A YEAR-LONG youth mentorship programme in Onderneeming Phase 2, Region Two, is equipping adolescents with the emotional resilience, leadership skills and practical knowledge needed to make positive life choices and prepare for future educational and career opportunities.

The Onderneeming Youth Mentorship Circle, being implemented by Food For The Poor (Guyana) Inc. (FFTP), currently involves 20 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 in weekly mentorship sessions at the Lil’ Red Village Community Centre.
The programme was developed in partnership with the Onderneeming Phase 2 Community Development Council and is coordinated by Regional Youth Advocate Hearld Alves. The community centre was constructed by SBM Offshore Guyana.
FFTP Guyana CEO, Andrea Benjamin, said the initiative forms part of the organisation’s Relief to Resilience strategy, which focuses on strengthening vulnerable communities through human capacity development, psychosocial support and sustainable interventions.
The programme provides a safe and inclusive environment where young participants can address personal challenges while developing skills that can support their personal, social and professional development.
FFTP said the initiative responds to challenges commonly faced by young people, including low self-esteem, peer pressure, emotional struggles, poor decision-making and limited access to structured personal development opportunities.
Through interactive discussions, practical exercises, role-playing, reflective journaling and individual mentorship, participants are being encouraged to identify their strengths, develop healthy coping mechanisms and build confidence.
The programme has now reached its midpoint, with participants having completed approximately half of the curriculum.
During the first phase, the youths explored topics including identity, values and self-awareness; trust, respect and teamwork; understanding and expressing emotions; self-esteem and self-worth; personal strengths and talents; fear, shame and self-doubt; communication; choices and consequences; peer pressure; goal-setting; anger management; stress, loss and trauma; healthy relationships and personal boundaries.
According to FFTP, the sessions have already contributed to improvements in participants’ confidence, communication skills, coping strategies and relationships with peers and mentors.
The second half of the programme will focus on advanced life skills, leadership development and career preparation.
Participants will be introduced to educational and vocational pathways, career exploration, skills required for Guyana’s changing labour market, workplace and institutional exposure visits, financial literacy, savings and budgeting, entrepreneurship, small-business awareness, life planning and healthy lifestyles.
The programme also provides ongoing psychosocial support, positive role-model engagement, peer support, mentoring and regular monitoring throughout its 12-month implementation.
By the time the programme concludes in December 2026, participants are expected to demonstrate improved decision-making and emotional regulation, stronger communication and leadership abilities, healthier relationships, increased confidence and resilience, greater civic responsibility and a clearer understanding of education, career and employment opportunities in Guyana.
FFTP said the initiative also supports national priorities related to youth empowerment, mental wellbeing, family resilience and social inclusion.
The organisation said the Onderneeming Youth Mentorship Circle reflects its broader transition from relief to resilience by focusing on long-term investment in people and communities.
By strengthening confidence, character, leadership and life skills, the programme is seeking to prepare a new generation of young people to overcome challenges, make positive decisions and become active contributors to their families, communities and national development.