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Mentor program
1. June 2009
Children who have grown up surrounded by parents, grandparents, relatives, family friends and acquaintances are more self-confident, copying and happier than those, who lack different people around them.
Those children’s acquaintanceships that are from orphanages mostly consist of teachers, nurses and other children who live with them. Not having a good companionship is one of the obstacles in socializing a child into community.
Since 2002, Estonian Children’s Fund has been searching for benevolent people who could become mentors for children from Kopli orphanage.
A mentor is a grown-up, well copying and good person who has time and is willing to introduce his/her way of life, interests and hobbies to the child from different background. The aim of such activity is to enlarge child’s small world and way of thinking. Finding good and stable people, who are ready to share their free time, can unfortunately be quite hard.
Luckily we have found some very nice people, who are now content with their decision of becoming a mentor. To share one’s life experiences with someone else can actually be even pleasant.
How to find mentors?
First project manager’s acquaintances and then their acquaintances. We have also introduced our project in different institutions. When we present Estonian Children’s Fund, we always raise the mentor subject as well.
Of course every person is not suitable for being a mentor. We visit the orphanage together with the person who is interested in becoming a mentor. The project manager and orphanage’s manager have a conversation with a volunteer and after that the decision is made.
There are some certain communication rules, which a mentor and a child should follow. For example: it’s not recommended to give child presents or invite him/her home. There are also rules for a child: one should come to the meeting on time, not to tease for presents etc.
Mentors meet regularly, to change experiences and get supervision. There are scientists, sales managers, and people with children home background among mentors…
The project is opened for kind people.
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good, they know enough and know how to deal with these kids
