The Case For Mentorship &
H
Foster Care
Here I am, 50, single and childless, praying earnestly for a family of my own, instead, God has been positioning me to be salt and light in the lives of a few of His masterpieces through service in the areas of Mentorship and Foster Care. Mentorship For many years, I played a lead role in the philanthropic strategy for a multinational entity whose focus was on education. This gave me an opportunity to touch the lives of thousands of youths in Jamaica. I was able to impact lives through the creation of a mentorship programme
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wherein scholars who indicated that they needed a mentor were matched with an employee who was screened, trained and supported throughout their involvement with the programme. As Coordinator of the programme though I was not assigned to only one scholar, I bonded with many, and a mentee group morphed into a family. We enjoyed various activities periodically which included dinners, lunches, barbecues and beach trips. This family became one that facilitated the achievement of dreams and goals as it provided a major source of encouragement,
October - December 2021
an avenue of self-expression and escape. Moreover, the mentees were now exposed to the vast possibilities outside of their seemingly bleak situations which ultimately caused them to rise to achieve their promising potentials. Their testimonies leave individuals inspired and awestruck at their accomplishments against all odds. This Family inspired a burgeoning strategist who despite seeing the violent death of her father while battling the debilitating scoliosis illness, was able to achieve the coveted Governor General’s Award for scholastic excellence.
