We’re looking for volunteers over 30-years-old to mentor young changemakers in our Resilience Fellowship programme. If you have experience in activism, organising, social entrepreneurship, business, coaching or psychology, this is your chance to pass your knowledge on to the next generation of youth!
What is our Intergenerational Mentoring Programme?
Our Intergenerational Mentorship Programme is a key component of our Resilience Fellowship, providing an extra layer of support for young people taking part..
One key challenge that young activists face is having to learn everything from scratch. In our African heritage we have always survived through the sacred act of passing it on. This is the ancient strength where the wisdom of the grandmother becomes the armor of the child. It is the belief that knowledge is a shared inheritance, not a secret to be kept.
Yet in this modern struggle a shadow of distrust has grown between the generations. Many young activists feel they are orphaned in their work, forced to learn every hard lesson from scratch through the exhausting cycle of trial and error. This isolation creates a heavy burden of stress as they feel they are the first to ever walk this path. To heal this we have built a bridge of light that leans on our cultural truth.
Our mentorship program is a deliberate act of reconciliation. We draw mentors from the generation before us to mend the broken trust and close the gap between the seasons of our lives. By relying on those who have walked the path before us our fellows no longer have to reinvent the wheel. They are guided by the steady hands of elders who have weathered the storms of history. This ensures that the fire of the youth is guided by the light of experience, honoring the African tradition where wisdom flows downward to protect the future.
Should you volunteer as an Intergenerational Mentor?
We’re looking to recruit a diverse group of mentors from across East Africa, who represent a variety of backgrounds, specialisations and lived experience. The hope is that we will be able to pair fellows with mentors who specialise in an area that is important to them.
We are looking for mentors aged over 30 to retain the intergenerational element of the programme. We are open to mentors from a range of backgrounds, including but not limited to activism, organising, social entrepreneurship, business, coaching and psychology.
To ensure effective coordination with our team and fellows, we strongly encourage individuals based on the African continent and able to work within the East Africa Time (EAT) zone to apply.
What is required of an Intergenerational Mentor?
You will be mentoring East African changemakers, aged 18–26, who are actively leading climate initiatives in their communities across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda Many of these young leaders have a track record of community engagement and are passionate about driving meaningful change.
Mentors will be provided with a mentoring handbook and a suggested curriculum. You will be invited to join a welcome call with all other mentors and the TRP team where they can ask questions and find out more details about the programme. Our fellows will then meet with their mentors monthly online for 1 hour of mentoring between July 2026 and December 2026.
In addition, mentors will be able to opt in to delivering an online workshop to all fellows in order for them to have the opportunity to learn from a variety of experts.
- 1 hour welcome call in July 2026 with all mentors and The Resilience Programme Youth Programmes team
- 8 x 1 hour monthly mentoring call with mentee between July 2026 and December 2026
- Optional opportunity to deliver an online workshop for all ambassadors on your area of expertise
Timeline
April: Applications and interview on rolling basis
May: Selection, interviewing and Onboarding of mentors
May 30th, 1-2pm EAT: Welcome Call
June: Selection of fellows and mentor pairing
June: Reading documents and preperation
July: Monthly mentoring begins
August: Fellows attend the training the Resilience Residential
September: Circle participant selection, Circle Participants Onboarding, Safeguarding training
October: Fellows begin their Resilience Circles sessions
November: Fellows end their Resilience Circles sessions
December: Monthly mentoring ends / Celebration call
FAQs
Can I mentor more than one person?
Yes, you can mentor up to 2 fellows. This is completely dependent on your capacity, there’s no pressure to mentor any more fellows than you would like to.
What happens after the first year of mentorship?
Our fellows will be continuing Resilience Circles online for another year, and we’d love for you to stay on as their mentor. If you’re unsure about committing now, no worries – we’ll send out a call for mentor extensions, giving you an opportunity to assess your availability and capacity before making a decision.
How much capacity will it take?
As a minimum, mentors will be required to attend a Welcome Call on the 30th June (or to watch the recording if you aren’t able to attend) and to meet with their mentees online or in person for 1 hour per month from July 2026 – December 2026. This is a total of 9 hours. Mentors will also have the opportunity to host an online webinar, workshop or talk about their area of expertise to the whole group of 24 fellows. This is optional.
I’m not a trained psychologist. Is this a problem?
No. We have safeguarding protocols and can signpost to professionals. You don’t need to be a therapist, just a supportive human.
I don’t have experience in mentoring. Is this a problem?
No, we welcome new mentors. You will be provided with a mentoring handbook and a suggested curriculum, and if you bring a listening ear, you will be all set. You just need to be a supportive human with some experience to share with a young changemaker.
