The commitment

The Mentor must be able to commit approximately 2-4 hours each month to mentoring-related activities. Meetings with mentees will usually last about 45 minutes to one hour.

The YAC program is made up of four cycles of four months each, and the mentoring engagement follows these cycles. Our goal is for the mentor/mentee relationship to last for at least one four-month cycle. The relationship may, however, extend through additional cycles and even cover the entire 16-month period of the program.

Mentors and mentees are required to assess the mentorship relationship at the end of each cycle and then make a decision about renewing or ending the commitment for the next cycle.

Mentors will periodically be provided opportunities to connect with other active mentors during informal mentor meetups. This will provide an opportunity to discuss any challenges being faced, to share victories, and to make recommendations to Jalawelo.

Please note that mentors and mentees may choose to terminate the relationship at any time.

What the mentor will provide

  • A stable and caring relationship with a young adult of the same gender.

  • Information on educational and career opportunities to support IEDP goals.

  • Encouragement to work hard, be disciplined, and persevere through the program.

  • A vision of a life lived to the fullest potential.

  • A role model of healthy and responsible adulthood.

What the mentor will NOT provide

  • Money, gifts, or other material items.

  • Counseling or pastoral support.

  • Assistance with crises that may arise.

  • Any type of support that feels unnatural or uncomfortable.

Frequency of contact: minimum recommended

  1. At least one written contact each week (e.g. email).

  2. One face-to-face conversation every two weeks (Skype, WhatsApp, Meet, Jitsi, etc.).

  3. Text messages as deemed necessary.