layout: post

title: "My experience of mentoring at Django Girls Bangalore 2017"

date: "2017-11-14 08:01:25 +0530"

tag:

- django

- python

- djangogirls

![group_photo]({{

site.url}}/assets/images/django_girls_blr_2018/group_photo.jpg)

Last Sunday, [Django Girls Bangalore][django_girls_bangalore] organized a

hands-on session of web programming. This is a small event report from my side.

[Django Girls][django_girls] is not for a profit initiative led by [Ola

Sitarska](http://ola.sitarska.com/) and [Ola

Sendecka](http://blog.sendecka.me/). Such movement helps women to learn the

skills of website development using the well-known web-framework

[Django][django]. This community is backed by organizers from many countries.

Organizations like The [Python Software

Foundation](https://www.python.org/psf/), [Github](https://github.com),

[DjangoProject][django] and many [more](https://djangogirls.org/#supporters) are

funding [Django Girls][django_girls].

[Django Girls Bangalore][django_girls_bangalore] chapter was organized by

[Sourav Singh](https://twitter.com/MrSouravSingh) and [Kumar

Anirudha](https://anirudha.org/). This was my second time mentoring for the

[Django Girls][django_girls] event. First was for the [Ahmedabad

chapter](https://djangogirls.org/ahmedabad/). The venue was sponsored by

[HackerEarth](https://www.hackerearth.com). 8 male and 2 female mentored 21

women during this event. Each mentor was assigned more or less 3 participants.

Introducing participants with web development becomes easy with the help of

[Django Girls handbook][handbook]. The [Django Girls handbook][handbook] is a

combination of beginner-friendly hands-on tutorials described in a simple

language. The [handbook][handbook] contains tutorials on basics of Python

programming language to deploying your web application. Pupils under me were

already ready by pre-configuring Python with their workstation. We started by

introducing our selves. We took some time browsing the

[website](http://submarinecablemap.com/) of undersea cables. One of the amusing

questions I got is, “Isn't the world connected with Satellites?”. My team was

comfortable with the Python, so we quickly skimmed to the part where I

introduced them to the basics of web and then [Django][django]. I noticed

mentors were progressing according to the convenience of participants. Nice

amount of time was invested in discussing raised queries. During illumination,

we heard a loud call for the lunch. A decent meal was served to all the members.

I networked with other mentors and participants during the break. Post-lunch we

created a blog app and configured it with our existing project. Overview of

[Django][django] models topped with the concept of

[ORM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-relational_mapping) became the

arduous task to explain. With the time as a constraint, I focused on admin

panel and taught girls about deploying their websites to

[PythonAnywhere](https://www.pythonanywhere.com/). I am happy with the hard work

done by my team. They were able to demonstrate what they did to the world. I

was more joyful than them for such achievement.

The closing ceremony turned amusing event for us. 10 copies of [Two scopes of

Django](https://www.twoscoopspress.com) book were distributed to the

participants chosen by random draw strategy. I solemnly thank the authors of

the book and [Pothi.com](https://pothi.com/) for gifting such a nice reference.

Participants shared their experiences of the day. Mentors pinpointed helpful

resources to look after. They insisted girls to not satisfy at such point and

open their wings by developing websites using skills they learned. T-shirts,

stickers and badges were distributed as event swags.

You can find the list of all [Django Girls][django_girls] chapters

[here](https://djangogirls.org/events/map/). Djangonauts are shouted to become a

mentor for [Django Girls][django_girls] events in your town. If you are not

finding any in your town, I encourage you to take the responsibility and

organize one for your town. If you are already a part of [Django

Girls][django_girls] community, Why are you not sharing your experience with

others?

[django_girls_bangalore]: https://djangogirls.org/bangalore/

[django_girls]: https://djangogirls.org/

[django]: https://www.djangoproject.com/

[handbook]: https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/