Finding + supporting mentors for pupils in Berlin

Dear Donors, 

We are delighted to update you on the latest developments in our mentorship project. As mentioned in our last report, we have been working intensively to recruit new mentors for our children. The information evening held at the end of April was a great success – six interested volunteers attended, and after an engaging discussion about our project, all of them expressed continued interest. We were able to schedule six in-depth initial meetings in May to get to know each volunteer better. Additionally, we have already organized a preparatory workshop for the volunteers, with five future mentors participating. More interested mentors have also reached out to us since then, which is very encouraging. 

At the start of the summer holidays, our main focus was on matching – the process of introducing mentors and mentees to each other. We are pleased to report that we have already organized two introductory meetings, with more planned for August and September, once everyone has returned from vacation. Two mentor-mentee pairs have already taken advantage of the summer holidays to get to know each other better through activities like swimming, playing football, and visiting parks in Berlin. 

Of course, we will also train the new volunteers and gradually find suitable matches. There are still many exciting introductions to come! 

At the end of May, we celebrated our annual Neighborhood Festival at ourcommunity center, which was a huge success. Many guests, including several of our PaSch mentor-mentee pairs, joined us. The event featured fantastic musical performances, numerous games and activities for the children, and a long line at the popular waffle stand. As always, the afternoon was a wonderful gathering of people from our neighborhood. 

Unfortunately, in July, we had to end a mentorship after about six months because the mentor could no longer dedicate enough time to his mentee due to new work projects. Despite the understandable frustration and disappointment of the mentee, we were able to explain the situation in a child-friendly way during a farewell meeting, and we joyfully reflected on the many experiences they had shared. The boy remains in contact with our community center and participates in other activities, such as homework help and a new boxing program. If he wishes, we would be happy to find him another mentor, although this may take some time. 

After about a year of mentorship, we love to invite our tandems at PaSch for a little reflection on their first year together. It’s always a joy to see them again and get a glimpse into the time they've shared. We also take the opportunity to look ahead, see if anything needs adjusting, or if there are any concerns, or if everything can continue as it is. One tandem had their meeting with us in July, and it was such a delight to have them and the mother with us. They make a fantastic team and can really speak openly and honestly with each other. They’ve already enjoyed all sorts of activities together, and the boy mentioned that he would love to see his mentor every day. Unfortunately, due to work, she can only manage every two weeks, and she expressed her worries that this might cause some misunderstanding. But everyone is just happy that the meetings can continue. The family is very understanding and showed great appreciation for the wonderful time the mentor and mentee spend together. 

During the summer holidays, we organized a family outing, especially for families in the PaSch project who could not travel or could only travel for a short time. Although there were some last-minute cancellations due to illness, we had a wonderful time with two families and a total of six children at Tempelhofer Feld (the old airfield). We spent 6.5 hours there, enjoying a great day with a picnic, chatting, playing games, basketball, juggling, ice cream, and lots of space and fun! The day flew by, and we are excited to do it again next summer. 

What’s coming up in the next few weeks and months? In August, we have a few more meetings with new families. This week, a new matching process begins, and both the mentor and mentee are already excited. After the third introductory meetings at PaSch, they can start elsewhere and will have the rest of the summer and early autumn to enjoy and get to know each other better and better. Further introductory meetings will likely continue into the autumn, so there is plenty to do. In September, we have another PaSch outing planned andintend to invite the mentors who have not yet been trained to a workshop. 

We sincerely thank you for your generous donations and ongoing support ofourproject. We wish you a wonderful summer! 

Warm regards, 

Your PaSch Team