around without sitting allowance and water”. Just as the involvement of Head Teachers is likely to lead to more successful mentoring activities in schools, the support of the wider school community will also likely lead to more successful mentoring activities. For example, if the need for a girls’ changing area is raised through mentoring, a solution to providing this can only be reached with the involvement of the wider school community. Again, this involvement varies from school to school.
One Head Teacher shared the following experience of how he had engaged with a girl’s parents and family to support her with challenges that were affecting her studies:
“Parents think mentoring is good. One girl was not performing well at school. I asked her if she was experiencing any problems. She said that her father is a drunk, and when she goes home her father fights her mother and chases them from home, so she spends most of her time at her neighbours’. I called the girl’s aunt and asked her to take care of the girl until she sat her examinations. Then the father came in to pay the development fund for his daughter. I spoke to him about the issue. He was surprised that I knew about it and I told him he that he was tampering with the future of his daughter. I said to him, “let her finish education so she can be responsible for herself instead of you being responsible for her”. The girl studied well and passed and got a certificate. When she left S4 she started doing some voluntary work with the school while waiting for Higher Education.”
Teacher-mentors were chosen for a variety of reasons, the most common being their personality or character. Head Teachers selected teacher-mentors who they felt to be friendlier, interact more freely with others, and those who are happy to help others. Teacher-mentors were also selected because they were particularly interested in supporting girls, and because they were knowledgeable and experienced teachers. For one Head Teacher, language was an important consideration; in addition to the personality of the teachermentor selected by this Head Teacher, the teacher-mentor was also selected because he is confident in both English and Arabic. In one school, the teacher-mentor was selected because she was the only female teacher in the school. It is very positive that Head Teachers gave such consideration as to who took on the responsibility of teacher-mentor within their schools. The experience of both mentees and peermentors will be enhanced by the support of teacher-mentors who are open and are able to create and maintain positive relationships with the girls.
Teacher Mentors
This section looks at the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of teacher-mentors in the GESS mentoring programme.
What motivates you to serve as a mentor?
Teachers are motivated to serve as mentors for a variety of positive reasons, the most common being that they want to equip girls with the knowledge and tools necessary to deal with challenges they face both in and out of school. Within school life itself, teachers are also motivated by the idea that they can help improve girls’ retention, completion and academic performance, and by being able to provide a parental role in school. Teachers are also motivated by the
potential of long-term benefits, such as giving girls a better future, and equipping girls to become “good future leaders”. It is a positive finding that teachers understand the short-term and long-term benefits that mentoring provides, and understand the aims and goals of the programme well. This is more likely to lead to successful mentoring activities in their schools as they have a good understanding of the programme.
What did you learn from the mentor training that has helped you as a teacher-mentor and even as a teacher?
When asked what they learned from the mentor training, the majority of teacher-mentors responded that they had gained the skills, knowledge and techniques needed to enable them to conduct mentoring sessions and manage the girls’ problems effectively. Several teachers highlighted that they had gained new content-based knowledge, such as regarding menstruation and HIV/AIDS. Others highlighted that they acquired soft skills such as how to be a good listener, confidentiality and respecting the mentees. Some teachers mentioned that they learned about the potential that girls can fulfil, for example becoming great peacemakers, “women are agents of peace and nonviolent actors, their roles in realising durable and stable peace is key in South Sudan”. One teacher spoke in particular about how what she learned during the mentor training has helped her personally, in communicating with her family and neighbours and managing problems that they face together. This demonstrates the wider benefits that mentoring can have, beyond the content and learning that the mentees receive. The skills that teachers gain through the mentoring programme benefit them outside of the mentoring programme too.
Other popular sessions included: early/forced marriage, education and school needs, role models, future goals and building relationships between the girls and their families. In one of the schools that has male teachers in the role of teachermentor, the teacher said that although the session ‘My Body’ and the topic of menstruation held the most interest for girls, sometimes when they teach that topic the girls are shy, especially as a group. The teacher gives the girls questions to discuss amongst themselves. Very positively, this male teacher-mentor explained that the girls go to him to talk about menstruation and ask questions on a one-to-one basis. That girls and teachers are speaking more openly about menstruation is a great success of the mentoring programme. Previously this was not a topic that could be discussed openly, but created challenges for girls in terms of school attendance, and ultimately learning performance. Mentoring seems to be moving that in a positive direction.
