{"id":1861,"date":"2025-02-24T13:08:21","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T10:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/?p=1861"},"modified":"2025-02-24T19:38:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T16:38:26","slug":"peer-mentors-equipped-to-empower-girls-under-the-dreams-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/?p=1861","title":{"rendered":"Peer Mentors Equipped to Empower Girls Under the DREAMS Programme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation (TMF), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and METS, successfully conducted a <strong>four-day Peer Mentors Orientation Workshop<\/strong> aimed at enhancing the capacity of young mentors to support adolescent girls and young women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The workshop, which brought together <strong>peer mentors from various communities<\/strong>, focused on equipping them with the necessary skills to provide <strong>structured, systematic, and integrated mentorship<\/strong> that empowers girls to make informed decisions, access essential services, and reduce vulnerabilities to HIV, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence (GBV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0149-min-1024x681.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0149-min-1024x681.webp 1024w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0149-min-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0149-min-768x511.webp 768w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0149-min-1536x1021.webp 1536w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0149-min-scaled.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Empowering Mentors for Impact<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the workshop, TMF\u2019s <strong>Executive Director, Joyce Atimango Okker<\/strong>, emphasized the <strong>critical role of mentorship<\/strong> in shaping the future of adolescent girls. She noted:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cMentorship is more than a session; it\u2019s a movement. Through these interactions, we are not only equipping girls with knowledge and skills but also ensuring they have a trusted support system to navigate challenges.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0276-min-1024x681.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1862\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0276-min-1024x681.webp 1024w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0276-min-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0276-min-768x511.webp 768w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0276-min-1536x1021.webp 1536w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0276-min-scaled.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mentors were taken through <strong>key components of the DREAMS programme<\/strong>, including <strong>one-on-one and group mentoring sessions<\/strong>, referral systems, and essential tools for monitoring and reporting. TMF\u2019s <strong>Head of Programs<\/strong> also provided a step-by-step guide on <strong>effective group mentoring<\/strong>, highlighting its role in creating safe spaces for girls to share experiences, build confidence, and support each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Building Trust and Confidence<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A significant part of the training focused on <strong>one-on-one mentoring<\/strong>, where peer mentors learned how to provide <strong>confidential, safe, and supportive spaces<\/strong> for girls to open up about personal challenges. These sessions aim to strengthen <strong>self-awareness, self-esteem, stress management, and emotional resilience<\/strong> among adolescent girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0186-min-1024x681.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1863\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0186-min-1024x681.webp 1024w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0186-min-300x199.webp 300w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0186-min-768x511.webp 768w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0186-min-1536x1021.webp 1536w, https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/DSC_0186-min-scaled.webp 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Monitoring &amp; Evaluation (M&amp;E) Officer<\/strong> further guided the peer mentors on <strong>reporting and documentation<\/strong>, covering the <strong>DREAMS Early Warning System (EWS), referral forms, human interest story documentation, and home visits<\/strong> to ensure every girl receives the support she needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Commitment to Lasting Change<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the workshop concluded, TMF\u2019s <strong>Head of Programs<\/strong> applauded the commitment of the mentors and encouraged them to be <strong>consistent, supportive, and proactive<\/strong> in their role. The <strong>Executive Director<\/strong> reiterated TMF\u2019s dedication to ensuring <strong>mentorship remains a pillar of empowerment<\/strong> for adolescent girls, enabling them to overcome societal challenges and achieve their full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this training, peer mentors are now <strong>better equipped to drive positive change<\/strong> in their communities, fostering a generation of <strong>resilient, confident, and empowered young women<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation (TMF), with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and METS, successfully conducted a four-day Peer Mentors Orientation Workshop aimed at enhancing the capacity of young mentors to support adolescent girls and young women. The workshop, which brought together peer mentors from various communities, focused on equipping them with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1861"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1884,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861\/revisions\/1884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trailblazersuganda.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}