After an overnight flight from Douala in Nairobi, Raychelle Najimesi met us at Kenyatta Airport. A recent FORTUNE mentee, Raychelle met us as we sleepily exited visa control. “Jambo! Karimbu!” she exclaimed. Our weariness evaporated as we drove toward the hotel and past Nairobi’s national park, which envelops the city.

There was little time for rest as I quickly connected with Abby Muricho of Ripe for Harvest, a non-governmental organization focused on working with youth to unlock their full potential. We met up and departed for Nyeri, a town two and half hours out of Nairobi, where Abby is managing a mentoring program for young women. Focused on preventing gender-based violence, particularly human trafficking, the mentoring program will include 100 mentors working with 500 mentees in several regions. Girls will be recruited from schools, IDP camps, and community organizations.

After journeying through roads lined with fruit stands overflowing with colorful produce, we arrived at the conference center in the center of town in Nyeri, a small town with just a few blocks of buildings and stores. We ran upstairs to join the 22 young women gathered to take part in the opening workshop aimed at training mentors. Mentoring, according to Abby, is a new advocacy strategy in Kenya. She feels strongly in its capacity to effect positive change, particularly after the unexpected and traumatic violence that overlook her nation earlier this year. Rape and other sexual offenses were prevalent and not altogether random as Abby suggested that gender-based violence became a “tool” and “weapon” during the instability.

After introductions, we began activities aimed at highlighting the value of mentorship, concerns about being a mentor, and each mentor’s goals. Abby’s remarks about the novelty of mentorship proved prescient as nearly one-third of the women could not identify a mentor of their own. Those who had benefited from a mentor named family members, religious figures, and even international stars like Oprah and Tyra Banks as individuals who made positive impressions. I recalled and shared stories about my beloved mentor, my late Aunt Laurie, who taught me how to take every challenge in stride and to laugh at myself and with others when life’s challenges percolated to the surface.

We tackled important topics like the distinction between a mother and a mentor, what things mentors can deliver, such as support and understanding, and what they should not, such as discipline and judgment. We decided that mentors are there to share mentee’s worlds but not to give them instructions or tell them what to do. It is through actions and behavior that mentors can transform their mentees, not through discipline.

What qualities do mentors possess? Non-judgmental. Loving. Reliable. Kind. Hard-working. Honest. Responsible. Open-minded. Courageous. Encouraging. Positive. Patient. Confident. What is the goal? Gaining strength. Increasing self-confidence. Greater willingness to talk openly. Making new friends. Being a role model. Paying it forward.

The next step will be matching the mentors-to-be with their mentees. On the drive back to Nairobi I could only think about how lucky the young women will be who will have the opportunity to benefit from the insight, wisdom, and strength of the eager and cheerful women who stand ready to guide them with humor, understanding and love.