Do you see any changes in the girls since you’ve started mentoring?
All the teacher-mentors interviewed had witnessed positive changes in the girls since starting the mentoring programme. These include: sharing issues with teachers, improvements in style of dressing, reduction in drop-out, reduction in disciplinary issues, questioning certain things within the school and the wider community, concentrating more on studies, sharing skills and knowledge with other girls, reduction in absence during menstruation, and using money to buy school related materials. One teacher commented that girls “now speak courageously to men about avoiding sex”, while another teacher commented that girls now “have the spirit of how to work together” with each other. These experiences show that mentoring is having a positive influence on girls’ school lives in a variety of ways.
Are your interactions with the girls different now that you are serving as their mentor?
Almost all teacher-mentors noticed differences in their interactions with girls since becoming their teacher-mentor. Only one teacher-mentor said that there was no difference, as she already treats the girls like her daughters.
According to the teacher-mentors, the session that the girls were most interested in was ‘My Body’, which includes the topic of menstruation. One teacher explained that culturally talking of menstruation is a taboo, but they were able to explain to the girls that its normal, natural and part of daily life. The next most popular session was ‘My Money’.
Teacher-mentors noted how their interactions with the girls have become more interactive and free, with a friendlier environment for discussion. The girls are no longer afraid to share their problems with their teachers. One teacher described how, “they even call me if I am not in school to meet with them anywhere like my house if there is a problem that needs my attention as a mentor”. Other teachers spoke of how they spend more one-to-one time with the girls than they had done previously. This shows another way in which mentoring is having a positive influence in the girls’ school lives. If teachers have improved interactions with learners, including more open communication and participatory discussions, teaching and learning in and outside the classroom will greatly improve, leading to improvements in girls’ self-esteem and retention.
What parts of the sessions did the girls respond well to or were interested in?Mentees from Dr John Garang National Secondary School, Juba
Do you give any mentoring assistance outside of the mentoring sessions? (e.g., one-on-one support and counselling)
All the teacher-mentors spoke of giving mentoring assistance outside of the mentoring sessions. This includes speaking with girls on a one-to-one basis, providing support when the peer-mentor seeks clarification on particular sessions and counselling those with personal problems. One teacher-mentor shared the following experiences of supporting girls outside of the mentoring sessions:
One girl reported her problem of being forced to marry somebody decided by her parents. She raised the concern that her relatives wanted to have cows and were not interested in her education. The teacher-mentor traced the father of the girls and advised the father to seek other avenues of help instead of forcing his daughter to somebody she does not love at the expense of her future education.
Another girl was pregnant and still attending school but hiding her situation. She did not dare to share this problem with her colleagues in school. When it was discovered by her friend, she approached the teacher-mentor and asked how her friend could be helped. The teachermentor told the girl to come with the friend who was pregnant. During their discussion, the girl said that she was contemplating aborting the child, as she wanted to continue her education. After their discussion, the girl decided to keep the baby. The teacher-mentor took the girl home in order to advise the parents on her condition and the importance of letting her continue with her education after having the baby. The girl delivered successfully and is now taking care of her child. She plans to go back to school when the child is old enough to remain a caregiver.
This is a key part of the mentoring programme, and responsibility of the teacher-mentor. Some issues that girls face are better discussed on a one-to-one basis, in an environment where the girl feels safe to discuss such issues in a confidential manner. Girls need a shoulder to lean on, and mentors provide that role in the school.
How do you see the mentoring program impacting or benefitting the girls in the long-term?
