The third round of the EF Mentoring Programme came to an end this November in Tartu. It is not easy to put into words everything that unfolded in these tandems over the past year and a half.

People from very different countries and life situations walked side by side, supporting each other through the kinds of everyday challenges that don’t always make it into reports: leadership doubts, burnout, faith questions, complicated family situations, job transitions, illness, or simply the weight of being queer and trying to stay hopeful in today’s Europe.

All the tandems met once a month online; those who could do it health- and work-wise also visited each other in person and got a sense of each other’s real, everyday worlds. As a full group, we gathered in Varese at the start, and then again in Tartu at the end - plus regular online check-ins with facilitators and an online meeting as a group along the way.

For some participants, the programme brought back energy and a sense of direction - simply by having someone to prepare things with, talk things through, and organise life in a steadier rhythm. For others, the biggest gift was clarity, grounding, or just the warmth of being truly seen. A few people stepped into new leadership roles. Some mentors found themselves inspired or lovingly challenged. Many discovered a friend they didn’t expect, and a surprising sense of being welcomed into each other’s lives.

Across almost all tandems, several themes kept coming up:
– the relief of talking to someone who gets the region and the activism work;
– the healing that comes from telling the truth about difficult moments;
– the courage to take the next step in ministry, activism, or personal life;
– the joy of recognising similarities in very different stories;
– the reminder that queer faith work becomes lighter when carried together.

We hope this won’t be the last round. In fact, we’re already thinking about fundraising for the next one. But for now, thank you to everyone who took part! For your honesty, your courage, your curiosity, your humour, and your trust in each other. It has meant a lot to all of us.