You can play an active part to mentor a child and make a lasting impact in the life of a child through the Volunteer Engagement Program. For the program to work effectively, one volunteer will mentor four children over a period of 3 to 4 months. Through your effort a teenager will grow in self-esteem, develop a positive outlook and make right choices in life.
The need for mentoring children
UNICEF reports that mentoring children in Life Skills Education can equip them with the resources needed to overcome difficult life situations, as a result of which they are more likely to continue their education and be more successful in their lives and the roles they play in society.
Research undertaken by Viva projects reveals that children in slums and marginalised communities feel unsafe in their own communities and are often harassed and intimidated. Physical and sexual abuse is not uncommon and there is little or no awareness of child safety or the child rights.
Viva has trained 32 mentors in Life Skills Education in Delhi, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi, Bangalore and Hyderabad to mentor children at risk in slums and shelter homes. Over 500 children have benefited from the mentoring sessions. As a result of these sessions, most children understood about the physical, emotional and relational changes during adolescents and were able to make right choices. The children testified about the improvement in their grades and also about their relationship being improved with their teachers and friends.
This mentoring program gives an opportunity to these children to see life beyond the slum environment. The children will gain confidence and with the support of mentors and volunteers they will be able to claim their right to be educated and their right to be safe in their home and community.
CSR Volunteer Engagement Program
The Volunteer Mentor Program activities are :
Attend a briefing about the mentoring program which includes an overview of the child mentoring program activities, guidance on mentoring adolescents and method to record issues faced by the children and agreeing to the child protection code of conduct.
Step 1
Visit to the beneficiary child’s community or home to understand her/his situation.
Step 2
Meeting the beneficiary over a meal, at a market place like Haldirams, Bikanerwala or the meal can be arranged in the community hall.
Step 3
Session with the beneficiaries on managing money and budgeting, nutrition, college and office environment and social etiquettes.
Step 4
Session with the beneficiaries to discover and list their personal talents and help them in identifying their short-term goals.
Step 5
If you wish to know more about Viva’s Child Mentoring program
Please contact Viva India by email:
info@viva-india.org
childprotection@viva-india.org
Contact us at: 011-40544391.
A Viva representative will be happy to provide you more information about this program.