Teacher-mentors identified the following long-term benefits of mentoring for girls: behaviour and attitude changes, openly discussing problem, improvements in school attendance, increased learning outcomes, increased interactions between girls and teacher-mentors, general positive impact on the girls’ future, completing Secondary school, becoming future leaders and broadening the impact of mentoring by girls sharing what they have learned with younger girls. One teacher-mentor
commented that, “they will successfully complete their studies and become responsible people in the future. They will have a future where they can finish their studies and have the appropriate mindset of becoming good leaders. They don’t just want a certificate, they want to become leaders”. This corresponds to the expectations of Head Teachers and mentees themselves, as well as to the goals of the mentoring programme.
Are there any changes you want to make at the schools as a result of mentoring sessions?
As a result of the mentoring sessions, teacher-mentors identified some changes they wish to make within their own schools. These mostly relate to how to better incorporate mentoring into school life, for example including mentoring in the school timetable, including more girls in mentoring and having a specific office for counselling within the school. The suggestions also relate to how to improve the impact of mentoring, for example providing sanitary kits for girls and having high profile women give inspirational talks for the girls. Finally, one teacher spoke of how boys also face several challenges, especially those living without their parents, and suggested a that a boys’ club or mentoring for boys would be useful. This shows how teachers really feel that mentoring is important, as they wish to expand it so others can also benefit from it.
Peer-Mentors
This section looks at the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of peer-mentors in the GESS mentoring programme.
What motivates you to serve as a peer-mentor?
The girls who have taken on the role of peer-mentors seem to be extremely motivated to serve as peer-mentors, and are motivated in particular by helping other girls, helping themselves, and helping to keep girls in school. More specifically, some of the peer-mentors were motivated by being able to help girls protect themselves from disease, deal with peer pressure and avoid early pregnancy, and by being able to teach girls how to handle manage their periods so their attendance and performance are not affected. One peer-mentor commented, “When I was still in Primary school I saw girls dropping out, and I saw it again in Secondary school. In my heart I was dreaming of being a peer-mentor to advise girls to stay in school. I have to make sure that girls are in school; I’ve been mentoring for three years, I don’t give up. I have hope of the new generation of South Sudanese”. It is encouraging to find that peer-mentors have a high level of motivation, and that they take their roles seriously. They are often the first point of contact that mentees turn to when they have problems or challenges and need help, support or encouragement.
Why and how were you selected?
The majority of the eleven peer-mentors in this study knew why
the school selected them to become peer-mentors, although three were unclear as to why they were selected. Of eight peermentors who knew why they were selected, most said that it was due to their personality and skills that they possess, for example confidence, being courageous and assertive, and their ability to transfer acquired skills and knowledge to other girls. One girl said that she was selected due to her passion for girls’ education. Two girls were selected due to their existing roles in school, that of being Head Girl/Head of the Debating Club.
How has the radio programme played during your mentoring sessions helped to introduce the topics of your mentoring sessions?
Of the eleven peer-mentors in this study, four commented that they did not have the radio so were unable to use it during the mentoring sessions. Two additional peer-mentors had the radio but were unable to use it; one was not provided with the memory card and the other said that they were not given a charger and when they charged it manually it only worked for a few minutes before stopping. All of the five peer-mentors who were able to use the radio programmes described how the radio programmes were useful in introducing different topics. One peer-mentor commented that the radio programmes “provide a clear picture on the subject matter and even ways of presenting a topic to the group”. In addition to supporting content delivery, one peer-mentor also spoke of how the programmes help girls with soft skills by helping girls “acquire listening, questioning and responding skills during mentoring sessions”.
Soft skills are a combination of social skills, communication skills, character traits, attitudes, and social and emotional intelligence among others. Examples of soft skills include attitude, communication, creative thinking, work ethic, teamwork, networking, decision-making, positivity, time management, motivation, flexibility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. The experiences described by the peer-mentors suggest that this part of mentoring has not been as successful as many did not have the appropriate equipment. This is unfortunate, as the peer-mentors who did have access to the radios said that they were useful in session delivery.
Outside the weekly mentoring sessions, what is your role as a peer-mentor?
Outside of the weekly mentoring sessions, most peer-mentors help girls with their problems on a one-to-one basis, helping girls to discuss their problems freely. Two peer-mentors advise other girls in their communities that are not part of the mentoring programme, and one peer-mentor advises her parents. Only one peer-mentor said that her role comprises only of the weekly mentoring sessions with no additional responsibilities.
