Many projects in the ASF are able to provide mentors for newcomers. In fact, most projects are happy to assist newcomers to their projects as part of their normal operations. However, some people are looking for more structure. The Mentor Programme of the The Apache Software Foundation provides additional support and structure for people looking to make an initial contribution to an ASF project.
The mentoring programme is not here to teach you to write documentation or code. It is here to help you understand how to make a valuable contribution to an Apache project. You can expect to be guided through our contribution processes. You can also expect to get technical support with respect to your chosen project. You cannot expect your mentor to be a "teacher", they will provide enough information for you to progress within the project. You need to bring the confidence to take their guidance and discover the detail for yourself.
For more information, see Mentoring Programme details.