Evacuating Orphans & Families, Bringing Aid

“My mentor is the brain of this planet,” said 19-year-old mentee Volodmyr (“Vova”) of his mentor Alexey. “I learned how to succeed. We spent a lot of time together. His support and information helped me build my career and believe in myself. I am glad that I have a mentor.”

Vova grew up without parents, in an orphanage. He was one of 50 young people, age 14-20, in the 2021 Pathways to Success program in Ukraine, funded and managed by Kidsave. These youth are students at the Centers for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation, graduates of boarding school, living with foster families or in orphanages or just in difficult life circumstances. The program trains and matches mentors with them to help them make their way, successfully, into adulthood. 

When Vova entered the Pathyways program, he was quiet, shy and uncertain. But when Alexey became his mentor, they spent a lot of time together and Vova’s world changed dramatically. He attended trainings, events and an online camp, went on hikes, volunteered and met new people. He heard from many successful adults with gentle advice.

The program teaches “soft skills” like showing initiative, trusting others, talking about emotions and needs, how to communicate, self-esteem, developing interests, expressing oneself, leadership and learning.

With this guidance and attention, Vova began to take responsibility, show initiative, and help others. He found the strength to retake the college exams after not passing previously. He showed interest in changing and making plans for the future.

With the support of his mentor, he became a leader in the team, president of the alumni club and received a promotion at work. He began to focus on results and to take responsibility for his decisions and choices. He discovered that he has excellent organizational skills and can be proactive.

It was a two-way street. “We did it!,” said Alexey. “A small first step is a useful and very correct step. I learned a lot from Vova. I hope that our friendship will last a lifetime.”

Links:

• Supermentoring
• About Kidsave
• The Need

“Awesome. Meaningful. We didn’t expect that it would be so fascinating!” These were some of the comments from teenage orphans in Kiyv, Ukraine, after attending a training session with corporate mentors. The training taught them how to listen, be heard, cooperate, and use different communication methods.

The mentors are caring and experienced individuals who help these young people think about and prepare for their future – a great help to them, as they are not getting this help from parents. The program was created by the Mentoring Association for Children and Youth, started and funded by Kidsave, at the request of the Ukrainian government. Here are snapshots of two of these young people.

Vitaliy (19) entered this program without a clue about how to get a job or what career he might like. He didn’t know how to set goals or manage his time. After graduating, he was accepted into a professional program to become a pastry chef but he really wanted to be a fireman. During his six months with a mentor, he opened up, communicated more, set goals, began to name his problems and asked for help. 

His mentor helped make it possible for him to visit the fire department, learn about the job, the equipment, schedule and how they worked as a team. “[My] mentor is a real 'dad',” said Vitaliy, adding, “Today is amazing for me, something very special. My dream is starting to come true. I was very welcomed in the fire department, shown everything, and was allowed to sit in a fire truck. Firemen are joyful and friendly.”

Rostik, also 19 years old, lived in an orphanage since early childhood even though his parents were alive. They were unable to raise their seven children because of disabilities and alcoholism. Some of Rostik's siblings live at the orphanage with him. When he entered the mentorship program in early 2020 he could not accept advice or compromise and was unkempt. He’d been fired from his first job because he could not work in a team.

But over the course of those 18 months, he changed. He learned to listen to others, look for constructive ways to solve conflicts, and be a responsible, active person. He was encouraged by a mentor who helped him get a job at KFC. Rostik said, “When I came to a project I didn’t know what should I do, but now I know. I became kinder and developed a desire to grow and develop. Thanks to KFC for a friendly team and support, everything is cool. Thank you for believing in me!”

Here are comments from some of the other teens:

“I have widescale plans, whereas my mentor plans step by step; we perfectly complement each other” (Dima, 16 years old)

“I didn’t even imagine that real communication would be so amazing” (Lora, 16 years old)

“I shared my personal story and my mentor listened and supported me” (Vlad, 16 years old)

“I cannot plan yet, but my mentor motivates me to learn how to plan; the time with my mentor flys by unnoticeably” (Vova, 18 years old)

And from some of the mentors:

“It was easy to communicate with the help of good humor” (Taras)

“Taking advice and responsibility for the coming events motivates me. We have a lot in common.” (Andrew)

“Vlad started trusting me” (Maksim)

This pilot program is currently scheduled to end this December unless additional funds can be found.

Links:

• Kidsave and Mentoring in Ukraine
• Kidsave General Information
• The Need