years ago. Playing with cloth and hand puppets, she learned about
what he likes. Leon likes to go for walks. And since his mentor
taught him how to ride a bike, he loves that too. They cycled together
along the Rhine. She’ll never forget when Leon asked
her with big eyes whether it was really the Rhine.
You Can’t Build Trust Without Empathy
Leon was not the only one who was alone with his neediness. His
parents were too. His father lent a helping hand, seeing an
opportunity for his son. He said that Leon liked to play the drums.
His mentor subsequently organized a visit to a music school –
and the boy learned that it’s worth sticking with something, not
giving up if something doesn’t work out immediately. “You
have to have discipline if you want to achieve something. Leon is
now on the ball,” says the mentor proudly. He not only started
learning kickboxing, but also does his homework alone now after
initially receiving help.
Not only the children but also the mentors have to be on the
ball. “Going on an outing sounds easy. But you need a lot of
patience, experience, and empathy. That’s very important,” says
Hildegard Derksen, a socio-educational expert and project coordinator
at the Klausenhof Academy. If the mentors didn’t have the
ability to listen, to understand the children’s gestures and facial
expressions and behavior, and to empathize with the kids, they
wouldn’t be able to build a relationship with them. It is a
responsible task, especially since the volunteer mentors are not
therapists or family helpers, but usually retirees who practiced
all kinds of professions.
You feel the volunteer work is worthwhile when you see the
children seeking out intimacy and role models, says mentor
Monika Ebling. “At the end of the day, you don’t leave the results
with the children at the school. And the encouraging
and nice moments of support for the children motivate you again
and again,” she adds. The mentors not only receive training,
qualifications, and further training, but also meet regularly to discuss
their experiences and to get advice from Hildegard Derksen
and the other mentors. Says Monika Ebling: “We get help just
like the children do.”
Play and fun – a mentor assisting a child as she
reads in the school library and on the way to
extracurricular activities outside of school, including
playing music, riding a bike, and swimming.
The motto of project manager Hildegard Derksen
(photo at the bottom right) is: “All children
have potential.”
Creating Added Value at ALTANA 45