ABSTRACT
Mentoring has a long history which can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks. According to Homer, Mentor was the name of the friend chosen by Odysseus to act as guardian and tutor to his only son Telemachus. Natural or informal mentoring, along the lines of this classical Homeric version, is generally thought of as a relationship
between an older, more experienced mentor and an unrelated young protégé. The mentor typically provides on-going guidance instruction and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the protégé. Over the course of the relationship the mentor and protégé develop a bond of mutual commitment, friendship, respect and loyalty which facilitates the youth’s transition into adulthood (Rhodes 1994: 189).
