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Big Brothers Big Sisters changing lives for the better

Positive impact: Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors and mentees gather in front of Hamilton harbour (Photo by Glenn Tucker)

Shiroh Robinson’s life was changed through the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) programme.After the recent death of his father, Shiroh was in need of a male figure to relate and look up to. BBBS mentor Damon Watson, 34, has helped Shiroh change his life for the better.The mentor programme links a child with a mentor by comparisons of interests and abilities of the child.“He helps me a lot. Every time I get myself in a pickle, he’s there,” Shiroh said.Other Bermudians might also benefit from participating in programmes like BBBS.“Bermudians tend to have the attitude of just ‘whatever’, but you know, one person can change another person’s life, so if you take the time, you could actually help someone out,” Mr Watson said.Mr Watson joined the programme as his way of giving back to the community in a positive manner. He has been with Shiroh for three months, and says the results are already showing.“We found out what we enjoy doing, like football and rap,” he said. “I like to show him that there are other things to do in Bermuda. It’s great, many of the things he’s going to go through in life, I’ve already been through. It’s a good way for me to help him out and show him how to be creative, and innovative and get things done.“It feels good, it feels really good. You never know what it’s like until you try it, I’ve had a wonderful experience and we need more positive young men to join up.”The mentoring programme usually lasts three years. The relationship between Courville Hilton, 44, and 13-year-old Cameron Jeffers has been going strong for seven years.“I think my mom signed me up for the programme one time, and after about three months I was matched with Courville,” Cameron said.Mr Hilton said that watching Cameron mature is fulfilling for him. “We got together when he was six, and now he’s 13. We do pretty much anything, we go fishing, driving range and at Christmas time we go drive and look at the lights,” he said.“For me it’s a tremendous opportunity. I watched him grow, develop and mature, and it makes me very satisfied. I feel accomplished and fulfilled knowing that I can make a positive impact in someone’s life. I see the results, he’s doing extremely well in school and in every area. He does well and it satisfies me to see that. I love to deal with children, who probably otherwise may have gone in another direction, so it makes our job easier further down the road.”BBBS was recently named Most Charitable Charity in the 2013 Best of Bermuda Awards. According to BBBS 2013 statistics, there are currently 128 matches of young children and mentors, out of the total 208 children involved with the programme.Patrina O’Connor, of BBBS, said: “At the end of the day we do it for the children. We just want to see successful relationships with the children and have them move on out of the programme and be successful in the community.“It’s a domino affect, once a child moves on, they affect their families, and neighbourhoods.”