Since inception six months ago, the Tshiamo Gotlhe Mogapi Coaching and mentoring program has put ordinary youth in conversation with trailblazers and renowned individuals who share their life stories with them.

The program is hosted every Sunday at Botswana Accountancy College auditorium and is aimed at entrenching a culture of doing and giving back time to individuals who want to bring a discernible revolution to their life. Matlhogonolo Letsopa Mponang established the mentoring and coaching program after realising that she could not accommodate all requests from people who wanted her to assist them with their resumes, career guidance and general mentorship. Since she has a busy schedule she could not find enough time to help each and every individual so she then decided to start the coaching and mentorship program.

When asked why she chose the name, Tshiamo Gotlhe Mogapi, she said it was to honour her late sister who died in a tragic car accident. Growing up, Mponang was part of the Peer Approach to Counselling by Teens (PACT) started and facilitated by the Young Womens’ Christian Association movement which encouraged peer to peer counselling through imparting life skills. It was after a conversation with one of her current mentees- whom she grew up with in Selibe-Phikwe, Bronia Neontle Badubi, who pitched the idea to her that she decided to go ahead and start the program in a full- fledged manner. She initially started out offering coaching on competency based interviews, CV Writing and goal setting through the development of Vision Boards.

So far, the programs has managed to engage some of Botswana’s renowned names in their own right, who have shared with attendants what it took for them to get where they are. Experts from the Information Communication Technology sector such as Anthony Masunga and Mabua Mabua; From the Creative Arts such as Wilson Ngoni, Mothusi Lesolle, Shanti Lo, Anita Nols, Michelle Phetlhe, Juju Boy, Amantle Brown; Business people like Thoko Rangwasamy, Thapelo Letsholo, Arun Aiyer; A Motswana ICC Judge Justice Sanji Monageng; Distinguished teachers such as Itumeleng Matebele; Seasoned international stage players like MmaseKgoa Masire- Mwamba; Economist turned Political Leader Honourable Bogolo Kenewendo have presented at the sessions.

With over 20 years experience in the field of human resource management, strategic leadership, organisation development and design, together with change management, Mponang is currently the Deputy C.E.O- Corporate Services at Botswana Accountancy College. Her portfolio spans Finance and Procurement, Human Resources Management, Records Management, Quality Assurance, Integrated Facilities, Student Affairs, Information Communication and Technology, and until recently-Marketing and Corporate Communications.

Mponang trained in Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a seasoned Professional who has operated across industries and at all levels in government, non- governmental and Corporate Botswana. She has worked in both green field and established environments. Mponang has also had a social commentary column in both “Lapologa” and the “Weekend Post” and is a philanthropist, Social Entrepreneur and Transformational Speaker.

Previously, she was Deputy Chairperson of the council at Westwood International School, also as an H.R Committee Chairperson of that Committee of the Council; she has worked as Chairperson of the Water Utilities Pension Fund and has sat on the Botswana Medical Aid Fund Board as a Board of Trustee Member. At the age of 19 years she was voted into the World Young Womens’ Christian Association Council by member countries of this World movement at the World Conference of 1995 in Seoul, Korea and became a World YWCA Council member-and remains the only Motswana to have ever sat on this international board.

The mother of three currently sits on the Boards of both the Okavango Diamond Company as a Board Member and Pula Medical Aid as a Board of Trustee member. Ms. Mponang is also Chairman of the Botswana Karate Foundation and a Board of Trustee Member of same.
In an interview with WeekendLife, Mponang explained that the program started small and has evolved over time and that “it’s like a ship which is being built whilst sailing”. The program, she shared, features industry captains and individuals who have done something and have challenged the status quo and attendants are given the opportunity to network with these elite thinkers after every program on Sundays.

“We teach individuals how to seek for self within so as to know self; How to develop Vision Boards so as to know where they want to go, and lastly how to get there. I also have a cohort of 30 mentees who I privately mentor after the public platform. They are in a year-long program, after which they will replicate this program, they will adopt a school and so as to take the program to schools. At the end of the day we are not about the appearance of doing something but are doing it so as to bring about tangible change,” she explained.
Mponang explained to WeekendLife that she offers her coaching and mentoring programs for free because she believes she cannot charge people for something she was largely given by God.

“I am a Transformational speaker by calling and in action and so I invest 5% of my income from that into my social development work. I have adopted a School- Tlhalogang CJSS in Chadibe- in the Borolong side of Francistown, I am the School Patron. However, she decried that despite her offering this platform the turn – out is not at the level as one would expect-given that it is free, on a Sunday afternoon- when it is assumed that most people are back from church.

They have recorded a maximum of 120 people at a sitting- in a space that can seat 250. She said by attending the sessions, the public can experience tangible changes in their lives since most people who come leave the experience feeling revived. She intends to run the program for the next five years free of charge and at some point will commercialise it and replicate it across Africa, charging at a subsidised cost- once she has living examples of its’ effectiveness.