Save a bro by growing a Mo
More than just follicles on your face, your Mo is a ribbon, reminding people in your life of the importance of men’s health.
Grow a Mo this Movember, and you can help stop men dying too young.
Trucker, regent or connoisseur, no matter the shape or style of your Mo, your face can inspire donations, conversations and real change.
During the month formerly known as November, Mo Bros and Mo Sistas across South Africa will be rallying to raise funds and awareness for men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
“We have to make a stand to stop men dying too young,” said Garron Gsell, chief executive and founder of the Men’s Foundation, which grows and grooms the Movember campaign in South Africa under licence from the Global Movember Foundation.
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According to the 2014 National Cancer Registry, the lifetime risk for prostate cancer in South African men is one in 19.
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Poor mental health leads to 14 men taking their own life every day locally.
The Men’s Foundation aims to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25 per cent by 2030.
“Men die an average six years younger than women and for reasons that are largely preventable,” said Gsell.
“When it comes to their health, too many men don’t talk.
“Men need to have open conversations about their health and take action.
“If something doesn’t feel right, go to the doctor and get tested.”
He believes there is a long way to go before men are fully engaged with key issues relating to their health.
This means funding research into prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
It also means equipping men with the facts and information so they can take action on their health.
“Gender is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of health,” Gsell explained.
For men, this is not good news.
“This has received little national, regional or global acknowledgement or attention from health policy-makers or healthcare providers.”
He believes funding for men’s health in South Africa requires continued destigmatisation through media and the public at large, as well as prioritisation.
“The reality is that government funding primarily focuses on women, children and the elderly, leaving a lot to be desired for all South African men from all walks of life, and for our funding,” Gsell said.
“We are left to rely on the private and corporate sector for help in funding our programmes.”
All funds raised will go to research and survivor programmes linked to men’s health in South Africa.
Movember wants Mo Bros throughout South Africa to do what they do best – growing Mos, Moving and Hosting Mo-ments.
Sign up to raise funds and awareness for all the dads, brothers, sons and friends in your life at www.movember.com
All past Mo Bros and Mo Sistas need to re-register.
The Mo rules
No matter how you’re doing Movember, get yourself going on the right foot:
Growing a Mo? Get it right. There are only a few rules in Movember, but they’re vital.
Rule 1: Start clean-shaven on Movember 1.
Rule 2: No beards, no goatees. We’re all about the Mo.
Set your sights on a Mo style. Are you confident you can outdo Hulk Hogan himself? Or shooting for a modest Wisp? Your moustache is your hairy billboard for the month of Movember, so get a little creative.
Sacrifice a beard, dye your Mo, auction it off to the highest donor: the more eyes on your Mo, the better.
MOVE – Commit to walking or running 60km over the month. That’s 60km for the 60 men we lose globally to suicide each hour.
HOST – Raise funds by doing what you already get a kick out of. Get your friends together for a Mo-ment.
VIEW – Visit www.movember.com for fund-raising ideas for your community, workplace, sports club, university or school as to how you can Have Fun while Doing Good this Movember in support of men’s health.
To sign up or get more Movember tips, visit www.movember.com or download the Movember app on your mobile device. Follow Movember on social media: @MovemberRSA on Twitter or facebook/MovemberSouthAfrica
About Movember
• The Movember Foundation is the leading global men’s health charity, funding over 1 200 projects in 21 countries worldwide focused on men’s health initiatives, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.
• Movember is ranked 45th out of the top 500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the world and is the largest NGO funder of men’s health programmes globally.
• Movember delivers innovative, breakthrough research and support programmes that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives.
• In South Africa, Movember is grown and groomed by The Men’s Foundation of South Africa under licence from the International Movember Foundation.
• The Men’s Foundation is developing and implementing global programmes, as well as their own programmes, working with their beneficiary partners to fund men’s survivorship and research programmes that meet the global objectives of the Movember Foundation.
• Since 2010, over R25-million has been raised and funded towards awareness, education and survivorship and research programmes developed in South Africa through local Movember efforts.
• Survivorship programmes invested into include a Patient Navigation Programme, Cancer Cohort Programme, an online patient support centre and more recently, the extension of its global prostate registry IRonMan to South Africa.
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