Mentorship
What is mentorship? Mentorship for me is simply an honest, fulfilling and rewarding way of giving something back to the community. For both mentors and men tees so much is given but also a great deal are gained. For mentors they benefit by learning how to manage your time, set priorities, gain valuable experience for the world of work and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment spending time with the children and seeing them progress.
For the children they are given remedial help, positive role models to emulate and are given a chance to experience life outside of their communities especially for the Craig Town Mentorship kids. They live in an inner city community that is plagued with violence and unrest, here stereotypes propel the future of these kids and mentors try to provide that catalyst for change and a better way of life for them to aspire to.
Mentorship is not for everyone as it requires a great deal of commitment and sacrifice on the mentors’ part and sometimes you can feel as if you are not making a difference but you do. We have seen the behavioural change over the years and if we can make a difference in just one child's behaviour then we have been successful. In this way mentors feel that satisfaction in knowing they are making worthwhile difference.
In Mother Theresa's famous words and I quote " Works of love are always works of peace", that is what the true essence of mentorship is, you have to love it because it's love that you pass on and through love we can hope to encourage a spirit of peace in the hearts, minds and the community of our charges.
Reisha Hanooman
Einheit Cluster Rep (2006–2007)
