Benji* is a quiet, thoughtful 13-year-old boy who slowly warms up to new people but becomes friendly and chatty once he feels safe.
He’s been in our Rise mentoring program and working with SHINE for Kids for a number of years, often being re-referred when going through a tumultuous time in his life.
At the start of this year, life became very unstable for Benji and his two brothers when they suddenly found themselves homeless.
For a while they moved between short-term accommodation, and when that wasn’t available, the boys would sometimes split up and find different places to sleep for a few nights at a time.
Even after the family eventually secured stable housing, the impact of that instability stayed with Benji. School slipped down the priority list, and he struggled with attendance, motivation, and falling grades. His teachers were worried about how disengaged and tired he seemed and referred him to SHINE for Kids for extra support.
Since being linked in with mentoring, Benji has built a strong connection with his mentor and now looks forward to their weekly sessions. Together they’ve been working on understanding emotions, building confidence, and getting him back on track with school.
Benji loves drawing, so art-based activities quickly became a regular part of their time together. These sessions have helped him express how he’s feeling and talk more openly about the tough start to his year. We’ve also been supporting him to stay connected to learning, setting small goals, getting organised for school, and helping him rebuild positive relationships with his teachers.
Over the past few months, Benji has made some real progress. His school attendance has improved, and he’s participating more in class. His teachers have noticed that he seems more settled and more willing to give things a try. One of his biggest wins was putting his hand up to help present a group project, something he wouldn’t have considered earlier in the year. He’s also using strategies from mentoring such as taking short breaks when he feels overwhelmed, drawing to calm down, and talking things through rather than shutting down.
Benji says having a mentor “makes things feel less heavy,” and he likes having someone who “actually listens”. He’s feeling more hopeful about school again and has set himself a few goals for next year: getting better at maths, joining a basketball team, and keeping his routines steady.
While this year started in a really challenging place, Benji has shown resilience and openness to support, and his achievements so far show just how much he’s grown.
SHINE for Kids is proud to walk alongside him as he continues building confidence and finding his feet.
*Names and images changed to protect participant privacy.
Rise in Victoria is supported by Anglicare Victoria.
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