Foundation focuses on young men mentorship
July is Men's month and Imbeleko Foundation in partnership with Absa Bank hosted a walk in the Valley of a 1000 Hills.
IN an initiative to highlight the importance of mentoring young people and provide boys with access to successful leaders, the Imbeleko Foundation, in partnership with Absa Bank, hosted a Boys to Men Walk in the KwaNyuswa community.
The Imbeleko Foundation was formed by a KwaNyuswa resident to give love and hope to young orphaned and vulnerable children. It was established to help them fulfill their dreams which would have been impossible in their current situations.
Sibusisiwe Myeni said the foundation identifies children from local schools they have partnered with and provides holistic educational support and scholarship programmes based on individualised assessments.
“Many NGO initiatives focus on girls and little progress is made on working with boys. The effects of this sees the boys in these communities left behind in a number of developmental areas. This is further exacerbated by the absence of fathers in most households. The Imbeleko Foundation provides support to 455 children and in all these households less than 10 per cent of fathers and male figures are present.
“The walk was led by managing executive for KZN Absa, Faisal Mkhize and we are very grateful to each and every one who supported this walk and shared words of wisdom with our young men,” said Myeni.
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One of Imbeleko scholarship beneficiaries who participated in the walk, Zibusiso Mkhize, said his highlight of the day was learning about opening businesses.
“I was informed that opening a business creates employment opportunities for others. My wish is to also go back to my community and create job opportunities as there are many unemployed people.”
The Grade 10 learner at Ohlange High School said he wants to have a security company, “We live in an environment that is surrounded by crime and drugs.
“I want people to walk around freely without looking over their shoulders all the time. I wish that they can also have guards at schools so that school children can feel protected and focus all their energy on their education.”
Besides the business factor, the ambitious learner added that this walk opened his eyes with regard to women abuse.
“Men need to love and treat women with respect and not abuse them. We were told that abuse is a choice, just because you were raised in an abusive home, you can do better with your life and not follow in those footsteps,” he said.
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