"Where's Chiara? Doesn't she come today?" Luisa whispers to me watching in my eyes surprised and timorous, at the same time with her head bend on one side and hands clasped as when praying for something not to happen.

"Yes, of course. She is a bit late, don't worry", I say to her with confidence. Luisa is a 10 year old mentee from Nigeria, who during one of our weekly meeting is impatiently waiting for her mentor to come.

Meanwhile, we started the group stage which weekly open our activity. It is a very important moment for us, where we sit in circle and connect with other and ourselves through the other.

It's like being before a big mirror where everyone can watch more or less in depth thanks to feedback from others who, at times, give feelings and perception of which we do not have any awareness, at least until that moment.

Sometimes we do not want to be aware but the group always put you before reality and yourself with your limits as well as resources and, miraculously accept you for what you are!

With time we have learned to know and respect each other: knowing facets of single personalities and respect individual physiological times.

Anna is a lively 10 year old child who is always smiling.

Annamaria (11) sometimes seems to ask the permission for smiling.

JonuzDa'nut, who calls himself Dani, is a spry and intelligent 12 year old kid.

Carla (12) is sweet and affectionate.

Cristi (10) is a funny spinning top.

Weisuo (12) with is amusing way of talking.

Gabriel (12) who is always a bit sullen.

Rayursh (9) who is restless and unpredictable at times.

Shykot (13) who looksa bit disoriented.

Adrian (15) constantly looking for kisses and hugs.

Patricia (12) mature and responsible, perhaps a bit too much.

Otman (15) who looks like a small man

Rukshan and Shao (14-15) who I have met only recently look polite and patient.

Luisa (10) who seems fragile and unprotected.

...and Luisa! She is still waiting impatiently for her mentor, while the activity of the group moves forward: we play together, we exchange opinions and emotions.

All of a sudden I had the impression of seeing her staring at a watch, but Luisa does not own a watch...Over time her discomfort becomes confusion, a deep sense of loneliness, maybe fear of being abandoned, and I start feeling her anguish.

I feel a strong emotion – which, consciously, I do not recognize as mine – and I start asking Giuseppe (school coordinator) to verify why Chiara is late since it looks really unusual for her. Also Giuseppe looks lost, especially because he confesses he's already tried to contact Chiara who does not answer.

Giuseppe is a pillar of the project, a real point of reference for all of us, effectively but also emotionally. In fact, having shown some of his frailties during our meetings has allowed him to get closer to mentors and mentees, thus making the relationship – from a human point of views – equal.

Sometimes the collaboration between teachers and psychologist is not easy and not even possible since, despite the intentions are similar, the approach is completely different ad it is difficult to understand each other; it is fundamental that teacher stands up from his or her chair because the Project asks for a commitment on the level which is not strictly a teaching one, despite it takes place in a school.

With Giuseppe I soon found methodological affinities and built a communication and relational modality open, based on dialogue and calm comparison and, especially, honest. This has surely helped our work, positively reflecting, in a transversal way, on the entire group of mentors-mentees and, perhaps boastfully, also on the development of major skills of empathic contact for all the project protagonists.

Indeed, in Clara's situation, mentors have soon understood our concerns and aware of their need to not create any alarming situation, they walked away with their mentees – or in small groups for involving Luisa as well – creating a useful space to carry out all the following activities of the one-to-one stage.

All mentors, each of them in their own way, contributed in a significant manner in building the group.

Paola with her sensibility and creativity;

Floriana with her generosity;

Grazie with her expectations, sometimes extreme;

Sara with her sweetness and discretion;

Valentina with her ability in being flexible;

Elena with her strength of will;

Natalia with her moments of discouragement;

Alessandra and her will to talk little;

Valeria with her tender fear of not being able to do it and then the strength of someone who can overcome an obstacle;

Giada with candor of whom is still very young;

Valentina with her experience;

Agata with her desire of putting herself at stake;

Grazia e Simona, even though for few meetings, with the clear desire of being part of this group.

Chiara with her ability of self-analysis and self-questioning.

I like to think about each of us as a little piece of a jigsaw puzzle which, alone, had well defined form but whose meaning can be understood only through a big picture together with all the other pieces.

And, indeed, all together we have faced this difficult day, supporting Luisa, supporting together, all united – implicitly and silently – by a common hope.

Chiara is now well. She had a serious illness that morning and could not inform us. This episode, ending in a positive way, is only one of the many examples which I could provide as evidence of what this Project represent for those who are enrolled in it, of feelings it produces, of relationships it creates.

I think this is the deepest meaning of the experience that the Mentoring Project gives you: building friendship relationship and growing up in a positive way, through others, through sharing ideas and feelings without fears, judgments, and tags.

I could talk of self-esteem growth, self-reliance in one's own abilities, improved interpersonal relationship and communication modes, enhancement of language skills and much more, but I think that all these targets could not be reached if there was not a climate of trust and acceptance thus allowing the implementation.

This is the picture of my experience, as Programs Development Representative, with kids, volunteers and coordinator of the "A. Vespucci" School in Catania.

An experience of personal growth which, in my opinion, very few other work situation can offer you; I use the word "offer" not by chance.

It has been a gift staying with the kids, learning from them, learning with them. It is a gift sharing emotions and experiences with people different from you for age, sex, education, in this case also for culture, traditions, religion (mentees are all foreign kids)

It is not only work, it becomes an important life experience which I feel to advise to anyone who has the chance and luck of having in their own city a Mentoring program!

Katia Marabello

Mentoring USA/Italy Programs Representative – "A. Vespucci" Comprehensive Institute in Catania

All the Colors of the World Project, supported by Bank of Sicily Foundation (school year 2009/2010 – 2010/2011).