Many young girls in low Income households experience a lonely path in forging their paths to becoming their own. The journey to becoming their own was very lonely because they had no form of guidance and they had to learn by making lots of mistakes.

This is why mentoring should be taken seriously and encouraged as a top tier solution to a lot of our society’ problems. It saves the younger generation a lot of hassle while ensuring that we raise better contributors to society. By mentoring, empowering and sponsoring young women they are able to very quickly demolish thoughts, practices and societal constructs that bar women from reaching their full potential. At Lead Her Foundation,  men and women through volunteering are able to support, guide and provide our teenagers with resources that they might need using the experience garnered over the years.

Unlike a lot of young girls, who have had to fight tooth and nail to get to where they are today, the story of Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet, is quite different. 23-year old Amanda Gorman’ success story would be incomplete without making mention of those who have inspired, mentored and empowered her on her journey.

At the age of 16, Gorman got the privilege of being mentored by Dinah Berland, an award-winning poet amongst other things. Indeed, Gorman is an extremely talented young lady but with the additional help of her mentors and teachers, she has now become an exceptionally brilliant poet. Gorman, in fact, had this to say about Writegirl, a non-profit organization in Los-Angeles that promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls. “WriteGirl has been pivotal in my life. It’s been thanks to their support that I’ve been able to chase my dreams as a writer. Special shout-out to my former mentors Michelle Chahine Sinno and Dinah Berland. Couldn’t have gotten here without you!” She has also in the past mentioned how she draws inspiration from Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai to mention a few.

Kofi Annan the Former Secretary-General of the United Nations said, “there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women and girls.” Amanda Gorman’s life is truly a testament of the life-changing power of mentoring, empowerment, and sponsoring. It speaks to the importance of keeping the door open for younger women, and in so doing producing more leaders for the next generation. This is exactly what LeadHer foundation does for at-risk women between the ages of 14 and 18 in low-income communities through education, mentorship, and sponsorship.

Supporting young women should transcend just solidarity, especially on International Women’s Day Celebrations. It should encourage us to inspire, uplift, nurture, and empower creating such a beautiful ripple effect for generations to come. In the words of Gorman in her inaugural poem, The hill we climb – “There is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it; if only we’re brave enough to be it.”

Happy International Women’s Day. May we raise, champion, and mentor strong women,