Mentoring initiative ‘IAM Filipina’ launched

Doha: A new volunteering organisation named IAM Filipina was launched on Monday in celebration of the 2023 Women’s Month in March.

The group will provide mentoring programme to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) based in Qatar.

Co-Founder of IAM Filipina, Annaliza Diet told The Peninsula that IAM means Inspire, Achieve and Motivate. “The idea behind founding the group is to help and develop other professionals, especially Filipinas here. We will help them achieve their goal, refill their motivation in life. And as a woman, I believe that we have different ways to touch people’s life.”

The event was attended by the first Philippine woman Ambassador in Qatar, H E Lillibeth V Pono; Consul General, Cassandra Sawadjaan; Vice Consul, Monica Remsy Calañgian; Assistant Labour Attache, Atty. Don Pangcog; Department of Migrant Workers Officer, Cherry Cureg, and 60 Filipina professionals working from various fields including business, marketing, education, healthcare, to name some.

Diet, who is also the CEO and Founder of Philippine International Institute Qatar, stressed that the mentoring programme will be provided free of charge. “This mentoring programme is a great opportunity to network with like-minded Filipinas and to discover ways to inspire, achieve career goals and motive each other.”

Furthermore, Middle East’s first Filipina mentoring community aimed to inspire professional Filipinas to progress and succeed in their expatriate life in Qatar, to provide an avenue for Filipinas to share professional expertise, experience, and network, and to connect successful professional and mid-management level Filipinas with aspiring Filipinas looking for support in starting, maintaining, and enhancing their career in Qatar.

She emphasised that mentoring enables individuals to learn from one another by providing a channel for information transfer, as well as offering guidance and insights. Mentors will offer guidance, a sounding board, inspiration and support, and networking possibilities.

Various Filipinas have praised the new project, which would assist them in improving their abilities through mentorship. “It is essential to have a mentor in life who understands exactly where you should head to, since she has been in your shoes before. Thank you for creating this wonderful initiative,” said Jasmine, a Filipina worker in Qatar for over five years.

Lea, who works as an Administrative Officer at a construction firm believes the programme is a terrific platform to assist Filipinas to become more motivated and choose the next steps in their professional development.

Application is now open for aspiring IAM Filipina mentors and mentees where they can access it through the group’s Facebook page IAM Filipina.