Databank Foundation realises that there is an abundance of potential within the youth of Ghana that is being neither stimulated nor encouraged. There is a great amount of talent and ability that is being wasted due to a lack of investment in the youth. It is imperative to nurture and develop young talent as the youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. Poverty significantly hinders the development of youth in Ghana, as does lack of guidance and inferiority complexes. There is a pressing need to address these problems and send youth on their way to become the great people they are capable of being.
This is where the YLMP comes in. Mentoring is a feasible, highly flexible solution to address all of the aforementioned issues. It can provide young people with role models to look up to, and help them to discover, draw out and develop their potential. It is hoped that by the end of the Programme, mentees would have been encouraged to dream big, and be empowered to make achieving these dreams a long term reality. Once inferiority complexes start melting away, the youth can truly begin to realise and live out the full extent of their potential. The YLMP intends to create and shape future leaders who are not only competent, but totally committed to development and forward movement both as a nation and a continent.The YLMP currently has twenty mentor groups in total. Each mentor group is led by one senior mentor – the majority of whom are young professionals . Each senior mentor has two junior mentors under them. All junior mentors are current university students in their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year (first year university students are not eligible for participation in the YLMP). Each group has between two and six mentees from Kinbu Secondary School, Accra High School, Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School and I.T Ahmadiyya Senior High School (kumasi). Senior mentors directly mentor their junior mentors, and indirectly mentor the mentees through their junior mentors (they are required to have at least 8 hours of one-to-one contact a term with mentees).
The YLMP itself is divided into two parts that operate simultaneously. The first addresses the mentoring process itself, where mentors meet their mentees and examine various life issues. Mentees have both one-on-one sessions with their mentors and mini seminars to take part in together with all mentees. We are trying to introduce and encourage a culture of philanthropy among mentees; in subsequent Programmes the Issue Focus will move in a more community-based direction.
For more information, you can see the Databank Foundation's website (coming soon!), or visit the Databank Foundation Page on Facebook.