Lifeskills for 8 children in South Africa - Pilot

What a wonderful camp, it was great, in the end I still don’t know how many kids we had but for at least 3days we have 103kids, kids would come and go depending on circumstances and the different training we were offering at different times, ie girls or boys specific training.

We were able to hold a BOYS2MEN training and kids loved it, they have started to question their beliefs, ideas and values regarding fatherhood and what is a real man. So many of their ideas are shaped by media, sports stars, experience from the male role models in their lives. The relief they felt when they were told it is okay to not be sure about what they are doing, or they need to be tough and fight all the time was a real “Ah HA!” moment for them.

Understanding that a good father, whether he has work or not, can still be a good father. A good father provides non-tangibles as well, such as love, direction, counsel, guidance. It is not a transactional relationship, which most kids experience, when the father is present in the family. The role of a father was unpacked and examined.

The 3 activities that illustrate understanding about a fathers role are:

1. Taking off your shoes and putting it in a circle then taking, two different shoes in their place. This signifies other peoples ideas about what is fatherhood and manhood. Ideas that are not correct, wrong knowledge or perceptions perpetrated by for example, the media. A successful man is seen as a soccer star, with lots of money, lot of girls around him, and a beautiful car, sporting the best jewellery. Very unrealistic.
2. Taking of your shoes and then putting them on the wrong feet. This signifies having the right understanding about fatherhood and manhood but the wrong application. This is where the boy understands the role of the man but applies the knowledge wrongly. For example, a father is to discipline their children through beatings and abuse, then the application is wrong.
3. Finaly, putting on the correct shoes, in the correct way, signifies the correct information applied in the appropriate way. This is where the family will be able to grow and develop on their journey to maturity and wholeness.

I have included some video links below to show the enthusiasm by which the boys participated. It was a very deep training, with lots of “Ah HA’s!”.

Afterwards, we listened to the boys regarding the shift in their understanding. The realisation that most of them as individuals and as peers had the wrong concepts and that as leaders or prospective leaders of their small groups in our Children’s Program could practice their new understanding by helping the younger children grow by providing support, encouragement, direction and counsel. They felt far more confident about their future roles as men in today society.

I hope you enjoy watching the videos. This training was supported by you! We have not got formal funding for this program, but your gift helped provide this training for the boys. Don’t fret, we also provided a similar training for the girls as well so that a new generation of youth will have the skills and positive peer pressure to take up their role in the future with the knowledge and thoughtfulness rather these roles “just” happening.

You are changing the face of the future, not just for these children but also for their children. THANK YOU

Blessings

Louise

Links:

• Video showing the exchange of shoes for Boys2Men
• Video showing what the boys have experienced at home.
• More Video regarding Boys2Men