Boys from Leap School in Linbro Park on the path to becoming good men
Learners at the Leap School in Linbro Park, Blessing Ramphele, Boitshoko Mphahlele and Leon Mothlatji have answered the call to join the 'What About the Boys?' anti-gender-based violence programme.
The Leap Science and Maths School in Linbro Park- the majority of whose learners come from Alexandra- is now an integral part of the schools that have joined the movement of raising a new breed of good men.
Three champion leaders of the movement in the school, Blessing Ramphele and Boitshoko Mphahlele, (both in Grade 12), and Leon Mothlatji (Grade 10) answered the call to join the ‘What About the Boys?’ anti-gender-based violence programme spearheaded by Primestars and seeks to build a future nation of good men that do not use their masculinity to abuse women and girls.
Addressing a large audience of attendees, Blessing said he had joined the movement in order to make South Africa and the world a better place for young girls and women by not bullying them.
“I have a vision of a beautiful world where people of differing sexuality can live together in harmony where masculinity power is not used to dominate and disadvantage those of fairer sex, hence I joined the programme,” said Boitshoko.
Leon said he is born in a family of both boys and girls and would not like to see his sisters being disadvantaged or abused simply because they were girls. “I would like to see them protected and cared for,” he added.
The boys were speaking at the launch of the 2023 season of the programme that is set to deepen the work being done with young men across the country to promote healthy concepts of masculinity and tackle the challenging reality of gender-based violence and femicide.
What About the Boys?, which was first rolled out across high schools in 2022 and reached 15 000 boys, is a project of youth-development specialists Primestars involving multi-media content (a film, educational booklet, and online resources), as well as hands-on mentorship interventions.
“It was an answer to the ongoing scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in the country and sought to provide an educational and supportive space where boys learn to manage their triggers at an early while understanding the importance of respect, empathy, and dignity in all relationships,” Primestars managing director Martin Sweet said.
“This year’s programme will encourage participants to become advocates of gender-based violence and femicide prevention by setting up gender-based violence and femicide councils in their respective schools. These councils will include girls, in order to encourage boys to become allies of girls at school and in the community at large.
“The expansion of the programme to new schools ensures that the message spreads widely.,” Sweet said.
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