"........Perhaps that is why being part of the Volunteers Foundation’s mentoring programme feels so profoundly meaningful. It is, in many ways, the antidote to that rushed world. Every week, we, the mentors, choose to slow down — to sit, to listen, to guide, to laugh. In those unhurried moments, something remarkable happens: children discover that they matter enough for someone to stop and make time just for them.

For a child who may feel the world is always two steps ahead, that moment of attention becomes an anchor. It tells them: You are seen. You are valued. You are not being left behind.

Beyond this emotional connection, the Volunteers Foundation mentoring programme is a structured educational initiative designed to support children who attended VF Academy (our primary school)  and are now in partner secondary schools in Kibera, Nairobi and in the rural parts of Kenya. Each session focuses on practicing key academic skills, discussing personal or academic goals, and addressing challenges the children may bring up. The programme complements the students’ formal schooling by offering individual attention that would otherwise be difficult in crowded classrooms. Mentors follow a clear framework (Skills Builder Universal Framework) to ensure continuity, track progress, and foster the development of motivation, confidence, and resilience. The aim is simple yet powerful: to strengthen educational attainment, broaden aspirations, and ensure each child has a reliable adult walking alongside them in their learning journey.

I volunteer with the Foundation alongside my professional work in human resources and internal strategy. I am also a translator and serve as a city council member in Piacenza, Italy. I have been volunteering with Volunteers Foundation since 2020, and during these years I have witnessed how opportunity, structure, and human presence can profoundly shape a child’s path.

Choosing to slow down and make time for a child may seem small — but in reality, it can change everything."