SAYes Youth Mentoring

Share your values and help young people in transition

SAYes Youth Mentoring is a non-profit transition mentoring program that helps young people, aged between 14 and 25, prepare for the time when they have to leave children's homes or care. The initiative operates an 8-month programme of transition guidance for these young people that helps prepare them for independence through mentoring.

The programme runs in its 9th year and the NGO is currently are looking for volunteer mentors who can help grow this successful programme further. There are 200 children registered for the 2018 programme who would love to have a mentor. So if you have some spare time and want to share your values, ideas and provide motivation or just be a friend who listens and cares, give them a call. It would be tremendous help to uplift the local communities and it will also give you a wonderful opportunity to reduce inequality in your community and insights who would most probably not get otherwise when living here as an expat.

Mentoring after having been provided with a proper training and introduction sessions and mentoring in a structured setting, complete with further workshops, wouldn't this some thing for you too? 

Requirements to become a mentor

• You are open-minded, tolerant, responsible and trustworthy 
• You are independently living in Cape Town metropolitan area
• Whether local and foreigner, all are welcome! However, you must be min. 26 years old and commit to the full programme (February-November)
• You are available for weekly 1-hr mentoring visits and monthly workshops, mainly at children's homes
• You apply online, take part in a research project-survey and then will receive a 1-day training and attend the mentor-mentee matching day 
• Weekly short messages/check backs online with the NGO are required, but this should only take a couple of minutes per week
• You need to have transport or are willing to carry transport costs
• Note: Police clearance reports will be requested through them or you can supply your own if recently applied for it
• No previous mentoring experience is required as mentor support will be provided by the organisation

Mentors can also volunteer for a once-off inspiring drop-in session at the training centre in Woodstock, or for one-on-one consulting for one of the young people and mentor. Business partners and NGO partners are also most welcome to contact the charity for more information and get more insights for opportunities and possible involvement.

Who is SAYes?

SAYes is an initiative founded in the UK in 2008 by Michelle Potter and her friend Gillian Anderson (yes, the popular Hollywood actress starring as Agent Scully in X-Files) in 2008 in the UK. After a visit in South Africa and lots of research how to best help the most vulnerable children transitioning from children's homes to independent life, Michelle started the local initiative in Cape Town in 2010. They partner today in Cape Town with 15 children's homes. There are currently 24 children's homes in the Cape Town metropolitan area, so there are still further expansion projects down the line. 

The office with five staff, all highly qualified and experienced, will be easy to find in and is located in a gated complex at 35 Brickfield Road in Woodstock/Cape Town. Feel free to contact the organisation and apply for a presentation or request further information.

Apply for becoming a mentor or request more information here

Get in contact with them via twitter: @sayesmentoring

or like and follow their facebook page: sayesmentoring

Source/Image Credit: Michelle Potter/South Africa Director

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