Does the teacher sit in on your session? If so, what does he/she do? Do you still lead the sessions?
Out of the eleven peer-mentors in the study, only one peermentor said that the teacher-mentor does not sit in on her sessions; ten said that at times their teacher-mentor sits in on their sessions. These ten peer-mentors reported constructive and positive interactions with their teacher-mentors during the sessions. For example, the majority of peer-mentors said that the teacher-mentors provide support on particularly hard topics, or add additional support when the peer-mentor is leading sessions, but that the peer-mentors still take the lead. This corroborates the responses given by teacher-mentors, that their interactions with the girls have improved throughout the mentoring programme. It is important that peer-mentors feel encouraged and have the school-based support they need to fulfil their responsibilities.
How do you see the mentoring sessions helping girls?
When asked how the mentoring sessions help the girls, the peer-mentors spoke of a great many benefits. In addition to reducing drop out, sharing ideas, expressing problems and helping girls to achieve life skills, peer-mentors said that the mentoring sessions help girls gain new skills and knowledge in the following areas:
• Protection from early pregnancy and early/forced marriage
• Protection from diseases
• Confidence
• The importance of education
• Cultural attitudes towards the self
• Self-hygiene/understanding their bodies better
• Knowing their rights and developing assertive and decision-making skills
One peer-mentor gave an example of how she had been able to help one girl through the mentoring programme: “Last term there was a girl who almost experienced forced marriage. When she told me her problem, I came and advised her and she followed my advice, to tell her parents how much she wanted to complete education. Her parents followed this advice. In the end she did not get married. She is now in S3 and still comes to school. Mentoring is helping me by giving me confidence, especially about how to speak to others about problems, enabling me to help others.” The mentoring programme was designed not only to give girls new knowledge in different areas, but also to equip them with practical skills and tools that would be useful to them when dealing with challenges. The opinions of peer-mentors expressed above suggest that mentoring in their schools, the mentoring programme is on track to achieve some of these aims.
How does mentoring help you?
In addition to helping the mentees, the peer-mentors themselves have also benefitted from the mentoring programme. The most commonly identified benefit was the practical skills and knowledge in addressing challenges such as early pregnancy, early marriage and diseases. Other benefits included helping peer-mentors to achieve their life goals and improve their future, becoming a better person through education, staying healthy, improving learning performance, staying in school, confidence and how to communicate. One peer-mentor commented that mentoring “helps me in so many ways. First, it boosts my performance in class because I have something I am aiming at. Secondly, in protecting myself so that I stay healthy and concentrate on studies and thereby achieve my life goals of completing university studies and become a great person in future”
What do you hope to achieve?
The peer-mentors all have very positive aspirations for their future, mostly relating to their education and future careers. Five peer-mentors said that their aspirations are to complete Secondary education, and two peer-mentors said that they want to progress to the next level of education. One peer-mentor said that she wants to become a doctor. Other peer-mentors said that they want to contribute positively to society, have a better future and become a better person. One peer-mentor said, “I want to go university to do electrical engineering to make sure that South Sudan is full of light because now it’s lacking and in darkness. I want to study Physics and Mathematics. I want South Sudan bright with colour and light.” In general, the interviews with peer-mentors suggest that the mentoring programme has helped the peer-mentors to aim higher with their future aspirations than previously, and has given them the
tools and knowledge necessary for going about reaching their goals.
Do you get any other support from the schools for your mentoring sessions?
Most of the peer-mentors report that they do not receive any further support from their schools for mentoring sessions in addition to providing time and space for the sessions to be carried out. However, some peer-mentors reported that they do receive further support, for example from other teachers or the Head Teacher, and books and pens to help conduct the sessions.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
All the peer-mentors were able to answer this easily. Ten of the eleven peer-mentors said that they plan to be in college or university in five years’ time, and one of these said that she hopes to also be in a good position to serve her community. One peer-mentor said that she plans to be a lawyer in five years’ time.
