The SOS Children's Villages Jordan introduces the "Rifaq Mentoring Program," a distinctive program offering valuable opportunities for young boys and girls affiliated with the association's youth homes aged 15-18 to connect with adult volunteer mentors. This program represents a significant step towards building a better future for them.
After the first session of the program in 2021 and the second session in 2022 achieved exceptional success, the association decided to launch the third session this year, which will include a larger number of participants (both young men and women) and volunteers from various backgrounds, interests, practical experiences, and life experiences.
What is the Rifaq program?
The "Rifaq" Mentoring Program is designed to connect a group of young boys and girls affiliated with the SOS Children's Villages Jordan who are between 15-18 years old and are in the youth homes, who need or want an interested adult in their lives to guide them with adult volunteer mentors. This connection aims to provide a role model who can support the youth, help them explore various life paths, and set clear goals, thereby enhancing social connections and boosting self-confidence. These friendly and supportive relationships can profoundly impact young people, helping shape them into future leaders and active citizens in their communities.
What are the objectives of the Rifaq program?
- The youth receive guidance and support from an educated adult, helping them identify their goals and make tough decisions.
- Providing a safe space for exchanging ideas, communication, and constructive dialogue outside the official association structure.
- Learning how to build safe and healthy relationships with trusted individuals who can serve as role models for the youth.
- Building trust in the external community, expanding social circles and discovering new spaces, people, and places.
- Developing personal and life skills in an informal learning context.
What is the program duration?
Each session of the program lasts for four months.
What is expected from mentors regarding youth?
- Meeting with the youth twice a month for an hour and a half or two hours;
- Simple communication with the youth between meetings, which may involve sharing supportive messages, articles, or inspiring and encouraging videos;
- Motivating and empowering youth to identify their own goals and helping them find ways to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals;
- Helping youth think in different ways to make informed decisions;
- Guiding youth in developing personal/life/work skills such as emotional management or problem-solving according to the needs of the youth;
- Supporting youth in expanding positive social networks and broadening their horizons by introducing them to cultural and social activities either by going together or guiding them to it;
What is the mentoring model followed in the Rifaq program?
In the "Rifaq" program, we follow the traditional mentoring model where the mentor and the youth meet individually (one-on-one) in a public place to go beyond the framework of association-related relationships, allowing the mentor-youth relationship to be more comprehensive and enable youth to be open and accept guidance on personal and self-growth matters. The relationship will be a blend of mentoring and counseling based on each youth's needs. The program will be a mixture of formal (where there are specific meeting numbers and follow-up) and informal (where there are no predetermined goals for each youth).
What are the skills and general values required for mentors?
- Faith and trust: The mentors' belief in youth creates an opportunity for them to believe in themselves, thus starting the journey of finding themselves, setting ambitious goals, and aspiring to develop their positive qualities.
- Passion and experience in working with youth: Mentors must have experience working with youth. The teenage years are often challenging for everyone, especially those at risk or who lack parental care. Therefore, mentors should be aware of the challenges of this stage and how to deal with them.
- Compassion, patience, and flexibility: Mentors should create a safe space for youth and work at the right pace for them and with steps that youth find suitable to achieve their goals. Mentors need to be patient, and flexible and give enough time to build trust and develop knowledge, skills, and values over time.
- Innovation and creativity: Different transitional stages in youth life often lead to fear of change and various opportunities. The goal of this program is a constructive dialogue that allows youth to make important decisions and set goals in non-traditional but scientific, logical, and appropriate ways for them.
- Providing feedback: We learn in this program through experience because we believe that there is no one right path or path. Therefore, both youth and mentors need to reflect on the positives of the program and the aspects that need improvement at the program level, in addition to providing continuous feedback to each other as part of their relationship.
- Responsibility and accountability: Mentors must acknowledge their mistakes, accept the consequences of their choices and actions, and share their reflections with youth to be a positive role models in their lives. They also need to clarify youth responsibilities for themselves to achieve their goals and ensure that they will accept the consequences of their personal choices and actions and understand the difference between them and the context and consequences of the choices and actions of others.
The "Rifaq" Mentoring Program is a distinguished program that offers valuable opportunities for young boys and girls to connect with adult volunteer mentors, representing a significant step towards building a better future for them. Through this connection, young people can explore their life paths confidently and define their goals, contributing to strengthening social ties and boosting self-confidence. The presence of these friendly and supportive relationships can have a deep impact on young people, helping shape them as future leaders and active citizens in their communities.