Hannah Hammoud
Youth services organisation Sparkways is making a plea to locals in Brimbank to help drive down the wait list for its one-to-one mentoring service this August.
Sparkways team leader Fletcher Curnow said there are a number of young people in Brimbank who are waiting to be matched with a mentor.
The one-to-one youth mentoring is a 12-month program that involves weekly or fortnightly catch-ups and is designed to support and empower young people who want a positive role model in their lives.
Mr Curnow said for those wishing to mentor, having experience with young people is helpful but anyone is encouraged to apply as the program runs mentors through training sessions.
Dilani De Silva put her hand up to become a mentor in Brimbank through Sparkways less than three months ago. She said the mentoring program is as rewarding for herself as it is for her mentee.
“I saw a post about becoming a mentor and it really grabbed me. I went through lots of training and I was paired with my mentee who was a perfect match for me, we clicked immediately,” she said.
“My mentee lives quite close to me, I pick her up in my car and we go to parks, or go for walks. We are also on a food journey where we are experimenting with and exploring new foods to try, it has been lots of fun.”
Ms De Silva said she encourages anyone who is interested in helping someone, regardless of their experience, to take up this opportunity to mentor.
“If you are open to learning about someone else and also them learning about you, and helping them to become more confident then you should sign up to this program,” she said.
“To be able to see someone open up to you and be happy, it is so rewarding, I come back home with a smile on my face.”
Details: sparkways.org.au/mentoring/sparkways-mentoring-program
