After a successful two-day launch event of the Sida-funded Women In News (WIN) programme in Johannesburg, attended by a total of 22 women - participants, coaches, mentors, advisors and organisers - all were buzzing and anticipating the upcoming National Gatherings. WAN-IFRA caught up with Botswana’s Pamela Dube Kelepang, editor of The Voice newspaper; and Leatile Gaolape, HR and administration manager of the Botswana Guardian to discuss their experiences of the launch event and what stood out as shining moments of the two-days.
WAN-IFRA: What were your expectations going into this programme?
Pamela Dube Kelepang: "At first I didn’t know what the heck we’d be doing here, but once I arrived and we all began to open up I realised ’Wow, we’re onto something here that is really about personal growth’ and that fascinated me."
WAN-IFRA: Do you feel you have begun to move toward personal growth?
Pamela Dube Kelepang: "I believe so. Paula Fray’s training programme in particular impacted me. I felt like I was looking into the mirror and seeing both where I was and where I could be. That, to me, was quite fascinating. Also, it’s strange that I’ve known Beata [Beata Kasale, founder and publisher of The Voice] for a very long time but when she started talking about how she started The Voice I didn’t know a lot of what she was saying! Sure, some things I knew, but some things I just assumed. I just assumed that she put her idea together and the banks listened to her and that was it, but to hear that she travelled all the way to Namibia to find herself in the media I thought was fascinating. Small things like that made a difference; they opened up my whole understanding."
WAN-IFRA: What about the coaching sessions? How was that for you?
Leatile Gaolape: "Mine was brilliant! The whole coaching thing - discussing where I’ve been, where I am now, where I want to be, working out a career path, was brilliant. We worked out a five year plan and then went beyond that to 10 years. We looked 10 years into the future at where I want to see myself. I’ve created a realistic path to follow."
WAN-IFRA: Had you ever been coached before?
Pamela Dube Kelepang: "Throughout my career I’ve experienced some informal coaching and just not realised it. But I think everybody receives some kind of coaching in order to progress to that next level. But to me this structured, formal coaching was an eye-opener. Luckily, I had my coaching session right at the end of the event when my mind was seriously open. I was opening up easily to my coach. I’m not sure I would have managed to feel so comfortable and be so open had I just arrived and been tossed into coaching. It became easier."
Leatile Gaolape: "The questions our coaches were asking will help us even if we’re invited for some interviews. They were helpful for the coaching, of course, but I think they will assist in other areas somehow.
"Also, she asked me what I enjoy most about my job and that was really great because sometimes I’m just working and working without even thinking about my field of interest anymore. It’s nice to remind myself what I like about my job and to think about a future in it."
The next scheduled WIN events are the National gatherings, happening simultaneously in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia on 2 August, 2010.