Big Brothers Big Sisters

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• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• of
• South Africa

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Mission

• Making a difference
• one by one by enabling creative relationships
  between a
• caring role-model and a child be established
• through friendship

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BBBSSA Mentoring

• A structured, goal-directed 1-to-1 mentoring
  relationship between an adult volunteer and a
  young person in need.
• Targets Children/Youth between the ages of 6-18
  years
• Focuses on the needs of the youth within a
  consistent, caring and supportive relationship
• Provides positive role-models and life
  experiences to help build quality values such as
  self-esteem, self-respect and respect for others
• Serves to enhance the quality of the youths life
  and aims to assist them to reach and develop to
  their full potential

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International Status

• BBBSSA is affiliated to BBBSI
• 4th leading BBSS Programme in the world
• 1st country in Africa to implement the programme
• exceeded international benchmarks in terms of
  quality, quantity and length of a match

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The BBBSSA Branches
BBBSSA Western Cape
BBBSSA Kwa- Zulu Natal
BBBSSA Gauteng
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Focus Areas

• The child is the primary client of BBBS and is
  identified as a child at risk or in need due to
  single parent households, sibling headed
  households, domestic violence, sexual abuse,
  substance abuse, HIV/Aids or other familial
  disturbances which renders the child emotionally
  vulnerable and in need of a supportive
  relationship
• Schools- Based Programme
• Children's Home Programme
• Diversion Programme for youth in conflict with
  the law
• Diversity Programme for physically challenged
  children
• Programme in support of those affected and/or
  infected by HIV/AIDS
• Child-Headed Households Programme

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Background

• 2000 September - Big Brothers Big Sisters South
  Africa becomes recognised as "Programme in
  Formation" affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters
  International.
• 2001 July - 20 of South Africa's first BBBSA
  matches established. Schools Programme
  established in Maitland.
• 2002 January BBBSSA Launches a branch in
  Gauteng, to
• bring mentorship to the children of
  Gauteng
• 2002 Awarded full Affiliate status by Big
  Brothers Big Sisters International
• Chosen to be THE project to represent the
  Western Cape at Nelson Mandelas 84th Birthday
  celebration

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Background Cont

• In co-operation with the Department of Psychology
  at the University of Cape Town, BBBSSA started
  it's own evaluation with a first study in
  December 2002.
• It was continued by a further outcome study in
  October 2003.
• The following main results are significant
• Increase in communication skills
• Increase in academic performance
• Reduced participation in risky activities
• Reduction in the number of times being involved
  in a fight
• "Evaluating a Youth Mentoring Programme in South
  Africa" by Johann Louw and Basil Russell,
  University of Cape Town.

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Background Cont

• 2005BBBSSA KwaZulu Natal is launched in
  Chatsworth at the Nelson Mandela Youth Centre
• 2006February - The Umsombvu Youth Fund, National
  Youth Commission and BBBSSA Partnership Launch
  takes place in Mamalodi, being endorsed by South
  African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
• 2006 August - BBBSSA Pietermaritzburg
• is launched in KwaZulu Natal.
• November - BBBSSA Gauteng hosts
• the 1st National BBBSSA event in
• Celebration of Mentorship.
• BBBSI CEO, Kitty Balsley, visits
  BBBSSA.
• 2007 Expanded to Pretoria, featured on SABC2
• Morning Live Breakfast Show

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Objectives Goals

• Reduce Antisocial Activities
• help them cope with peer pressures
• think through the consequences of their actions
• become involved in socially acceptable
  activities
• lessons the tendencies to get involved with
  harmful
• activities, substance abuse, early
  parenthood.
• Improve Academic Outcomes
• encourages the value of education
• takes an interest in the youths school progress
  
• volunteers influence their Littles attitudes
  toward
• school and their school performance.

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Cont

• Better Relationships with Family and Friends
• help the youth learn how to trust others
• express feelings more productively and generally
  become
• more able to relate effectively with others.
• Improve Self-Concept
• a successful relationship will affect how a
  Little feels about
• themselves
• instill a better sense of competency, self-worth
  and respect.
• Social and Cultural Enrichment
• Many of the activities that the volunteer and
  Little participate
• in over the course of a match expose the Little
  to new
• experiences.

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BBBSSA Volunteer Application Process

• Application form
• 3 Character references
• Interview
• Security check
• Training

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Training

• Goal
• To equip new volunteers with training that will
  develop and support them in their role as adult
  mentors to young children recruited from schools,
  children's homes, diversion programmes and
  children affected or infected by HIV/AIDS, who
  have been identified to be in need of mentorship.
• Objectives
• To facilitate the "Mentor Preparation Training
  Courses" at regular intervals in order to equip
  volunteers with basic life-skills that will
  assist them in the fulfilment of their role as
  mentor.
• To provide additional in-service training
  sessions at regular intervals throughout the year
  for the benefit of all mentors, which focus on
  specific specialist areas relating to issues that
  they may need to deal with in their match
  relationships.
• Modules
• 1. Relationship Building
• 2. Self-Esteem Development
• 3. Communication Skills
• 4. Values And Ethnicity
• 5. Child Development
• 6. Sexuality

