Mentor Guide (MKA Mentoring Program)
Who is a Mentor?
A mentor is a guide, a trusted counselor and a caring friend who devotes time to a young person (protégé). All mentors have a same goal in common - to help your people achieve their potential and discover their strengths. Although, this program is being initiated by Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya, members of Ansarullah are welcome to participate in this program as mentors The estimated time commitment required by a mentor is ½ - 1 hour per week for the duration of mentor-protégé relationship.
How to Volunteer as a Mentor?
If you want to volunteer as a mentor, you need to provide some basic information including your personal contact and professional experience to the local or regional Lead of the program. Your contact information will not be published but your name and profession could be published to help attract protégés. Once a protégé has been identified for you, the local or regional lead of the program will contact you to provide the name and contact information of the protégé.
Initial Contact with the Protégé
It is expected that the first contact is initiated by the mentor after the mentor-protégé relationship has been officially identified by the local/regional lead of the program. As a rule of thumb, mentors are expected to communicate with the protégé at least twice a month, beyond the first contact. The mode and frequency of communication could vary based upon the convenience and constraints of both mentor and protégé. Although, email is fine, the preferred modes of communication are in-person meeting and telephone.
General guidelines for a Mentor
Initiate the first contact with your protégé and set up time to meet with the protégé. Venue for this meeting could be any place which is appropriate and convenient to both of you e.g. mosque, coffee shop, restaurant or your home. In case of mentor and protégé are not collocated in the same region, the telephone meeting can be arranged and in person meeting can be postponed until a regional/National Ijtimah or other Jamaat program.
Ask your protégé about what he wants to gain from this experience.
Share the expected time commitment between you and your protégé; consider establishing a scheduled time for meetings.
Identify an appropriate location for future meetings
Be patient and positive in the relationship.
Listen actively and empathize. Suggest, don't dictate.
Be available when needed and as appropriate.
Respect the need for confidentiality.
Inspire with your personal stories both successes and failures.
See solutions and opportunities.
Have a sincere desire to be involved with a young person and pray for your protégé's success.
What should Mentor get from this relationship?
Get a chance to pass on your successes, which can give great personal satisfaction.
Develop positive, more reciprocal relationships with young generation.
Recognition of the Mentors:
The effectiveness of this mentoring relationship will be evaluated by having both the mentor and the protégé complete a feedback survey at the end of the mentor-protégé relationship period. Based upon this survey, an award will be given to the best mentor of the year at the occasion of annual Ijtimah in the form of a certificate. Furthermore, the names of the mentors will be presented to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (aba) for prayers.
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