The Men’s Forum in Ward 81 has extended its impact beyond its weekly Indoda Wednesday sessions held in Alexandra.

The group is working to redefine the role of men in the community, moving away from what members call aggressive tendencies toward caring men who champion change.

The forum unveiled a revived, repainted and decorated wall at Muhluri Pre-School in Bramley in Ward 81 on September 2. Steven Thamaga, chairperson of the Men’s Forum in Ward 81, said the project began with identifying daycares in the area and working out how to help refurbish them and make them more child-friendly.

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He said the initiative carried a message that went further than painting on a wall, showing children that men in the community are determined to care for them. Thamaga added that it was also intended to empower men to stand up and identify challenges facing the community.

He confirmed the pre-school project would not be a once-off. “We are going to have this all around the ward,” he said. “What we want is to empower men.”

Thamaga acknowledged that the forum’s weekly Indoda Wednesday sessions remain central to its work, with men gathering to confront gender-based violence and femicide. Those dialogues were born out of the realisation that men need to be rallied into the fight against GBV. However, he said awareness alone is not enough, adding that the forum must also empower men and expose them to opportunities beyond the dialogue circle.

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Kgomotso Mathekga, a member of the forum in Ward 81, said the project was setting a positive example for local children so they could become positive contributors to society.

Nomakhaya Mazulu, founder and principal of Muhluri Pre-School, said the Men’s Forum approached the school last year. After nearly 15 years in operation, the school had grown, but its walls had not kept pace, becoming dilapidated.

She said once the forum proposed the initiative, members wrote to a company that donated the paint. From there, the men organised themselves and spent a weekend painting the school.

“It really came at the right time, because the wall was grey and chipped, the paint was coming off,” Mazulu said. She added that once the men finished, the school was transformed, becoming brighter and more beautiful.

“I really appreciate what they did for us, and I hope they will keep on identifying other people and doing it for them.”

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