Personal guidance

The founder of Schooling for Life’s research carried out in 2008 shows that in Sierra Leone there is a serious lack of personal guidance for youth. Both the youth and stakeholders involved in this research indicated this gap. They also agreed that this lack of personal guidance forms a great obstacle for Sierra Leonean youth to achieve their goals in life. That is why Schooling for Life considers the personal guidance component to be an essential part for the programme to be successful.

The personal guidance will be given to each student, forty-five minutes to an hour, once per two weeks. During the first mentoring session, students will be asked to develop personal development goals. These goals will be developed throughout the year. Students will also be assisted and stimulated to tackle problems that occur throughout their studies. The aimed result will be that students have learned to develop and achieve their own goals and therefore leave the programme with higher self-esteem and confidence.

Internships

An important part of the skills training and the personal guidance focuses on the transition from educational to professional life. To guide that transition even further, Schooling for Life will support the students to find internships after their studies, wherein education and practical experience come together. Schooling for Life will be actively in contact with both the student and the employer during these internships.

Schooling for Life aims to make the transition from student to professional life as easy as possible. By preparing the student for life after school through internships, personal guidance, training and formal education, the Schooling for Life graduate will be able to successfully participate in his/her society, make a positive contribution to his/her family and additionally to his/her larger community.