James Gachiri, Executive Director of Dimewise in Kenya, is empowering micro-entrepreneurs—especially women and youth—through structured mentoring. After joining the Mentoring Skills and Practice course, he shifted from giving advice to guiding self-driven decision-making. He’s since scaled mentoring across Dimewise’s programmes, trained his team, and is contributing to building a wider mentoring ecosystem across Africa.
Nadhifa Jama, Regional Manager at Somo Africa, is strengthening support for women entrepreneurs in Kenya by embedding structured mentoring into the heart of her programmes. After joining the Mentoring Skills and Practice course, she moved from advice-giving to empowering mentees through reflective questioning, trust-building and tailored mentoring cycles. Her approach is improving engagement, impact tracking and long-term growth for the entrepreneurs she serves.
Patrick Magara, a social development practitioner and VSO volunteer in Kenya, supports young waste collectors to think beyond survival and explore new possibilities. After joining the Mentoring Skills and Practice course, he shifted from advice-giving to using structured tools and powerful questions that spark critical thinking and self-awareness. Now, he’s integrating mentoring into community-based projects—helping entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses and build a better future.
Christine Mbaabu, Programme Manager at the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre, had years of mentoring experience but wanted more structure and clarity. Through the Mentoring Skills and Practice course, she gained practical tools, frameworks and confidence—transforming how she mentors, manages programmes and leads her team. Her learnings are now shaping mentoring practices within KCIC and inspiring a new generation of trained mentors.
Dr. Keni Kariuki, Director at Impact Hub Nairobi, supports entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of building social businesses. After recognising a gap in sustained guidance, he joined the Mentoring Skills and Practice course to strengthen his approach. The training helped him clarify mentoring boundaries, apply structured techniques and refine how mentoring fits within broader support programmes—for both entrepreneurs and his internal team.
Ham Namakajjo is helping entrepreneurs in Uganda grow with confidence—shifting from solution-giving to structured, reflective mentoring. A seasoned coach and consultant, Ham realised that impactful support meant more than advice—it meant active listening, intentional guidance and long-term relationships. After joining the Mentoring Skills and Practice course, he refined his approach and now champions mentoring as a vital part of Uganda’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, equipping others to do the same.
Salome Ayugi, Country Manager at Sinapis in Kenya, is redefining how entrepreneurs are supported—combining training, capital access and structured mentoring to help them thrive. After noticing a gap in meaningful guidance, she refined her approach through the Mentoring Skills and Practice course. Salome now leads efforts to improve mentor-mentee matching, deepen rapport, and empower young entrepreneurs with tools to focus, grow and succeed. Her work is strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kenya—one thoughtful conversation at a time.
How do you turn a great idea into a real business?
In Ethiopia, Yonas Efrem is helping entrepreneurs do just that—using structured mentoring to guide startups from vision to growth. With practical tools and a fresh approach from the Mentoring Skills and Practice course, he’s not just supporting founders—he’s reshaping the future of business mentoring in Ethiopia.
