Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation

Panyappi Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program Evaluation
Although they have often been referred to counselling or other intervention services,
many of the young people have refused to go. Panyappi creates an environment where
young people are willing to give something another try, to reconnect with the hope that
it may be a useful and good experience (see the “Strengthening relationships” section
next and “Being a mentor: Roles and responsibilities” for an explanation of how this
occurs). When young people are in other programs, mentors can facilitate better
outcomes through supporting a young person to engage more positively. For example:
It makes it a lot easier. The kids are prepared and ready. A program we run has
a young person from Panyappi on there and he is the best of the lot. When I
first went [to pick him up] he wasn’t up. He was always sleeping, so I spoke to
the mentor and I don’t know what he said to him but now he’s first one up in the
mornings. He is a lot easier to get along with. He’s not so negative. He doesn’t
talk so much about his past. The mentor has spoken to him in a way that hasn’t
made the child angry at what he has said. Without the mentor there we would be
struggling. The mentors are preparing them for the programs, which makes our
job much easier. (Program collaborator)
If young people still do not engage in other programs despite mentors’ efforts, often
because they are afraid about opening up issues of grief and pain, or cannot easily
access a service, then Panyappi provides an alternative outlet for emotional expression
and this alone can make a difference. Family members identify and comment upon this,
for example: “I think they are doing a fantastic job but there should just be a lot more
of it.”
One program collaborator gave an example of young people’s perceptions of Panyappi
through using word of mouth networks: “We had one kid who requested to be on the
program, wasn’t referred but wanted to be on the program. That to me says a lot. It’s
open. It’s friendly. The kids don’t feel intimidated” (Program collaborator).
Strengthening relationships
Susie used to hate Mary picking her up from school, but now she asks her to do
this. She introduces Mary to her friends as her ‘big sister’ and is OK about her
talking to the School Principal. She asks Mary to stay for a while at her house
rather than just drop her off, and doesn’t mind Mary talking to her Mum.
In one of their regular phone conversations Susie’s Mum tells the Panyappi
Coordinator that because Susie starts conversations with her about what she
does with Mary this helps them have conversations about other things. Susie will
tell her Mum her thoughts and feelings rather than just listen to her Mum and
keep her thoughts to herself. However, Susie won’t talk to her father, just
listen and usually do what he says when he is there because she is scared of him.
There were many ways in which evaluation participants commented on the way that
mentoring built and strengthened relationships. These were the relationships between
mentors and young people, young people and family members, and young people and school
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