Finding + supporting mentors for pupils in Berlin

At the end of the year we want to share some thoughts with you and tell you about our last 3 months in the project. Some things will be a repetition because it is our daily business and what it needs to keep PaSch going. But we also try to tell you some nice stories from mentors and mentees or about special activities we are able to offer also thanks to your donations. We are really grateful being part of globalgiving and want to thank everyone supporting PaSch to continue our work.

Since our last report we got to know new interested families and a few mentors and invited them to the first information meeting at PaSch. We were also able to match some of the new mentors of the last workshop and some mentees waiting for a mentor. On the photo you can see one of our new tandems happily and the mentee still a little bit shy with her new mentor.

In a past report we already mentioned the idea of offering an information evening on puberty. Some mentors were curious on how they can support their mentee in this phase of life and what is going on being a child becoming an adult. We were also interested in how mentors can be an anchor in this changing and difficult lifetime of adolescent mentees. So in October we offered this information evening and 5 mentors were able to take part. We learned a lot about what happens in a brain of an adolescent child, that actually in this phase other parts of the brain are working than being already an adult. So if children seem to forget a lot and especially parents think they do it on purpose, it is actually possible that they really forget about things. Good to know! Another interesting fact is that for adolescent children it is very important to distinguish oneself from their parents and that means fighting and arguing especially with their parents. They try to form their own identity and it is the easiest to learn how to argue and be in dispute with parents, because they know, that they will always be there for them. And peer groups are more interesting than doings things with the family.
So we learned that mentors will probably not get into big conflicts with their mentees, they are close but not that close like family members. They can be a good role model because for adolescent children parents don’t seem to be a good role model anymore. Mentors can also be confronted with mentees who are more interested in doing things with peer groups. So the best way is just to offer to be there, whenever they need them. This is very valuable for them. So the mentorship might change a little bit but mentors are still very important persons in this phase of life.

In cooperation with another mentoring project we were able to offer a workshop for new mentors. At least 2 new mentors of each project were able to take part. In these times a lot of mentoring programs are waiting for new volunteers and by cooperating we didn’t have to wait longer for more volunteers. We all will benefit, because our new mentors don’t have to wait any longer and we can start to match and prepare the next meetings so the mentors and mentees will get to know each other.

Another nice story to tell: two weeks ago an old mentor mailed me that she came back to Berlin after working 2 years abroad and already meets her old mentee again once a week to support her in doing homework. She wrote she also supports her little sister and got to know the best friend of the sister who was asking for support as well. The mentor asked PaSch, if it is possible to restart the mentorship and to be part of PaSch again. We were really happy to hear, that she not just kept contact with her mentee during her time abroad but also started right away helping not just her mentee but her sister and friend. We welcomed them happily and met this week to renew and set up new arrangements and to get to know the new mentees.

Though this year is almost over, we still have some plans what we want to do.

We will meet for a get together for mentors to talk about the mentorships and experiences as a mentor. Especially for all the new mentors it is very interesting exchanging their personal experiences, to have the possibility to ask things that are unclear and to get to know other mentors and get some new ideas of what they can do with their mentees.

On 1^st of December we will invite all neighbors and friends for our annual Christmas get together around a bonfire with music and hot drinks and start in Christmas season all together.

PaSch will invite all mentors and mentees to a kid’s theatre as a Christmas field trip and also to have the possibility to see each other one more time in 2017. We are able to offer those field trips thanks to your donations!

PaSch with all his mentors and mentees says THANK YOU for your support and wishes a wonderful and relaxed Christmas time to you and your families!

Like mentioned in our last report, we had a lot to celebrate in May and June. We started with the annual festival for the neighborhood organized by our community center on 19^th of May and spend a nice afternoon together. Like every year, we invited our neighbors and all the people and families taking part in our projects or visiting our offers – so we were able to welcome many people to our long table. We had a large buffet and neighbors and families brought their self-made food to share with each other. We also had musicians playing meanwhile. Some kids in our community center had practiced a dancing performance and we could enjoy their show. We also offered face-painting, which is always very popular not only by kids but also by adults. We had a nice festival and also some mentors and mentees visited the event.

On the 30^th of June, we celebrated the 30^st birthday of our community center NachbarschaftsEtage and after months of organization and preparation, we were all looking forward to this big party. Unfortunately, the previous day Berlin turned into a big swimming pool due to heavy rainfall and storm. We were afraid that our celebration could not take place or that less people come by.
Since our topic was fair of possibilities (“Jahrmarkt der Möglichkeiten”) and we had ordered market stalls to turn our courtyards into a big fair, we had to improvise a little bit and decided to have some stalls outside but the stage for speeches and music bands inside. Luckily, it didn’t rain a lot and many neighbors, politicians, volunteers, families and friends came to congratulate, celebrate and have a good time together during our 8 hours program with speeches, flashbacks of 30 years of the “NachbarschaftsEtage” and information about our offers, attractions for kids, food from almost all over the world, hurdy-gurdist, live music and as the closure a fire show. On that afternoon, a new mentor and mentee with his family met each other for the first time and after talking to each other for a while and enjoying the fair together, they decided to get to know each other even closer in a mentorship. Some other “old” mentors and mentees came as well to visit our fair and enjoyed the good atmosphere.

In July, we actually planned a visit to the police department in our district with 7 mentees who are interested in becoming a police officer. We were looking forward to get information about what is important to know when you want to become an officer and they also wanted to show us their department and a police car. Unfortunately, they had to cancel this appointment due to shortage of staff because of the G20 summit in Hamburg. We hope to organize a visit after summer holidays, so all the kids are in town again. We will let you know, what we learn.

During July, the new mentor and mentee had their get-togethers here at PaSch and signed their PaSch-agreement of mentorship. And as you can see on the photos, they have a good time together. At one of their first field trips they went to the technical museum and had a lot of fun. Thanks to your donations, we are able to refund their expenses and allow them to get to know even attractions in Berlin.

Due to summer holidays, we have to wait to match other mentors and mentees but already one other mentor and mentee is about to get to know each other soon. We will let you know in our next report.

Thanks a lot for your donation and PaSch wishes everyone a nice summer!