From Mentorship to Paid Work: Hope’s Story
I want to share a beautiful update from one of our Cameras For Girls graduates, Hope Khasalamwa.
Recently, Hope wrote to me with news that filled my heart with gratitude.
Through Cameras For Girls, she had been connected with her mentor, Evette Stobo, a coach and HR consultant from Canada. Their mentorship journey has become an important part of Hope’s personal and professional growth.
Together, they worked on practical career preparation. Hope refined her CV, learned how to prepare for interviews, and even completed a one-on-one online mock interview, with Evette as the interviewer and Hope as the interviewee.
While we do what we can for each of our students, we cannot work with them individually, which is why our mentors are an instrumental part of our team at Cameras For Girls.
Hope, graduated from our 5th cohort in Uganda, March 2026, and after going through our 6-month mentorship program, she got a full-time job.
Mentorship That Goes Beyond Career Advice
For many young women building careers in media, communications, journalism, photography, or storytelling, the challenge isn't a lack of ambition. Often, it is knowing how to present their skills, speak about their experience, prepare for opportunities, and believe they are ready to step into the rooms they have worked so hard to reach.
But the mentorship went beyond CVs and interview preparation.
Evette also encouraged Hope to believe in herself, celebrate her achievements, and recognize how far she has already come. As a young mother still seeking opportunities to grow, learn, and build a better future, that encouragement meant a great deal to her.
Sometimes mentorship is practical, and sometimes it is an emotional journey. Oftentimes it can be both.
A mentor can help a young woman prepare for a job interview, but she can also remind her that her experience has value. She can help her strengthen a CV, but also help her see the strength she already carries. She can offer guidance, but also help build the confidence needed to keep going.
For Hope, that support became part of her journey forward.
The News We Always Hope to Hear
And then came the news we always hope to hear at Cameras For Girls.
Hope has secured a full-time job.
She is now working as a Social Media Manager for a Chinese company that sells baby products.
For Hope, this is a significant step forward because she is no longer volunteering. She is earning, building her professional experience, and continuing to establish herself in the media and communications industry.
Volunteer experience can help a young woman learn and grow, but paid work changes the path. Paid work recognizes her time, her skill, and her contribution. It gives her experience, income, responsibility, and another building block for the career she is creating.
For Hope, this new role is more than a job. It is a step forward. It also proves that the hard work she put into her year-long program with us will eventually lead to success down the pathway.
In Hope’s Own Words
Here is a snippet of the testimonial she shared:
“I am writing with a grateful heart to sincerely thank you for connecting me with Miss Evette Stobo as my mentor. The mentorship journey has been truly transformative, and I am incredibly grateful for the guidance, encouragement, and support I have received.
Beyond career preparation, Miss Evette has guided me in various aspects of personal development. She has taught me the importance of believing in myself, celebrating my achievements, and being proud of how far I have come. She often expresses how proud she is of me, especially as a mother who continues to seek opportunities to grow, learn, and improve herself. Her encouragement has truly meant so much to me.
I felt it was important to share this wonderful news with you and express my heartfelt appreciation for the opportunities you have made possible for me.”
Why Cameras For Girls Does Not End With a Camera
Testimonials like this are exactly why Cameras For Girls does not end with a camera or a workshop.
A camera can open the door, but long-term support helps a young woman keep walking through it. Mentorship, career guidance, confidence-building, professional preparation, and encouragement all help our students move from learning into paid work.
Hope shared that she does not believe she would have reached this milestone without Cameras For Girls, from receiving a camera to being connected with mentors who believe in her potential and invest in her growth.
That is the heart of this work.
We are not only teaching young women how to use a camera. We are helping them build the confidence, skills, networks, and support systems they need to pursue opportunities in media, communications, journalism, photography, and storytelling.
The Power of Being Believed In
So many young women already carry the talent, ambition, and determination needed to succeed. What they often lack is access: access to equipment, training, mentors, networks, and paid opportunities.
When someone believes in a young woman, prepares her, encourages her, and walks alongside her, something changes. She begins to see what is possible.
Hope’s story reminds us that mentorship is not a small part of our work. It is one of the bridges between training and employment. And for a young woman balancing motherhood, personal growth, and a new professional role, that bridge matters deeply.
Become a Mentor
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, we would love to hear from you.
Your experience, encouragement, and guidance could help a young woman refine her CV, prepare for interviews, build confidence, and take the next step in her career.
Hope’s story shows what is possible when mentorship meets opportunity.