Mentoring taught me patience and humility

In 2016, I received a WhatsApp message from a close friend about a mentorship programme she was a part of at Mentor Me India (MMI). It is an organisation that aims to empower children in low-income communities through a year-long mentorship programme. An interview, and a few background checks, later I was selected to be a mentor. I was mentoring 12-year-old Tanvi Jadhav from AB Goregaokar English School in Goregaon, Mumbai — a sprightly and feisty girl. When I had signed up, I had no idea that over a span of a year I would be learning Origami through YouTube videos, talking about the solar system and parts of the body in broken Marathi, learning sketching through Vincent Van Gogh sketch books, or playing Jenga and Kho-Kho on Sunday afternoons. Neither did I know that I would be learning about gender bias, non-conventional career aspirations, or rights and duties of a good citizen. As mentors, we aim to inculcate self-awareness, social interaction, aspirations and good citizenship in our mentees. What has made mentoring so special is what Tanvi and I have taken back as memories and experiences. The experience also taught me how impressionable children are, and how important it is for adults to guide them on the right path. One afternoon, Tanvi and I were running out of things to talk about, and we chanced upon a shop selling henna cones. I applied henna on her hand. A month later, I noticed she had the same design on her hand. She said she copied the design and had been practicing applying henna on the hands of her friends and family. I was overwhelmed by how my behaviour was being observed, and the importance of setting a good example dawned on me. One of the other exhilarating moments was when Tanvi called me one evening and said she wished to have English as her primary language in school. She said, "Didi main kar paungi na? Mujhe nahin aayega toh aap sikhaoge? Mujhe English seekhna hai". Mentoring is a selfless act, but when I see Tanvi becoming more confident, I cannot ask for anything more. Instances like where she was selected to sing the national anthem on Republic Day in school or when, while talking about good citizenship, she said discrimination on the basis of religion is a bad thing, are what have made this journey worthwhile. While I had joined MMI without any selfish motives, I have gained more than I gave. While I have learned patience and Science (just so I can answer the endless questions posed by Tanvi about the universe and Biology), I have learned perseverance, humility and the ability to celebrate small victories with gusto.

Namrata Patel, a Narsee Monjee College graduate, works as an equity research analyst with MoneyLife, one of India's leading financial magazines.