On the 13 May 2006 in Bratsilava was held the site visit for exchange of experience and project meeting and of the three partners. The aim was to present to the partners from Turkey and Bulgaria the activities of the Top Center Podnikateliek – TCP (Top Center of Business Women – an association of business women in close relations with CWSP Association – Bratislava) and focus on its experience in mentoring for women entrepreneurs. During the visit the staff and learners met mentors and mentees of TCP, staff and heads of the training programs.

In the meeting took part: Anna Angelova, representative of the Slovak partner CWSP Association and Elvira Chadimova, President of Top Center Podnikateliek – TCP (Top Center of Business Women Association), Eva Shishkova, Mentoring Project Coordinator, Vice President of TCP, Dana Martinkova, TCP member; Ceren Isat from KA-DER and Zuhal Arnaz-Tataroglu and Gul Erdost from Contemporary Youth and Women Foundation, Ankara; Magdanela Delinesheva from CWSP, Sofia and Dimitrina Todorova from BARDA (Bulgarian Association of Regional Development Agencies).

TCP organized a meeting with mentors and mentees from the organization, who presented their experience in mentoring and acted as trainers in the framework of this project. They also presented their projects on mentoring and motivation workshops as well as other major activities, implemented together with national organizations and governmental institutions like the Ministry of Economy and the SME Agency, and other foreign partners. TCP provides a range of services for its members like: organization of different events (conferences, workshops, contests, parties etc.); publishing a regular information bulletin, providing consulting services and different types of training for its members. In September 2005 the TCP organized the First Day of Female Entrepreneur under the auspices of the Slovak First Lady.

Both partners from Bulgaria and Turkey invited representatives from their partner organizations to take part in this project as learners, based on their experience in activities, related to women entrepreneurs and their willingness to implement mentoring programs in their future training courses.

The Turkish learners from the Contemporary Youth and Women Foundation, Ankara, work mainly with marginalized and disadvantaged women from the migrant families in the slums of Ankara. The organization is currently implementing a project focused on female entrepreneurship as a means for fighting poverty and social exclusion, as well as another one focused on home based workers.

One of the good practices mentioned by the CWSP, Sofia is the partnership with BARDA, a network of over 20 regional development agencies in Bulgaria, which has a special interest on increasing the role of women in business and has been cooperating with the CWSP on a number of projects and initiatives. This project and learning exchange is an opportunity for BARDA members to enhance their knowledge in mentoring as a training approach for women entrepreneurs and seek for opportunities to develop and apply such programs throughout their network.

The Slovak trainees presented their initiative Mentoring for Women Entrepreneurs (5 / 2002 – 12 / 2003), which was one of the first significant projects, that made TCP visible in the society. It was started by Ms. Eva Shishkova, who invested financial and in-kind personal resources. Soon it involved 80-100people. The project was implemented in partnership with a business women organization from Germany and was based on their experience. TCP learned from its experience that mentoring cannot be regarded as a mass phenomenon or a practice involving many people. It assists the exchange of information rather than stressing on the competition aspect. The leading principle is “My experience is your experience”.

The author of the methodology of the Slovak partner is Ms. Chadimova, PhD, initiator and President of TCP, respected and one of the most successful business people in Slovakia. The methodology focuses on the profile of the prospective mentor and mentee, the limits of the activities of the mentor and many practical issues regarding the relationship that should be established by the mentor and mentee as well as the risks and possible problems that sometimes occur. The Slovak trainers also explained in detail how they use the media to advertise and encourage women to join their program and how they selected participants in the program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

The participants had the opportunities to visit Pezinok, a small town situated close to Bratislava and learn more about the specific features of mentoring. The meetings gave the learners from Bulgaria and Turkey first-hand impressions of how the relations between mentors and mentees are established and what makes them successful. They were all inspired by the personal achievements of all these women as well as their understanding of help, support and encouragement they give to other women. All partners agreed that from this meeting and the site visit they learned much more about mentoring as an approach, process and practically saw its results and benefits. The partners from Bulgaria and Turkey expressed their willingness and interest in starting such programs in their countries as well as for future joint activities in the field.

 

 

 

This page has been developed under the project Learning Partnerships against Social Exclusion: Mentoring for Women Entrepreneurs, financed by the Socrates/ Grundtvig 2 Program.

 

The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Center of Women’s Studies and Policies and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Commission or the Socrates National Agency.