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Success Stories
My match was a child called Dane, he was 9. He is
very good at Snakes and Ladders, unbeatable (by
me) at Pool (the sign of a misspent youth!).
Danes favourite game by far is chase, in the
road around the cars, through the maze at the
park even through he house. One day Ill catch
him. It was never questioned by either of us that
at the end of the compulsory year that we
wouldnt carry on. February will be two years and
in that time we have eaten a LOT of Ice Cream,
seen a few movies, been swimming, ran miles,
hiked together, played computer games, discussed
school, exams and even discussed the Pope, but I
have no idea what his favourite colour is. Try
and test him on any car on the road and he will
know what type it is. What have I learnt from
Dane? He has brought fun back into my life,
child fun, trust is a big part of Danes life,
never give up on learning, you can learn
something new every day. A sons love of his
mother is something not to interfere with but to
learn from, totally unconditional, but in this
case equally reciprocated. I am proud of the
fact that other than when I was out of town I
have only missed ONE meeting. Ive been late and
swapped days around many times but only missed
one. Its important to the Little it relates very
strongly to trust and commitment. Would I
recommend Mentoring. Yes, but its not for
everyone. In my group two potential bigs
withdrew before the end of training and I lost
touch with most of my group after training but at
the end of the 1st year only 3 of my group have
carried on. I feel the children really benefit
from this type of mentoring. Big Brother really
needs more Bigs Regards, Tom
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Success Stories

• We doing well, so much has happened since last we
  spoke at the Awards Presentation. I was pregnant
  at the time, but unfortunately miscarried a week
  later. June has been an enormous support in
  dealing with this experience and has helped me
  bounce back, stronger and more positive than
  before - she's my little angel in disguise.
• June is keeping very well. We hosted her for 2
  weeks during the Christmas holidays and she spent
  the remaining 2 weeks with my mother, as my hubby
  I were in Durban. In fact, I'll be taking her
  back to Firlands this afternoon so that she can
  start preparing for her return to school on
  Wednesday.
• I'm very proud to announce that not only has she
  passed St 8 but also improved on her rapport
  during the course of 2005. My hubby I are
  highlighting the importance of good education and
  trying to motivate her on being more focused on
  her school work, especially during St 9 - just
  being in St 9 is already such an accomplishment
  for her. In fact one of her best friends failed
  and will be repeating St 8. This is the same
  friend whose family hosted June on weekends, the
  time that she
• was caught out for lying to Matron about
  her whereabouts' and was grounded - and then we
  were matched - can you believe it, the same
  friend.
• Thinking back, I
  thank God for His intervention as I'm confident
• That she would
  have shared the failure of St 8 had we not been
• matched. She has
  changed so much since that experience.
• I must be honest,
  I'm very sad that the holidays are over 'cause
• it was an
  absolute pleasure to host June. We both have
  discussed
• and agreed that
  we will be continuing our friendship for this
  year
• and I pray that
  many more good experiences will come of it.
• Kind Regards
• Svenja

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Success Continued

• Well let's see. I completed my training in 2004
  with Natalie and about a month later they told me
  that they have matched me. I met with the Big
  Brother agent at Firlands Childrens Home and
  they introduced me to my Little.
•  Jaco was 13 at the time, he was a little shy at
  first but we quickly warmed to each other.
  Initially I only visited him at the children's
  home and we played Yoh Gi Oh.. Big Brother
  matched us excellently since we had the same
  interests and enjoyed the same things.
•  After the first 3 months I was allowed to take
  him out, we did all kinds of things, from movies
  to paint ball and always had a great time
  together. He opened up to me fairly early, I
  think it was only about the 5th time I saw him
  that he started to talk about his parents and how
  he felt about them.
•  Of course it isn't that easy to gain your
  Little's trust. The big thing that I found which
  made the difference was being dependable. You
  need to show up every week at the arranged time
  consistently. One day I was late and Jaco must've
  thought that I wasn't coming , and by the time I
  got there
•  I adopted Jaco in June 2006, which was amazingly
  easy. Of course since Jaco was 15 already they
  basically just asked him what he wanted, and it
  was signed sealed and delivered. The process
  essentially took about 3 months. And voila we are
  now officially family.
•   We moved to
  Singapore shortly after the adoption, and Jaco is
  doing amazingly well.
• We expected the
  worst here in Singapore because not only was he
  struggling in
• school
  previously but he now had to be educated in
  English. But he is doing really,
• really well. I
  think all he needed was a little support.
•   He has now
  adjusted well and made a whole lot of friends. We
  will be celebrating his
• 16th birthday on
  the 27th of this month. This will essentially be
  the very first birthday
• party he has
  ever had, and it's only the start of his future
  a future where he will
• actually have a
  chance to reach his potential
•  
• Regards,
•  
• 
  Minette.

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Recommendations

• The match between Izelda and Jean marked the
• beginning of our 2nd National Partnership, this
  time
• with Girls and Boys Town.
• Comment from Izelda
• I find this to be a nice rewarding programme
  where
• you can get quite involved and also have the
  support
• of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Africa and
  Boys
• Town. Its good that you dont require money or
  anything, just time. I have a really close
• bond with my little and this is definitely
  something I would recommend to others.

Networking Organizations From the moment the
association begun, in January 2003, the role that
the organization plays has been beneficial to our
students and the department of social work.
(Solomon Matumba, Field practice coordinator,
University of Johannesburg) After the initial
few matches, we found that the children felt
special about being allocated an individual who
was available to them only. As a result of the
increase in self-worth and because of the
apparent beneficial effects, we then decided to
request a BIG for all of our children.
(Heather Snyman, Counsellor, Nkosis Haven)
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Value of Mentorship

• How do we get the world, not just the world
• leaders, but people in the world, to see that all
  
• children are really our children?
• It takes ordinary people to get involved in
• ensuring that every child is given a chance
• for a better future.
• The Future belongs to those who believe
• in the beauty of their dreams
• Former President Nelson Mandela

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Contact Us
www.bbbssa.org.za

• Cape Town (Head Office)
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email
• makeadifference_at_bbbssa.org.za

• Gauteng
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email bbbsgauteng_at_bbbssa.org.za

• Durban
• Tel [phone]
• Fax[phone]
• Email
• bbbskzn_at_bbbssa.org.za

• Pietermaritzburg
• Tel[phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email bbbspmb_at_bbbssa.org.za