Training for Future Mentors

Personal mentoring is commonly recognised as one of the most effective ways to support children in care and help them transition to independent life. That’s why it’s a key pillar of our work and we are proud to currently support 50 children through our mentorship programme.

We recruit and train volunteers who would like to give an orphan the gift of mentorship, and we offer ongoing support and counsel to help all participants get the most out of the programme. For both mentors and mentees it’s often a transformational experience and a double blessing of giving and receiving.

Care in Action held two 3-day training sessions for future mentors in Lviv and in Ivano-Frankivsk on September 23-25th and October 14-16th.

In workshops, prospective mentors learnt how to actively listen to and understand each other and how to let go of prejudices, stereotypes, and expectations. Key skills for building a friendly and wholesome relationship of mutual respect with the children.

Our team is deeply grateful to Nadia Kondratyuk from One Hope Kyiv, and to Mariana Tsyganyn from the Prykarpattia mentoring project for sharing their experience in mentoring with the future Guardian Angels.

Here’s what the mentors in training had to say:

“It’s inspiring and motivational training. I already had the experience of informal mentoring, and now this course has given me the theoretical basis and practical knowledge of how to work with children. The atmosphere was comfortable as participants shared common interests and a strong desire to change and improve the lives of disadvantaged children.”

“My impression is extremely positive. The training provided an opportunity to understand the psychology of orphans and the whole mentoring process. I would’ve liked it to last more than 3 days!”

With the help of donors and volunteers more children from our waiting list could be given the opportunity of mentorship.