Mentees
This section looks at the expectations and experiences of mentees in the GESS mentoring programme.
What motivated you to join Girls’ Club to participant in mentoring sessions?
The mentees were motivated to participate in mentoring sessions for a variety of reasons. These are mostly related to gaining new skills and knowledge that equip girls with tools to manage different problems and challenges that they face. The mentees said that they were motivated by the following:
One mentee expressed that, “we like having someone to share problems with at school”. Interestingly, one mentee said that she was motivated by the opportunity to practice English “without fear”, demonstrating an indirect positive impact of the mentoring programme.
Mentees hold the solar-powered, wind-up radio after listening to an ‘Our School’ programme, Bunj, Maban County, 08/2017
Have your school/life aspirations changed since you started attending the mentoring sessions?
The majority of the mentees said that their school life or aspirations have changed since they started attending the mentoring sessions. Of the two who said that nothing has changed, one said that she still wants to become a lawyer as she always has done, and the other said the same about becoming a doctor.
Of the mentees who said that their school life or aspirations have changed since they started attending the mentoring sessions, many spoke very positively about the future. For example, stating that they now have a clear career direction and have been able to set out future goals. One mentee said that, “we now aim higher” and others commented that, “we look towards a bright future now”. In terms of their school life, one mentee commented that she has become proactive in helping others. Other mentee referred to changes in how they manage menstruation. One mentee said that, “I would have dropped out if it was not for mentoring”. Part of the mentoring programme aimed to give girls tools to set goals for the future, and identify realistic steps and measures to take in order to achieve their goals. For these girls, the mentoring programme is certainly going some way towards achieving that.
What have you learnt from attending the mentoring sessions?
All the mentees spoke positively about what they have learned from the mentoring sessions, both in terms of new knowledge and skills. In addition to general life skills, the following areas were mentioned:
In addition, two mentees said that they had gained confidence in their communication skills. One mentee commented that she was not afraid to express her views anymore, and another said that, “I learned that girls can speak strongly in front of everyone”.
What is different about the teacher led mentoring session and the peer led mentoring sessions
The majority of mentees identified differences between the teacher-led and peer-led mentoring sessions. Seven mentees said they can discuss topics for more freely with the peermentor, and one mentee said that she felt closer to the peermentor so was she was able to learn more. Reasons include that girls are afraid of talking about some topics with the teachermentor, especially when the teacher-mentor is male. There is a strong preference for having a female teacher. In addition, mentoring sessions led by the teacher-mentor were said to be ‘not as collegial’ as the ones led by peer-mentors. Only one mentee said that she interacts better with the teacher-mentor than the peer-mentor, and three mentees said that there was no difference. The experiences of mentees vary from school to school.
How have you benefitted from participation in teacherled mentoring sessions? How have you benefitted from participation in the peer-led mentoring sessions?
Mentees also identified different ways in which they benefited from the teacher-led and peer-led mentoring sessions. In general, mentees benefitted from the teacher-led mentoring sessions due to comprehensive explanations of content and techniques, and because the teacher-mentor is more experienced than the peer-mentor. The peer-led mentoring sessions were described as more participatory and expressive because the peermentors are more approachable than the teacher-mentors. One mentee commented that the peer-mentor, “taught us how to be courageous and come forward with our problems and share them with colleagues and the mentors”
How have your interactions with other girls changed as a result of your participation in the mentoring sessions?
All the responses from mentees were positive. In general, their interactions with other girls have become friendlier and cordial. Mentees spoke of how they cooperate and help each other, and their relationship is now close and free. One mentee mentioned that the mentoring programme has also improved how they relate to others outside school and in the community. Speaking of how mentees cooperate together, one mentee explained, “we have come together and share our ideas together. If one has a problem we help them”.
