MentorZalu connects Zuzalu residents with students in local communities to provide them with mentorship.

Why

要想一年富足，就种粮 想要十年繁荣，就种树 如果你想要一百年的繁荣，那就培养人才

If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want one hundred years of prosperity, grow people.

Source: Chinese Proverb

This proverb teaches us that to achieve Zuzalu’s goals of “build self-sustaining communities” we must grow the lives of the people in the communities where Zuzalu is located.

"Bí ọwọ́ ọmọdé kò tó pẹpẹ...ti àgbàlagbà kòlè wọ akèrèngbè"

"If a kid's hand fails to reach the Peak of a cupboard, that of an adult cannot enter a Gourd"

Source: Yoruba Proverb

This proverb teaches us that mentorship relationships are symbiotic. Just as the mentee will benefit from the mentor, the mentor will also benefit from having a mentee.

How it Works

1. Zuzalu residents create mentorship profiles and explain their life story, experiences and what they can provide mentorship about

2. Students in local communities create mentee profiles and talk about their life goals, experiences and what they want to receive mentorship About

3. MentorZalu matches Zuzalu residents and mentees based on matching profiles and facilitates virtual mentorship sessions between the mentors and mentees

4. Mentors and mentees also have the opportunity to self-select each other

5. Each mentor and mentee pair is matched with a mentorship supervisor to check in on the mentors and mentees, ensure that they are meeting with each other and suggest ideas for collaboration and support

6. MentorZalu will also host in-person events to ensure that mentors and mentees also have opportunities to meet each other in person

What we will Build

1. A Telegram chatbot that allows Zuzalu residents to sign up to become mentors on MentorZalu

2. Allows local students to sign up to receive mentorship

3. Allows mentors and students to browse profiles of potential mentors and mentees and then schedule mentorship sessions

4. Facilitate at least one in-person event between Zuzalu residents (mentors) and local students (mentees)

The pilot version of MentorZalu will be in Montenegro because that is where the first Zuzalu iswashosted.

Case Studies

To best understand the impact that mentorship can have, we have profiled Tomiwa and Ivan, one of the mentor-mentee relationships that came out of Zuzalu.

Ivan Kapisoda and Tomiwa Ademidun

Ivan and Tomiwa giving a presentation together at Edcon in Podgorica, Montenegro.

Ivan and Tomiwa having dinner together at CHi LE MA PLUS in Podgorica, Montenegro.

About Tomiwa and Ivan's Story

A great case study from the MentorZalu experiment was when Zuzalu resident, Tomiwa Ademidun was matched up with Montenegrin resident and UDG Student, Ivan Kapisoda.

Ivan and Tomiwa’s mentorship relationship started when Ivan was a recipient of the EduZalu investment during the UDG startup pitch competition when EduZalu invested in Ivan’s startup, Usluge.

Originally, Ivan was just going to be a recipient of the award but then Tomiwa and Ivan developed a deeper relationship and Tomiwa became Ivan’s mentor.

They met up multiple times during the rest of the Zuzalu experience

• Tomiwa used his software engineering background to help Ivan build a chatbot prototype of the app that was used during Edcon to provide tourists to Montenegro with a ride

• Ivan used his knowledge and relationships in Montenegro to recruit drivers to the program

• Tomiwa and Ivan worked together to deliver presentations on their work at Zuzalu townhalls and Edcon with Tomiwa providing speaker’s coaching

Their relationship went beyond the Zuzalu trip and the last person Tomiwa saw in Montenegro was Ivan who gave him a ride to the airport.

What’s Next

• Tomiwa and Ivan remain in contact and have been discussing other opportunities to work together

• Growing Usluge to create 10,000 entrepreneurs in Montenegro

• 10,000 entrepreneurs defined as people who earned an income in at least 1 month from usluge that is greater than or equal to the Montenegero national wage

• Tomiwa and Ivan both plan on doing their master’s degree

• Tomiwa has set a goal for both of them to aim to do their masters degree at Harvard and start classes for September 2025

As we can see from Tomiwa and Ivan’s story, both of them have benefitted greatly from their mentor and mentee relationship and the wider Zuzalu and Montenegro community benefited as well. Now imagine what we can do if we expand this to more people.