When you hear of a Kenyan college mentioned, a picture of burning buildings, vehicles and injured students and police flash your mind. What has gone wrong? Lecturers wear themselves out teaching the students every year. Upon graduation, students however do not seem to fit immediately into the market.
The Christian graduate is faced with a challenge of maintaining integrity at the work place. With constant mentoring students can be grounded with principles to enable them hold against the many temptations that they will face.
Why mentor students? As a pioneer of the fellowship John Ng'ang'a strongly believes that it is a God given mandate to follow up on these students while still in college, "It is the best place to mould future leaders," he says. After college, more than 50% of the Christian professionals lose their fervour. They seem to grow cold and do not stand for the faith they had been so passionate about.
Student life is ideal if not given a taste of the evolving market. Many students do not have such an opportunity. One spends most of the four or five years are in campus with little exposure to the industry. After graduating, it is a time of shock adjusting to new work environments far much different from class. It is a trying time.
To fill part of the gap, a group of Christian professionals have taken the initiative of mentoring college and university students. Every year, the group, Christian Business Professionals Fellowship (CBPF), visits a university for a careers' day - a day of mentorship. Working with the Christian Unions, Student Unions, and University administration this has been a great success. Nairobi University main campus students however organised a careers night, a first for them and other colleges. About 300 students and 20 facilitators turned up for the event.
Interacting with the students, the professionals inform them of the market needs and how best they can be prepared. One student at the University of Nairobi has described these interactions as, "exceeding all that I have learnt in a whole semester!"
CBPF operates under the umbrella of Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS), the professionals mentor students amongst other activities that they engage in. Dinners and high teas encompass some of the networking opportunities that they organise for professionals in the business world. FOCUS has reach out programs to schools and colleges.
For the more than 10 years the fellowship has been in existence, they have reached 10 campuses where up to 500 students attend a careers day once a year. They are more than 200 professionals that commit to facilitate discussions in these days. Twenty facilitators attend a time.
Initially three universities, University of Nairobi Lower Kabete and Main Campus and Kenyatta University received great focus until three years ago. Today, other colleges and universities in and out of Nairobi have requested CBPF to facilitate in their careers' day. They include Moi University in Eldoret and Egerton University in Nakuru. In Nairobi, they are Daystar University, Nazarene University, Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya Polytechnic, and University of Nairobi Kikuyu Campus.
The professionals conduct the careers fair in three sessions. First, the students sit in a plenary session where speakers handle topics that cut across all careers. Then students divide into various career discussions groups. At the end of the day, there is a general question and answer session where all the facilitators are engaged.
Professionals of all background in training and practice are involved in the mentorship. The students are encouraged to get involved and find out what they can learn from as many professionals as possible during the group discussions. Life is not a straight jacket. Career changes are common and almost guaranteed in the market place. One has to remain adaptable to a changing world.
Joe spent 5 years studying a degree in mechanical engineering. However, he is a gifted artist. After graduation, he spent two years in an engineering company. It did not fit well with what he felt he liked to do. One day he simply did not show up at work. He had set his mind to pursue art. Had he received proper guidance in college, he would have done the necessary preparation to pursue his passion.
Gathering professionals from their busy schedules is not easy. Some feel inadequate to mentor. They fail to know that by sharing their experiences in the market they have given the best. It comes as a surprise when they have attended for the first time and realise what a blessing they have been.
Peterson, a CEO of an investment bank has been is always ready to go to any length to avail time for the student. After driving for close to 600 kilometres to Moi University, tired and getting calls from a family eagerly waiting for him said, "The enthusiasm demonstrated by the students to learn is a motivation to."
What is God's will in your life? This is the first question to answer concerning careers; it is necessary for students to get their mission and vision in life clear. It is then easier to define what they are gifted in doing regardless of subjects studied.
The guideline for discussions focuses on answering three questions: How did you end up in your present career? What challenges do you experience in this career? These involve spiritual, family, and job related. What are the opportunities in the market?
At the plenary sessions, major topics are handled. These are all that an individual will need to know regardless of the training. Three areas are critical – curriculum vitae (CV) writing and interviews, entrepreneurship and work ethics and ICT.
Human resource professionals elaborate the different ways of writing curriculum vitae (CV) and taking interviews. Next, questions are answered on how they should conduct themselves during an interview. Having been trained in this manner, getting a job becomes an enjoyable process as they anticipate what the employer wants and demonstrate their capability to deliver.
George Sikulu, a head of training and development in an NGO has been doing career guidance with CBPF for three years. Having been involved in recruitment of many staff, he has a lot to share with potential job seekers in universities."What is a CV?" his question stuns most students. "we all know what it is for!" this seems to be the response in most people's mind until they learn the purpose as only to earn one an interview.
Entrepreneurs are involved in guiding the students to establish their own enterprises. Although there are few Kenyan students that get to college, jobs are even fewer. A blissful life is not guaranteed by a diploma or degree. The students need to have an open mind about available opportunities and participate in creating jobs.
Haron is a businessperson who is involved with mentoring students in entrepreneurship. From his vast experience, he surprises students with ideas that lie close to them but not taken note of. With students taking different courses, he asks, "how has your community benefited from your education?" most students have not implemented any of what they have learnt at home. One veterinary student responded, "I have never given it a thought." He and other business professionals stir the students mind on the many opportunities present for self-employment.
Have these sessions been useful to the students? Several of the students testify of the confidence they have to present their CVs and attend job interviews. One employer has testified of noticing a difference at interview time of some students. Later, he learnt that CBPF had been trained them.
Both in and out of college, the Christian professionals offer themselves to guide the students and graduates in careers. The network is growing and more professionals and groups are getting involved. The careers fair is the start of a relationship to mentor.
It is a fulfilling experience for the professional too. Service in this way has enabled them to gain confidence in their careers as they expand their networks.
We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.
Ben Sweetland.
As a Christian professional, one can get involved by offering a name and contact to
cbpfkenya@gmail.com.
There is much to give but of ourselves, we will be the best lesson to others.