The mentee who said that her interactions with others outside and the community described how she had encouraged her neighbours to send their daughter to school:
I went to her mother; the mother has an alcohol problem but the father knows God. I went to her father and asked if I could speak with him. I said to him, “It is difficult for me, even me my parents don’t have money; they struggle for me to go to school. Why don’t allow your daughter to go to school? I must cut charcoal, I don’t have money. God is there seeing whatever you’re looking for”. The following day my
A peer-mentor using the radios to deliver a mentoring session, Dr John Garang National Memorial Secondary School, Juba, 17/11/16neighbour, the mother of the girl, told me that they had decided to send their daughter to school. Now, my mother and the girl’s mother sell things together in the market. The girl’s mother has now stopped taking alcohol.
One mentee commented that her interactions with boys had also changed, and that “the girls are telling the boys to finish school and form their own club”. These experiences demonstrate that mentoring is having a wider impact; the reach goes beyond the mentees directly involved in the programme.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Mentees have many positive aspirations for the future. The majority see themselves in university or college in five years’ time, with others commenting that first they see themselves at university and then having a job, and one commented that after going to university and having a job she will become a mother. Other mentees saw themselves in different professions, including a doctor, politician, pilot, teacher, journalist, judge, and lawyer. Two mentees said that in five years’ time they see themselves being able to help parents and community members. Two mentees said that they see themselves as a mother, and one mentee commented that she sees herself having children in five years’ time.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Mentoring seems to be having a positive impact in the schools involved in the case study. The most impressive finding is how motivated the Head Teachers, teacher-mentors and peer-mentors are in supporting and encouraging girls in the challenges they face in their daily lives, both in and out of school.
Head Teachers, teacher-mentors, peer-mentors and mentees all have a clear idea of what they will get out of mentoring. Their expectations align with the goals and design of the mentoring programme. The main areas of focus identified by all actors are: reductions in early pregnancy, reductions in absence and drop out, and understand the issues and cultural barriers that South Sudanese girls face in accessing education.
Through the mentoring programme, girls are gaining new skills and knowledge that are equipping them with ways of managing challenges they face in their everyday lives, whether in or out of school. The girls themselves are taking these new skills and knowledge to reach the lives of others who have not experienced mentoring themselves. By supporting other girls in their school and communities, they are playing an active role in multiplying the benefits of the GESS mentoring programme.
Recommendations
The implementation of mentoring varies from school to school, for example the involvement of the Head Teacher and the wider school community, and in the interactions between teachermentors and mentees. To ensure quality implementation across different schools, further training could be provided
with ongoing follow up at the school-level. This would work in parallel alongside advocacy with the State Ministries of General Education and Instruction to reduce the rate of teacher and Head-Teacher transfer, thus providing continuity in schools and within the mentoring programme. The involvement of MoGEI at national and State levels is critical to ensuring the success of future school-based mentoring programmes in South Sudan.
Girls have highlighted that they feel more comfortable having female teachers in the role of teacher-mentor, so this should also be a consideration of the State Ministries of General Education and Instruction when planning teacher transfers. In order to include all eligible girls in each school, multiple teacher-mentors and peer-mentors will be required; each teacher-mentor would be responsible for different groups of mentees, rather than codelivering sessions.
The motivation of the teacher-mentors and peer-mentors is a key success factor a school-based mentoring programme. Mentors need to feel valued and supported, to understand the positive effects of mentoring and how their role contributes to those effects, in order to carry out their role and responsibilities effectively. Different methods of motivating mentors should be explored. Additionally, scheduling mentoring sessions within the school timetable would reduce the time-burden for mentors. Regular support and monitoring by technical specialists would increase the quality of the mentoring sessions and help to motivate the mentors. Such specialists could be assigned clusters of schools to regularly visit, and conduct observations of teacher-mentors and peer-mentors to give them feedback on how to improve session delivery. Alternatively, the specialists could support by co-delivering some sessions with teachermentors and peer-mentors.
The GESS programme had an annual career fair, held in Juba. Going forward, the mentoring programme should consider holding career fairs in different locations across the country, so girls outside of Juba can also benefit from this activity.
The Mentoring Case Study is not part of our Knowledge, Evidence & Research (KER) component. It is a stand-alone piece. All of our research and reports are available at: www. girlseducationsouthsudan.org
Girls speaking with a female role model at GESS’ annual Career Fair, Juba, 05/07/18
