Jihen Ghaba is a young Tunisian woman entrepreneur who launched her business last year. She specializes in custom-made Jordan almonds, floral arrangements and bassinets for engagements, weddings and births.
She recently participated in the ENSemble en Action pour Favoriser l'Égalité (ENSAFE) mentoring program, one of the services offered by the Entrepreneur Financial Centre (EFC) in Tunisia to support female entrepreneurs.
"Assistance from a mentor allows me not only to build my negotiating, organizational and communication skills, but also to feel more connected," she explains. "My project is blooming and I'll soon be opening a store!"
The 9-month ENSAFE mentoring program pairs a young female entrepreneur with a more seasoned one. The two meet once a month to discuss ideas and share experiences, questions and lessons learned. The mentor guides the mentee to boost her self-confidence and help her grow in her role as an economic development player.
Accompanying women on their path to leadership
"Mentoring brings me immense satisfaction," says Sabeh Dridi, who works with Jihen in the program. This experienced entrepreneur runs a contemporary fashion design training centre, an haute couture workshop as well as an export company. "Witnessing the successful journey of young female entrepreneurs like Jihen and helping them along the way is extremely gratifying."
This mentoring initiative also allows mentors to apply the skills they have acquired through the mentoring and leadership training offered by the EFC." While helping women reach their full potential, I'm expanding my own leadership skills," shares Sabeh.
ENSAFE mentoring is funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented in collaboration with DID and the Réseau Mentorat, a community of interest that provides mentoring services for entrepreneurs in Canada and France.