Bright Stars appeals for mentors

BRIGHT Stars, a mentorship programme for vulnerable children, will hold an orientation morning, inviting citizens of the greater Durban area to come and discover how they can play a role in transforming the life of a child.

Modelled on the hugely successful international mentorship programme, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bright Stars provides ordinary members of the public with a simple way that they can play a powerful role in the transformation of children’s lives.

“Fifty per cent of children who register for Grade 1 do not matriculate,” says Ruth dos Santos, Bright Stars programme manager. “Our mentorship programme pairs an adult mentor with a child and they spend just one hour a week together. This is often all it takes to transform a child’s life and give them hope for the future.”

Mentorship impacts not only the lives of vulnerable children but also the lives of the adults who mentor them. As suchm it is now globally recognised to be central to society’s efforts to heal, with massive international efforts in the USA, UK and Australia to implement youth mentorship and bring vulnerable children back to safety.

“We recruit and train our mentors – ordinary members of the public – to walk alongside these children; to care for them and about them so that they can realise their value to society and reach their full potential,” says Dos Santos.

Volunteers who are interested in becoming mentors are encouraged to attend an orientation morning when they will be given in-depth information about the programme, what it entails, what to expect and what you as a mentor will get out of the experience. After the orientation, attendees will be given the opportunity to apply to become mentors and attend a full-day training session.

The Bright Stars orientation morning will be taking place on Saturday, 22 August at Fig Tree Coffee Shop in Umgeni Park. Interested volunteers can contact Bright Stars on info@peaceagency.org.za. Alternatively, they can view the Bright Stars website – www.brightstarsmentors.org.za – or Facebook page – Bright Stars Mentors – to get more information and read other testimonials from current mentors.