Former participant in the Big Brother Big Sister programme, Jumoke Abass Alesinloye and Mary Lynch presented at The Global Youth Mentoring Network’s international conference entitled ‘Youth Mentoring, Cultural Diversity, Minorities and Migrant Groups’ which took place in the University Institute of Lisbon – ISCTE-IUL, Portugal on Thursday 19 October 2017.
Jumoke and Mary discussed their own friendship in the Big Brother Big Sister programme from 2003 to 2008 and how it supported Jumoke to integrate into Irish culture. Jumoke was 12 years old when she moved to Ireland from Nigeria. She was matched to Mary under Foroige’s Big Brother Big Sister programme when she was 13 years old. Jumoke provided an insight into her experience as a young asylum seeker and the support that she gained as a participant in the programme. She outlined the challenges she experienced at that time of the transition and highlighted the lifelong benefits as a result of their friendship.
Mary presented on Foroige’s Big Brother Big Sister programme and her role as a volunteer Big Sister to Jumoke.
Find out more about Foróige's Big Brother Big Sister programme.
