How Mentorship Programs Secure Success
Anis Abdisalan, 27, dekes around 15-year-old Akram Boulhout in an attempt to score a basket during Rahma Community and Youth Centre’s weekly basketball match.
With no refs, this game is about more than keeping score; it’s an opportunity for participants in Rahma’s Bright Beginnings mentorship program to build relationships one shot at a time.
“Going through the program, I realize that it’s not just a mentorship; it’s more than that, a mentor can become a friend,” says Akram, who looks forward to shooting hoops every week.
Rahma is a non-profit helping children and youth from diverse ethnocultural backgrounds thrive through settlement support, educational support, employment training, summer programming, computer classes, and mentorship – including Bright Beginnings. The one-year program matches refugee and immigrant youth, aged 12 to 17, who have experienced interrupted schooling or other educational challenges with mentors from their community
“The long-term impact or goal of this program is to enhance self-esteem, confidence, motivation, resilience, and social skills among youth,” says Feisal Adem, Rahma’s executive director.
Youth who have a mentor growing up report positive outcomes, including pursuing future education, experiencing a greater sense of belonging in their local community, and having better mental health, according to a Mentor Canada report.
“The Bright Beginnings program has been really good so far. Any time I need help with school, work, or just need to chat, I can,” Akram says.
In one short year, the program tripled in size. The program includes regular one-on-one meetings between mentees and mentors at a location of their choice. These meetings focus on discussing goals set at the program’s start, which mentees aim to achieve within three months. Progress is reviewed, and challenges are addressed. In addition to one-on-
one meetings with mentors, the program offers weekly recreational activities like basketball, workshops, and bi-monthly field trips.
Anis says it’s been an incredible honour to work so closely with mentees and witness their growth. “When you’re a teenager, and you don’t feel like anyone is respecting you or listening to you, you might end up resorting to things that you regret later on in your life,” he explains. This program gives youth a platform where they feel comfortable sharing.
Akram says he enjoys the goal-setting portion of the program. “Whenever I have a personal goal, I just tell my mentor, and he will help me reach them.”
