In life there will be illness, death, a small business might not go well, or one could get fired and lose their income, becoming unable to provide for their families. In Developing Countries, families already living in great poverty are hit the hardest when natural disasters, worldwide pandemics, or economic downturns affect their communities.
Oftentimes we think that money, savings, or reduction in personal debt makes us self-reliant.
Savings can help smooth things in the short term… But in the end,… will those we serve recover and achieve sustainable self-reliance?
At Mentors International we ask the question, “Will they bounce back?”
We want to make sure that the families we serve not only have access to the tools and resources they need to succeed, but that they also develop the habits that lead to great self-reliance outcomes. We don’t stop there. We work hard to ensure that they have the determination and self-motivation to keep moving forward, even against insurmountable odds.
That is where our Keystone Personal Development Course comes in. Every individual who receives mentoring or training from us also receives the Keystone course.
This is a personal development course where individuals learn how to change their mindset, learn from their strengths and their weaknesses, and how to set goals.
Todd Manwaring, Founder and Program Director of BYU’s Ballard Center for Social Impact said this after evaluating our Keystone Course:
“Your Keystone Course is the most important course you have.
Individuals may learn to speak English, sell more, get a better job, or start their own business and make more money, save some money, and even get out of debt.
BUT, if they cannot manage themselves and have a ‘GROWTH MINDSET’ then chances are very good they will step back after a short time, they may cycle right back to where they started from or even worse, they often crash…”
“The synergy and combination of the Keystone course, taught by our professional mentors, in combination with job-focused training is what makes the MENTORS INTERNATIONAL model so powerful.”
-David Christensen, Senior Advisor and Course Developer
We recently updated our Keystone Personal Development Course in both English and Spanish languages. We are currently in the process of translating this course into the Mayan q’eqchi dialect to reach more of the indigenous populations in Guatemala. We are also in the process of updating our Keystone course in the Cambodian Khmer language.
