Mentorship can be a powerful motivator for those with the potential and energy to drive change. A six-month USAID Leadership Mentorship Program, implemented by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) fostered deeper networks between current and future women leaders at the local level.
The initiative connected women in communities across ethnic settings and different career fields who either had experience in local politics or were seeking to get more involved. This included a vice president of a political party, a minister, current and former members of parliament, and civil society leaders, local councilors, speakers of municipal assemblies, deputy mayors, and heads of directorates at the local level.
Egzona Hoxhaj, from Prizren, was paired with Eliza Hoxha, a member of the Assembly of Kosovo. With Eliza’s guidance, Egzona prepared an action plan to advocate for people with disabilities and women from rural areas in Prizren. Eliza’s expertise as an urban architect helped Egzona to develop a plan to make it easier for people with disabilities to access the public institution buildings, culminating in Egzona’s address at the municipal assembly to request development of a municipal strategy for people with disabilities and offer her help.
Throughout the program, NDI facilitated connections among participants and helped build a network between mentors and mentees which will continue beyond the initiative
National Democratic Institute for USAIDKosovo