ORCID
Benta A. Abuya, 0000-0003-2465-0967; Nelson Muhia, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5557-5560
Streaming Media
Abstract
This article seeks to establish the experiences of mentors and counselors as “street-level bureaucrats” who worked with students and parents to deliver an after-school support program in urban Kenya. Data were collected from interviews with six mentors and four counselors at the endline evaluation of the Advancing Learning Outcomes for Transformational Change (ALOT Change III). The interviews were conducted in November and December 2021 with parents/guardians, mentors, counselors, and community leaders. We employed the analytical approach by Miles and Huberman to answer the research questions. Our findings showed that mentors and counselors were pillars of the intervention, respectively, with after-school support and parental guidance and counseling. Mentors connected with homes and schools to ensure that parental support was provided and that teachers followed up on the discussions within the after-school support spaces. Moreover, the interaction between mentors and counselors with the adolescents and their parents enabled a successful adaptation to the dynamic nature of the implementation. For instance, mentors incorporated team leaders to support the adolescents by age. The evidence that emerged from this study highlights the need for partnering with stakeholders at the community level to enhance the quality of implementation of community-based after-school support programs. Mentors were role models to adolescents, and their involvement enhanced experiential learning among these adolescents. Counselors enhanced parental counseling through enhanced communication and home visits for the betterment of parental support to the adolescents.
