Local college hosts first-ever conference for male students
The event is aimed at raising awareness and addressing challenges faced by the male students like poor mental health, gender biases, low self-esteem and substance abuse.
The Mamelodi campus management of Tshwane North TVET College hosted its first-ever Students Men’s Conference to motivate the students, attended by stakeholders such as the National Prosecution Authority, Higher Health programme and police.
Campus centre manager Dyke Mohai Moru said the event was aimed at raising awareness and addressing challenges faced by male students like poor mental health, gender biases, low self-esteem and substance abuse.
He said the purpose was to mentally boost male students.
“We also incorporated male lecturers or staff members to be part of this conference, because we feel all men must develop each other,” said Moru.
Historically male students have dominated Tvet colleges campuses because of the types of skills offered.
Said Moru: “But lately, we have discovered the numbers are changing slightly into the dominance of females over males.
“We often wonder where our male students are. We have noted most of our boys are not well developed mentally, or have challenges and very few people are listening to them.”
He said males were often forgotten in society. “Everywhere and in the past, we had women’s conferences about developing women.
“We have decided as a campus to start drawing in males nearby and listen, talk and guide them and hear what they have to say. Nurture their aspirations because many of our boys are not listened to.”
Moru also said the campus was going to contribute to the lives of these boys to help them focus so they don’t end up in jail or being violent because they felt left out.
The stakeholders advised the students about the implications of their actions, but at the same time also about the good things they could draw from or contribute to society.
They are planning to host the conference annually to accommodate new students.
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