Infinite Family is a worldwide video mentoring organization simultaneously bridging the technology, geographic and cultural divides between where the majority of South Africa’s teens are growing up, and the 21st-century community where they want to live and work as adults. Our global volunteer Video Mentors represent a previously untapped resource for South Africa’s teens and share their wealth of expertise, knowledge, and skills via weekly face-to-face mentoring via the Internet.
“Having recently opened a Computer Lab in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, we are currently recruiting Video Mentors so that each teen has a personal adult Video Mentor for 30 minutes each week,” says Zoleka Maphalala, Program Director, Infinite Family, South Africa.
The Infinite Family computer labs (dubbed “LaunchPads) are situated at various high schools and NGOs across the country and provide learners with a self-contained and secure facility where they can go after school and use the laptops, get help with technology and once a week have a private, face-to-face live video session with their Video Mentor.
“Our volunteer Video Mentors develop their Net Buddy mentee’s strengths in: education, career preparation, technology literacy, life skills and communications,” says Maphalala. “Since 2013 more than 93% of Infinite Family’s video mentored 12th grade students have passed their matric exams – compared to 58% of their non-mentored peers. This gives them the qualifications to advance as part of the first generation in their families to go to college or university and access opportunities to build a better life.”
Through the power of mentoring relationships, our Net Buddy mentees learn the skills s they need to build a better life.
As a Video Mentor, you will need:
· TIME COMMITMENT: 30 minutes per week (afternoons and Saturdays), 32 weeks/year
· TRAINING (once-off): Approximately 3 hours online, anytime, and one live 1 – 1.5 hour webinar session – until you feel comfortable with the process.
- COMMITMENT: A minimum of one year
· MENTOR AGE: At least 21 years old
· LANGUAGE: English is spoken during all video conversations.
· TECHNOLOGY: Access to high-speed Internet connection and a webcam to log in, but there is no software to download on personal or work computers.
Once the training is completed, the Infinite Family programme manager ‘matches’ each mentor with a teen. “In fact,” says Maphalala, “we find that often the Net Buddy mentee and Video Mentor have a strong impact on each other’s lives and build a lifelong personal connection via our secure technology. To a teen without enough adults in his/her life, you are a life-changing role model. Video Mentors are a global force that teaches and influences youth to make good decisions that create opportunities and leads to self-reliance. Video Mentors share their wealth of life and professional experience in ways that transcend time zones, bridge continents and celebrate cultural differences.”
Use your life and business experience to change a life. Go to www.infinitefamily.org for all information.
