Malik is your average 11 year old kid. He enjoyed his grandfather as the main male role model in his life, but when his grandfather moved away, Naomi and her partner Amber decided to continue this mentorship by contacting Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.
Once screened and approved, the match was set up. To Naomi’s surprise and delight, the Big Brother matched with her son was an old family friend and was their old neighbor from Calgary. Naomi could not believe her luck. “My family actually knows his family, my sister went to school with him and he grew up on my street! It’s unbelievable, the perfect match.”
Chris was introduced to Malik and they became instant friends. For a couple hours a week they play games, watch movies and just hang out. Occasionally Malik goes to Chris’s workplace, a multi-media marketing firm. Exchanging concepts and ideas, Malik’s artistic views are so valuable to Chris that he actually implemented them in his business. Eleven years old and already working up the corporate ladder.
Naomi and Amber have noticed many great changes in Malik over the last three years since his friendship with his Big Brother Chris. Not only has he come “out of his shell” according to Naomi, but he has also achieved great academic success, receiving five A’s on his report card. Malik credits his friend Chris for leading him to this success in school and for constantly encouraging his creative growth.
Besides his academic accolades, Malik also enjoys fun activities like playing basketball with Chris. Recently, Malik experienced a once in a lifetime game by going to see the Harlem Globetrotters play the Washington Generals at GM Place. Now Malik’s dream is to become a professional basketball player. Chris explains, “Malik tells me he has a good jump shot but needs to grow a little before he can slam-dunk the ball like the professionals he watched!”
Naomi appreciates the attention and dedication of Malik’s Big Brother Chris. “Malik’s father isn’t active in his life, and it’s hard to balance the mother/father role,” notes Naomi. “This is especially hard while working, taking care of him and doing all of the extra-curricular things. Chris provides that positive male role model in his life.”
Both Naomi and Amber agree that the role Chris plays as a Big Brother has many positive impacts on their lives as a family and they believe that Chris will be in Malik’s life for a long time to come. For Malik, he enjoys all the benefits of having a Big Brother and a male role model in his life. Some matches are made in heaven, and this one seems like one of them.
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