Galana Foundation Brings 130+ Scholars Together for the 2026 Mentorship Summit
The 2026 Galana Energies Foundation Mentorship Summit brought together 134 scholars from across the country, alongside their parents, mentors, and members of the Galana Energies team. For the newest scholars, it was an introduction to a community that will walk with them through their secondary school journey. For the students who have been part of the programme since its early days, it was a moment to look back and ahead.
The programme has come a long way. What began with an ambition to support bright but financially disadvantaged students transitioning into secondary school has grown into a national scholarship programme supporting more than 130 scholars. Yet the numbers only tell part of the story. At its heart, the Foundation's work is about what happens after a student receives the opportunity to stay in school.
A school fee payment can keep a student in a classroom. It cannot always answer the questions that come with growing up. Which subjects should I choose? What career might suit me? How do I deal with pressure? What happens when I fail? Who can I talk to when I am unsure of what comes next? That is where mentorship comes in. Each Galana Foundation scholar is paired with a Galana Energies employee who serves as a mentor, creating a relationship that goes beyond academics. Mentors provide guidance, encouragement and a listening ear as students navigate school, personal development and the sometimes confusing business of becoming an adult.
At this year's summit, that philosophy was evident in the way the programme brought different generations of its scholars together. The newest cohort of Grade 10 students was welcomed into the programme, beginning a journey that will take them through one of the most formative periods of their education.
At the same time, students who joined the programme in 2023 and are now completing Form Four were preparing to take their next steps beyond secondary school. For them, the summit offered a moment to reflect on how far they have come. Their stories and reflections were a reminder that education is a journey measured beyond impressing report cards rather in the possibilities that begin to feel within reach for these young adults. The students just beginning and those preparing to leave, perhaps the clearest evidence of the programme's journey. The scholars are growing. So is the community around them.
For a young person navigating adolescence, school and the pressure of deciding what comes next, having support at home can make all the difference. This year's summit therefore extended beyond the students. Parents were brought into the conversation through dedicated mentorship sessions designed to help them understand the transition their children are experiencing and how they can better support them through it.
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