Project empowers young men in Zola, Soweto

Women’s Fund, in collaboration with the National Awqaf Foundation of South Africa and Kaizer Chiefs, held its eighth edition of What’s For The Boys? Initiative on March 29 at Dr Bw Vilakazi Secondary School, Zola.

The initiative aimed to empower young males by providing them with mentorship, education, and understanding of important societal issues like substance misuse, mental health, leadership, self-worth, and career development.

The former Turkish Ambassador to South Africa now leading the Women’s Fund, Aysegül Kandas, said the project What’s For The Boys? Hosts its key seminar once a month in different township schools across various areas in South Africa.

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“In these sessions, we invite volunteer speakers who are experts in different subjects.”

“We then engage with the boys, partner with the principals of the schools, and try to understand the main issues the boys and their parents are facing.”

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“Based on our findings, we gathered the appropriate speakers.”

“We believe that boys should not be left behind; they have been neglected, and we should focus on empowering the boy child,” she said.

She added that this project seeks to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) in this nation. Its goal is to empower boys to help fight GBV and prevent them from feeling intimidated by strong, independent women.

Ambassador and accountant at Awqaf, Sibusiso Masango, said the initiative is one of their important projects since they are committed to instilling self-reliance among disadvantaged individuals.

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“A community with stronger, more respectable, and emasculated men who can care for their families is, in my opinion, a better country.”

“Men are the backbone of our society because they are typically the breadwinners in most houses, so the initiative aims to assist young men to grow up to be responsible future leaders who understand the value of having dreams and understand important life skills,” he said.

After the educational talk, the boys who attended the session were given groceries as a gift.

Thapelo Boikanyo, a Grade 12 learner at Dr Bw Vilakazi Secondary School, who attended the session, said: “I have learned how to navigate school and life in general, and I now know that self-love and introspection are what I need to work on in order to find life and its challenges easier to deal with.”

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“I have learned how to be a respectful young man who respects his community.”