By Lois Otse Adams
Embarking on a transformative voyage through mentorship and empowerment, the partnership between The Richard George Foundation and PushFar unveils a realm of boundless opportunities. Nestled within this collaboration lies a powerful narrative that intertwines the stories of two visionary entities.
PushFar, a cutting-edge mentoring platform hailing from the United Kingdom, merges technology and guidance, while The Richard George Foundation establishes a haven for mentees to flourish. Together, they have redefined the landscape of mentorship, encompassing analytical precision, equitable principles, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
In this interview with the Founder of The Richard George Foundation, Richard George delves deep into their shared mission, uncovering their innovative strategies, impact on African youth, and a commitment to forging change makers equipped to shape a brighter tomorrow.
The Foundation, with the collaborative effort of The Wells Place, Asokoro, Abuja will on Friday 29th September 2023 hold an enabling free workshop, events, and connectivity for mentees.
Below are the excerpts:
What is the story behind The Richard George Foundation and PushFar?
PushFar, a leading open online mentoring platform based in the United Kingdom, specializes in matching, managing, and reporting mentor-mentee relationships. Their robust analytical tools, performance indicators, and data analysis capabilities enhance engagement, goal-setting, scheduling, and performance management. By leveraging the latest digital tools, PushFar empowers mentees and mentors to adapt and enhance their mentoring relationships.
Richard Goerge
The Richard George Foundation (RGF) takes a distinctive approach by emphasizing the creation of a safe environment for mentee relationships. PushFar’s tools ensure the application of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles, allowing continuous program adaptation based on evidence-driven data analysis and reports. This strategic partnership with PushFar not only offers intelligent reporting but also aligns with safeguarding requirements, providing mentors and mentees with a benchmarked and standardized framework for success.
The Foundation targets African adults aged between 18 to 25. What is the reason for this age limitation?
Our initial demographic choice was informed by research, but we have since expanded our scope. An initial age limitation of 18 to 25 was established, and the Foundation has recognized the dynamic nature of educational paths in Nigeria and Africa. Acknowledging factors such as delays in academic calendars and diverse knowledge acquisition timelines, the Foundation has expanded its age criteria. The recruitment and selection process for the second cohort now focuses on best-fit candidates up to the age of 35, ensuring a balanced mix of commitment, growth mindset, and entrepreneurial curiosity.
There are many private NGOs; what sets your foundation apart?
The Richard George Foundation stands apart through its innovative use of digital technologies, powered by a strategic partnership with PushFar, with a vision to “RAISE AFRICA’S CHANGE MAKERS”. Our objective is to provide Social, Educational, and Economic Empowerment to such high-flying students through mentoring guidance and pastoral support. Through mentoring, the Foundation operates on three key pillars:
Skills acquisition and development – Our Foundation seeks to engage youths by offering managed internships, apprenticeships, and technical training opportunities free of charge with local and international organizations. RGF maximizes investment and secures a pipeline of future talent. This includes access to technical and soft skills training, nurturing well-rounded individuals poised for success.
Education – This is the leading pathway to Africa’s development without exception. Our Foundation has partnered with notable educational institutions for scholarship funding of educational aspirations of our mentees. In some cases, tuition fees have been structured and have affordable repayment plans. For our Foundation, it is about ensuring accessibility to education. We do not want our change makers as identified to be left behind. This commitment stems from a belief in equitable access to education and a focus on education’s role in driving social change. Our Foundation is continually exploring new opportunities for learning and development with a focus on Education that impacts social change around Environmental protection, and sustainable development and addresses human capital development (humanity) issues and needs.
Entrepreneurship investment opportunities – Our Foundation empowers young, talented individuals by facilitating knowledge exchange, workshops, seminars, and entrepreneurship training. Bridging the gap between idea and implementation, the Foundation equips mentees with the skills to thrive in the business world. We Support running workshops and training – invitation of experts and global leaders to share their stories and experiences, inspire and motivate our mentees.
Host mentees and mentors interactive engagement sessions and make provisions for laptops for mentees to indulge them in virtual programs that form part of continuous learning and development. Additionally, RGF’s mentoring program is grounded in seven ethical values and principles of public service, guiding the development of well-rounded and socially conscious individuals. These are Selflessness, Objectivity, openness, honesty, integrity, accountability, and leadership. We measure and monitor these attributes consistently during our programme, using data to give constructive feedback where necessary, and recognizing and rewarding mentees who display these values. We are conscious about raising change makers.
What are the future developmental goals the Foundation aims to achieve?
One of our upcoming milestones is the launch of a learning and innovation hub in Abuja, Nigeria on Friday 29th September 2023. This is in collaboration with Wells Place, Asokoro, Abuja enabling free workshops, events, and connectivity for mentees. Our Entrepreneurship training program is poised to revolutionize the business landscape by providing mentorship and support to young entrepreneurs. With this innovative and creative solution as well as a tea/coffee and wine bar facilities centre, mentees will have access to free laptops and computers as well as 24/7 internet connectivity access. We have plans to roll out similar facilities in the Northern corridor of Edo State and Warri in Delta State. It all depends on new partnerships and collaborations including funding.
Another key development goal is the implementation of our Entrepreneurship training programme. This bespoke programme is going to be a game changer. Our budding entrepreneurs will be assigned successful business mentors from start of their training and at least six months into the start-up of their business venture. This is to ensure any scalable plans identified in their business plans are tracked and monitored and that they are compliant with relevant legislative requirements, civic duties and responsibilities including focus on environmental protection, sustainability and humanity issues, in our drive to raise change makers!
