July 3, 2017

At the beginning of this year, 17 of our scholars participated in a special training about emotional intelligence, simple counseling, and mentoring. This group of Peer Mentors was sensitized on identifying other students under stress, and how best to support those students. They were also paired with new TFFT Scholars to help them adjust to a new community as they began at our partner schools.

During a recent gathering to review the Peer Mentoring program, 14 of our mentors talked about topics such as stress management, bullying at school, and the challenges and rewards of mentoring. They had practical experience in relaxation techniques such as visualization, present moment awareness, and muscle relaxation meditation. Though a new concept for our scholars, all partook in the exercises and could see how it could be used in times of stress as a way of calming the mind.

Another part of the review process included a time for each Peer Mentor to share their experiences over the past six months. Here are some of their responses:

“I like being a mentor because in the past, I have been mentored, so I like to share the knowledge that I received from the people who mentored me. I also like it because I would like to become a psychologist and by nature. When I see someone who is feeling down, I like to help them through it” – Monica, Star High School.

“I like showing someone the way. One of my friends at Usa River Academy was stubborn. I showed him the way to be a better person, to behave, and to express himself” – Athumani, Usa River Academy.

“I love my responsibility as a mentor because this job helps me to be a person who is accepted by the whole world. I am also proud of myself because I can change the world to make it a better place by helping those in need. I have helped to solve my peers’ problems, and I would love to continue this” – Janeth, Star High School.

“As a mentor, I was able to help shift things from negative to positive for my friends. For example, at school, I brought together a group of five members to create a study group. This group helped each other to make academic progress in school and succeeded at improving our study habits and grades. This led me to focus on my ambition, and I believe I make a good mentor” – Joyce, Star High School.

“I helped TFFT Scholars who had just moved up to Form 1. I helped them by showing them around at school and introducing them to peers in Form 1. I have also helped them with their studies. I have had several meetings with the new scholars so that they can support each other in difficult times and in happy moments” – Ndera, Star High School.

All our current mentors are excited to continue the added responsibilities of being a Peer Mentor, and have already signed up again for the 2018 school year. With the skills, compassion, and awareness that they have learned, our mentors will continue to have a positive impact on their school environments.

2022-05-21T02:05:49+00:00