In 2011, at the 10th International Congress on AIDS in Asia-Pacific (ICAAP), 30 emerging young leaders in the HIV response, and 31 experienced leaders from civil society, UN, and government came together for the first time to launch the NewGen Asia Mentorship Programme.
The mentors and mentees met over a long lunch and discussed their backgrounds, expectations and made a commitment to the new initiative established through the Asia-Pacific Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on Young Key Populations.
This initiative was born out of a response to the increasing rate of young people in the Asia-Pacific region living with HIV, a rate that in 2011 was estimated at 550,000 young
people aged 15-24 are living with HIV. And of these, an estimated 95% of all new infections in young people are among young key populations at highest risk of exposure to HIV (young key populations, or young men who have sex with men, young transgender people, young people injecting drugs, and young people selling sex).
To address these issues, the IATT supported the development of a multi-pronged capacity development initiative, NewGen Asia. NewGen Asia involves several activities to develop the capacity of the new generation of young leaders in this important area, including the NewGen Asia leadership short course, and a NewGen Asia mentorship programme. 
As successful HIV responses have been typically pioneered by the communities most affected by the epidemic, connecting young people with established leaders was considered to be an important way in which to encourage the transfer of skills and knowledge from one generation to the next.
Over the course of the next two years, the programme facilitated a flexible two-way learning and sharing exercise. On-going monitoring was supported by the IATT through periodic correspondence with mentorship pairs, resulting in quarterly e-newsletters to identify how pairs were progressing and share experiences with other pairs, collection of mentorship workplans, and a mid-term survey.
The mid-term mentorship survey was developed by UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. Two questionnaires were developed and distributed online to 30 mentees and 29 mentors across the Asia and the Pacific Region—one designed for mentees and the other designed for mentors.
This survey aimed to capture the effectiveness of the programme in achieving set outcomes, and measuring the impact of mentoring as a mutually beneficial exercise for both mentees and mentors. Questions were set to closely target the individually set outcomes in individual work plans; and to include self-assessments of understandings and skills prior to and after the mentoring programme.
It was intended that this information could be used to understand what young people need in terms of support and encouragement to engage in civic action and advocacy to promote the wellbeing and rights of their communities; and to reinforce the idea that the mentoring programme is hoped to be mutually beneficial for mentee and mentor.
Of a total 29 mentors and 30 mentees originating from 16 countries in the region that participated in the mentorship programme, only 8 mentors and 7 mentees completed the survey.
The results revealed the impact of the mentorship programme in knowledge and skills that will enable emerging young leaders to be able to mobilise communities, engage and represent communities, and have the confidence to be able to present ideas and opinions clearly. Skills that were improved during the mentorships included:
- public speaking,
- HIV/sexual health education (prevention, care and treatment),
- community mobilisation,
- peer support, and
- communication and mentoring skills.
These skills not only increase the capacity of individuals to become better leaders, but strengthen the YKAP community through knowledge of mobilisation and peer support.
While we cannot generalise based on the limited response, those who did participate in the survey commented on how mentorship can be a mutually beneficial experience and allow both parties to gain further skill and knowledge about the challenges that are faced by different key players in the HIV response.
New Gen Mentorship program was really supportive program for our YKAP leader to better work for our YKAP community. I hope I can learn and share our experience between mentor and myself. Currently I always am taking advice and suggestion from my mentor whatever I have planned. My mentors is a highly supportive person and like to learn many things from her through NewGen mentor ship program.
- Mentee
The NewGen initiative is a good initiative and opened my eyes to the possibilities of how we can support each other and in the work that we do.
- Mentor
The programme formally concluded end-2013. It is clear that mentorship programmes can have value, but they need significant support and coordination, clear milestones and desired outcomes between mentorship pairs, and committed and motivated partners who believe in mentoring as a mutually beneficial experience. UNESCO, in partnership with Youth LEAD and other partners through the IATT on Young Key Populations, will review how mentorship and other initiatives at country level can further strengthen capacities of young people from key populations.
For more information, please contact: Justine Sass (j.sass@unesco.org)
For related articles:
NewGEN Asia, Volume 1, December 2011 Released
NewGEN Asia, Volume 2, April 2012 Released