This spring, at Voice of Romni, we welcomed the season together with Roma women leaders during an off-site facilitation session and training in Kyiv titled From Participant to Mentor: Practical Tools for Sharing Experience Among Women and Girls in Roma Communities.

Participants in our programme, with whom we have been working for several months as part of a project supported by CARE Ukraine, travelled to the capital. They have already completed numerous training sessions and are actively implementing their own projects in their communities, which means they are now ready to share their experience and step into mentoring roles.

The session was designed to help them build mentoring skills. The transition from participant to mentor requires not only new knowledge, but also inner confidence, an awareness of one’s own value, and a willingness to support others. The participants learned to overcome internal barriers, recognise their strengths, and demonstrate leadership qualities.

On the first day, they completed practical exercises, analysing their skills, previous experience, and the potential they could use to support others. They also identified the areas in which they want to grow, both personally and as leaders.

The second day focused on mentoring. Participants discussed the role of a mentor and learned how to establish first contact with future mentees – women and girls in need of support. They practised active listening and learned to ask open-ended questions in order to better understand the needs of others. In the end, each participant created her own plan for working with the women and girls she will be able to support in her community.

We are convinced that the development of Roma women’s leadership requires high-quality learning opportunities and ongoing support. It is important for us to create a safe space where they can strengthen their knowledge and gain tools that will help them support both themselves and others.

This session became an important step from learning to mentorship. By sharing their experience, the participants will be able to engage more active Roma women and girls and help build a community of like-minded women. In this way, the network of support will gradually expand, and women’s leadership will continue to grow stronger, contributing to the development of Roma communities.