Mentoring is the Answer!

Will and I just returned from CAFO, the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference, in Atlanta where I went to a session called the “Enduring Value of Supportive Relationships for Youth Transitioning out of Care.” This was led by Dr. Adrian van Breda, a priest and renown sociology professor at the University of Johannesburg who’s been studying aging-out youth for 30 years.

The study looked at 24 resilience enablers. The things we assume bring success—optimism, self-esteem, job skills, education—fall at the bottom of the list.

So, what enables better outcomes? 

Connection.

The professor quoted the Zulu proverb: Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.

“A person is a person through other people.”

The problem with independent living programs is the lack of interdependence.  Youth NEED connected, long-lasting relationships with adults, peers and mentors.

The answer is mentoring!

NOTE:

National Leadership Training for T.R.A.C.life is March 22-24, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska. Trainees report by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and are released at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Email Angela at angela@teenreach.org with questions.