Latest update March 21st, 2025 7:03 AM
Latest News
‘Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Guyana’ shaping our children for the future, through mentoring!
Some of the students at the recent BBBSG mentorship programme.
The Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Guyana entity (BBBSG) recently trained over 30 mentors who were taught the basics of mentoring, how to communicate effectively with a child, self awareness, recognizing the personality of a child, how to be a good role-model using role-plays of different scenarios employing effective mentoring skills, among other things.
To date over sixty 60 mentors have been trained to provide one-on-one mentoring and guidance to children in five selected schools in Georgetown.
The programme is the brainchild of Volunteer Youth Corps VYC, which has been contributing to various initiatives aimed at enhancing the lives of the less fortunate and disadvantaged children in Guyana.
Consequently, in an effort to impact the lives of our children and youth directly, the organization has embarked on establishing the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Mentorship Program in Guyana.
The School-based mentoring programme offers an opportunity for a trained, caring adult to provide academic assistance to a child who may be struggling to keep up with the general class, or who may be having behavioral issues at home or school, ultimately helping the targeted persons to develop to their fullest potential.
The individual attention takes the form of the mentor investing just one hour per week of their time to a child between the ages of 6-18 years who is ‘at risk’- affected by poverty, illiteracy and encountering difficulties in social and academic areas.
According to the facilitators, this intervention makes a significant impact on the life of the child.
According to sources, this programme, seeks to give ‘at risk’ children the opportunity to interact with someone older, more matured and more knowledgeable than they are. This mentor proves to be one on whom these at-risk children can rely for guidance and assistance in dealing with many of the various challenges they may be faced with.
This is in essence a literal “Big Brother or Big Sister” as known to these children.
All that is required is, according to BBBSG officials, a desire to help, time and energy, and a learning attitude.
In a brief interview, officials noted that the simple act of exposing a child to goals, dreams, or hobbies can open a new world of possibilities for a ‘little one’ whose home environment may not provide them with a chance to dream of a bright future for themselves.
A basketball workshop was hosted earlier as part of the programme.
Some activities that mentors carry out with their charges include penmanship, homework assistance, playing games, sharing a hobby or just learning about each other. Just by sharing activities from one’s daily life you can help at-risk children reach their fullest potential.
“Mentoring is about leading by example and we believe it is the missing link,” one of the organisers said.
“Therefore, without caring adult support during a crucial time in their life, children will be ill-equipped to develop their skills and knowledge to become an important contributor to their country’s future,” the organizer added.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program is proven to be effective in helping children make important decisions.
According to sources affiliated with the project, the venture has proven to impact positively on children’s school attendance and academic performance, diminish violent behavior, and almost eliminate the use of drugs and alcohol.
A volunteer Big Brother or Big Sister helps a young person have a better sense of self and a positive view of the future.
A mentoring relationship empowers both young people and adults to be active in their community, creating possibilities for both the mentor and the mentee.
What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a sustained, close, developmental relationship between an older, more experienced individual and a younger person with the goal of building character and competence on the part of the mentee.
Benefits for the mentor include increased motivation; new insights and perspectives, an opportunity for self-development, increased self-esteem, feeling of worth, the chance to positively influence the next generation, enhanced peer recognition and lasting impact on a child
It must be noted that males are matched with boys and females are matched with girls. At present, there is a shortage of male mentors.
Mentoring is most certainly a worthwhile endeavor, and according to BBBSG Coordinator, Mrs. Miriam Corlette-Williams is also providing children/youth with a positive role model, preferably someone he or she knows personally, and who can make an enormous and long-lasting difference in his or her life.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
“One Guyana” is no less a national slogan than “Green Guyana”
Kaieteur News- The notion that “One Guyana” is a partisan slogan is pure poppycock. It is a desperate fiction... more
If Guyana’s President Ali is the “Zelensky of the Caribbean”, who is the Putin?
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS, Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- In the latest... more
Weekend Cartoon
