A relationship in which a trusting bond between mentor and mentee emerges with the space to give guidance, companionship, teaching and encouragement in order to cultivate the young person's spiritual, emotional and professional development. Mentors are provided with training and ongoing accompanyment by our local coordinators and Head Mentors. Mentees also have the opportunity to enrol onto our 18-month mentoring training programme, where they can become trained mentors themselves.

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Community Action involves young people volunteering at local projects and ministries. Many of the young adults we support have previously lived in a children's protection home, left behind a street lifestyle, or are living in at-risk households and communities. Our young adults have life experience and empathise with others living in situations where they themselves used to be.

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Our Crisis Support service provides assistance when needed the most – intervening and allowing young people to create positive strategies to break the cycle of living in harmful and abusive environments. Providing immediate response within a safe environment through a trusted adult helps to bring clarity and calmness in a critical situation. Examples of situations in which we offer support include domestic violence, self-harm, and deprivation of basic food and hygeine needs.

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A space for young adults to engage and socialise enabling them to integrate positively within their community and society. Social Activities help guide young people away from negative pressures and issues that are prevalent in many communities. Together with their mentor, young adults plan and lead Social Activities offering opportunities for developing skills and self-esteem.

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Our annual retreat takes the leaders, pastors and mentors of our partners for a weekend at a retreat centre on the Pacific coast. As well as providing a time to relax and reset, the retreat provides opportunities to build relationships across programs and ministries and to share and strengthen vision. Releasing baby turtles into the ocean was a special experience at our last retreat!

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Many of the young adults we support with education are often up to five years behind where their age dictates they should be, with some having not yet finished schooling. The gift of education to a young person in Guatemala under such circumstances is greatly valued. An education for one of our young people improves employability prospects and lifts self-confidence. Our young adults supported with an education scholarship are in formal education, taking a university course, or are studying English, Baking, Make-Up, Carpintery, Bombero, or other technical courses.

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In Guatemala there are few public areas for recreation and in many communities where these public areas are, they are not safe for people to go walking or to play. For many young people their priority will simply be to survive day to day so there is no time for relaxing and no place to do it safely. Our annual camp provides a weekend where all young adults, mentors and leaders from our partner projects and churches have the chance to laugh, play, sing, talk, learn and build relationships for life. For many of our young people this is “the event of the year."

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Our partner projects often have a need to recruit new staff. At times, the best equipped people to take up these positions are trained and professional individuals from our projects, who have now successfully moved on from crisis, and rebuilt their lives. Together with personal life experiences, professional development, and ongoing one-on-one support from a mentor, they often become the best-prepared prospective employees for these ministries. 

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