BIGA Care is a Life learning center for the community, a comprehensive library of information, resources, articles, and tools that can help people build on their abilities and learn how to live in a world that can be difficult, even for able-bodied people. An important part of our service is to make anyone who has limitations feel they have the ability to conquer the big challenges that life hands out.
Since the start of the project we have had an overwhelming positive response to our project from people in the health and wellbeing community and individuals who are keen to be involved and help others less fortunate than them. With the launch of our website we are looking for people to join as mentors.
Mentoring can be defined in various ways, two commonly used definitions are: ‘A learning and or counseling relationship between an experienced person who shares his or her professional expertise with a less experienced person in order to develop the skills and abilities of the less experienced party.’ (Treasury Board of Canada) ‘Typically a one-to-one relationship between a more experienced and a less experienced employee which is based upon encouragement, constructive comments, openness, mutual trust, respect and a willingness to learn and share’.
As a mentor you will mentor others with by sharing you stories or create spontaneously or informally form a relationship with someone, perhaps as a result of the mentee being identified as someone that has a similar health condition or is currently experiencing some of the barriers you faced. Another way in which the relationship arises it that the initiative for the relationship is taken by a mentee who approaches a mentor and explains her or his intentions.
Mentors are friends, family, counsellors and teachers who support people find other ways to overcome the barriers they face.
There are many times of mentoring including community, school and business, electronic based mentoring. BIGA Care offers a combination on community and electronic based mentoring.
Mentoring Community based mentoring is usually one to one mentoring where the mentor shares with the mentee different experiences that they had growing up with a health condition in their local community. These activities can include going to school, playing sport, and career exploration, education and social activities.
Electronic mentoring uses technology to connect the mentor and the mentee. Allowing mentors and mentees communicate through messages using a system similar to email. The BIGA Care forum provides a platform is designed to encourage the mentees the opportunity to reach out and feel in control giving them a feeling of independence. It also allows greater access to those in other geographical areas or has time constraints.
BIGA Care has been created to address the issues that individuals and families, foster a culture where sharing of experience, wisdom, networks, knowledge and know how helps individuals to develop knowledge about how to achieve their goals. We use all types of training and development to help individuals resolve issues and understand the possibilities the future holds. Members have access to a editable DIY succession plan, online resource, education tools, chat rooms and focus groups where members can talk about concerns in confidence and can connect with those who have or share a similar experience giving them a feeling of belonging and reassurance that there not alone.
In addition we work with businesses, independent professionals, groups and associations to provide professional health services.
We are looking for mentors who have had real life experiences with temporary and/or permanent disabilities. We are looking for mentors who can make a real difference to people’s lives.
We are looking for contributors who are interested in sharing experiences of their own limitations at different stages of their life or would like to write an engaging article about health, wellbeing, fitness, and disabilities.
