The Transformative Power of Mentorship for Refugee Youth

Across seven years (2018–2025), Wedu and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Thailand partnered to nurture the leadership journeys of refugee youth living along the Thai–Myanmar border. The mentorship programme they co-created showed that while we cannot resolve the systemic roots of displacement, we can cultivate spaces of dignity, hope, and possibility.

Through the practice of accompaniment and Wedu’s concept of Dream Capital, defined as the capacity to imagine possibilities beyond current realities, the programme offered young people more than guidance. It offered presence, belief, and community. As one mentor described, sometimes the most meaningful moment is simply not being afraid of silence, allowing space for reflection and discovery.

Mentorship as accompaniment

The Wedu–IRC collaboration reimagined mentorship not as instruction but as companionship. Mentors learned to walk alongside rather than lead, trusting that mentees already hold the insight and strength to navigate their paths.

Mentor Thaint Yadanar Zaw found that her role was “not to give answers, but to create space for self-discovery.” Khine Wai Oo adopted an “equal footing” approach, mapping life paths with mentees rather than for them. For Nyein Nyein Htet Aung, the experience meant adapting to different contexts and avoiding “false hope” by gaining a deep understanding of each mentee’s environment.

These relationships modelled mentorship as a mutual journey, one built on listening, trust, and humility. By focusing on human connection rather than quick solutions, both mentors and mentees discovered that resilience is often fostered through shared reflection and patience.

Nurturing dream capital

At the heart of the programme was the nurturing of Dream Capital, the belief that dreaming is itself an act of courage. Mentorship created a safe space for mentees to explore ambitions that reached beyond immediate survival and allowed hope to take practical form.

Mentee Sweet Paul, supported by mentor Lydia Soe, pursued ambitious education goals despite barriers in language and mobility. Her dreams were not just personal. They carried the desire to contribute back to her community. Thaint’s mentee, who once felt “like her goal was missing,” gradually transformed uncertainty into action, showing how clarity grows through conversation and care.

In turn, mentors learned from their mentees’ persistence. “I’ve learned from them the value of appreciating small things and holding on to hope to keep moving forward,” shared Naw Htoo Htoo. This mutual exchange of Dream Capital rippled outward, inspiring mentors to reimagine their own paths and reaffirming that hope can be shared, not scarce.

Lasting impact and human connection

Despite challenges such as relocations, funding constraints, and limited connectivity, the mentorship pairs continued, adapting with creativity and empathy. Some shifted to voice messages when the internet failed; others adjusted meeting times to accommodate changing realities. This adaptability reflected the programme’s deeper commitment: that mentorship endures not because of ideal conditions, but because of trust and care.

Many mentees went on to mentor others within their communities, expanding the impact beyond individual relationships. The programme revealed that refugee youth are not only recipients of support but also mentors, changemakers, and leaders in their own right.

In a world often seeking scalable solutions, this initiative reminds us of what cannot be automated: the power of authentic human connection. Through seven years of walking alongside refugee youth, Wedu and IRC witnessed how belief in one person’s potential can ripple into collective transformation and how mentorship, at its best, becomes an act of hope.