Mentor Moment: Why Kangwa Chose to Give Another Chance
- GSGC
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 8
Mentorship is not always about immediate success or visible progress. Sometimes, it is about choosing to stay—especially when it feels hardest to do so.
In this Mentor Moment, Kangwa shares a powerful reflection on one young person who continually tested boundaries, patience, and trust. Through honesty and vulnerability, he walks us through a moment when he was ready to give up—and the decision that reminded him why mentorship exists in the first place.
This story is about second chances, intentional care, and the quiet transformations that happens when a young person is truly seen. What follows is Kangwa’s account, shared in his own words.
“I want to share a short story about one of the boys from the Friends of Change Boys Club. He joined the club in 2022 and, for a long time, he stayed very much in the background. He was often quiet and only participated when asked.
No young person is perfect, and that is why youth come to mentorship spaces. This particular boy struggled in different ways. Over time, there were moments where he found himself in conflict with other youth, and we received a number of concerns. It has been quite a journey walking alongside him.
Earlier this year, during one of our club days, something small went missing from the clubhouse. When we asked the group about it, everyone was quiet, and in that moment, we let it go. After the session, a few of the boys came to me privately and shared what they believed had happened.
The following Saturday, I sat down with him. By then, he knew I was aware of the situation, and he was honest with me. At that point, I was ready to let him go from the club. I remember thinking that we had a waiting list, and that there were other boys who might be easier to work with.
But then something shifted in me.
I asked myself, isn’t this exactly why we do mentorship? Isn’t it about walking with young people who need guidance the most, not only those who are already doing well?
So I decided to give him another chance. I had given him many chances before, and more than once I had said I was ready to let him go. This time, instead of creating distance, I chose to bring him closer. When his birthday came around, we celebrated it. I wanted to understand what he had been missing and what might be behind his behaviour.
That’s when I noticed a change. When he received consistent attention and care, his behaviour began to shift. He became more willing to participate, more helpful, and more at ease with others. His relationships improved, and he became more open and friendly.
To cut a long story short, at our end-of-year awards, he received the Most Improved Mentee award. The transformation was clear. He became someone you could talk to easily, someone reliable, someone who showed joy.
Seeing that change brought me a lot of happiness. Knowing that I chose to stay, to give another chance—and another—reminded me why mentorship matters. The work is still ongoing, and growth takes time, but the progress is real.
That moment, and that journey, is one of the reasons I continue to mentor.”