PushFar explains in its online publication that it focuses on “Equipping young talented Africans with skills, knowledge, and access to technology at an affordable cost.” In a country with 41% unemployed adults according to KPMG research (2023), how can unemployed young adults afford the cost of acquiring such skills with PushFar?
I am not sure about this statement because Pushfar is in partnership with our Foundation which is equipping young talented Africans with the requisite skills, knowledge, and access to technology via our innovation hub. For clarity’s sake, our mentoring programme is completely free! Mentees must have their laptop or use laptop devices and be able to afford either directly or through self-sponsorships access to internet connectivity and data costs. This is so they can benefit from our virtual programme. I think this is reasonable to demonstrate commitment to learning and development and taking advantage of new learning tools in a digitalized world.
How is “affordable cost” termed, especially considering currency discrepancies as the organization is UK-based?
Our services are offered free of charge, and any references to “affordable cost” might pertain to PushFar’s offerings. Our Foundation operates as a non-profit entity, and our commitment is to provide opportunities without financial barriers. Our Foundation is responsible for payment access to the Pushfar platform as part of the Founder’s direct investment.
What other areas of support does your organization offer to mentors and mentees?
For our mentees, the organization has reached a collaborative agreement with some international organizations in the United Kingdom and Germany as well as one or two notable companies in Nigeria. From October 2023, Immigration and Advice Services (IAS) one of the largest Immigration practices in the North of England has agreed to take on up to 20 mentees as interns in their legal and marketing departments. This is huge and will give our mentees a greater understanding of work organization and discipline as well as breadth and scope across boundaries. The Voice-Aid Association, Germany has also committed to taking on some of our mentees as interns in the areas of research and development around environmental protection, sustainability, and humanity issues (ESH). This is about investing in sustainability champions for the future of our world.
Finally, Wells Carlton Hotels and Apartments have agreed to look to our Foundation to help provide high-skilled mentees with the right mindset to work in the organization obviously via a paid internship and work placement plan with development objectives. In addition, Framichi’s publication in the UK has also committed to employing one of our mentees from October 2023. The mentee must have a passion for writing. As you can see, we are not only mentoring but also using our mentorship programme to prepare our mentees for the world of paid work either directly or via our internships and work placements with recognized organizations.
In all this, we have a structured approach for monitoring progress and tracking how well these employers look after our mentees. Whilst we are indebted to these organizations that have stepped up, it is not enough. We want to do more and will continue to engage, seek out, and onboard new partnerships and collaboration with responsible organizations who want the best pipeline of supply of talented young Africans for work; remotely and otherwise.
The investment in our mentors is not left out either. One of our collaborating partners in the U.K., Barefoot Coaching a world-class coaching company is currently developing 3 of our mentors in its EMCC European certificated course, Coach as a Leader programme. The program is valued at seven thousand and twenty pounds (£7,025.00) over a three months duration.
Furthermore, UX Generals, our Republic of Ireland-based Agile Scrum Master Consulting company invested over one thousand euros (€1000.00) in one of our voluntary staff members and a mentee to undertake the intensive 4-week course. This is a direct human capital investment.
We are reaching out to other companies both in Africa and abroad to become partners. A former learning and development HR director for the British Petroleum Company in the U.K. has committed to mentor two of our mentors for a – 6-month duration. These opportunities are designed to strengthen our resource capacity and the capabilities of our mentors.
Finally, our international strategic partners, Voice Aid Association and D.I.P.E.S.H of Germany e.v have just extended an invitation to some of our mentors to attend its Global awards event in Frankfurt, Germany in October 2023. It presents an opportunity for our mentors to network, expand their social circles, and be in the moment with business and thought leaders of change. Our Foundation recognizes the importance of giving back in some ways to deserving mentors who embrace our vision and values. We do not take their selflessness in contributing to our vision for granted.
What has been a limitation so far, especially for the mentees in Nigeria/Africa?
Africa’s young and talented are being left behind. Africa has created or is creating a 3-tier level of limitations:
Firstly, most mentees in Nigeria/Africa do not own or have access to their own desktop/laptop devices.
Second, most mentees in Nigeria/Africa do not have access to internet connectivity for carrying out research and development for continuous learning.
Third, most mentees in Nigeria/Africa who have used of own or borrowed devices cannot afford the high cost of data for internet access and connectivity.
This trend is rather worrisome and it is why we are super excited about our innovation hub. At least our Foundation is taking this limitation seriously and trying to do something about it however little.
Is there a registration fee for mentors and mentees?
No. We are a registered non-profit and non-governmental organization. We are solely responsible for funding our programme through savings, kind donors, gifts and strategic and development partnerships and contributions. Change must begin with us!
Are there any qualifications one must attain before being eligible for the programs and what are they?
Yes. Our programs cater to young graduates from higher education institutions, including universities and polytechnics. This focus allows us to build upon their existing foundation of education and provide them with the tools they need for successful careers. Like a Nigerian-based Foundation, the Udukhotse Foundation, through the Authors-in-School Creative Club has projected several vibrant Nigerian students to connect to our programs as mentees.
What is the time duration of your programs?
Each program cohort is structured to run for 6 months, providing mentees with comprehensive learning and growth opportunities.
Are successful mentees issued certificates of completion at the end of each program or what are other tangible benefits?
Successful mentees receive certificates of completion, subject to assessment against the Foundation’s ethical values, mentor feedback, and data-driven reports. Beyond certificates, mentees gain access to internships, work placements, introductions to strategic partners, potential paid employment referrals, volunteer opportunities, and permission to use the Foundation as a future employment reference.
The Richard George Foundation is committed to nurturing change makers, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and support needed to drive positive impact in Africa and beyond. The Foundation’s dedication to innovation, collaboration, and empowerment is a testament to its vision for a brighter future.
