Some young men came together for an open dialogue session at a park near Masoyi on July 15 under the theme ‘Men, let us unite’.
The aim of this dialogue was to discuss challenges that men face, especially in mental and sexual health, and gender-based violence (GBV). These issues are also becoming rife in this community.
It was attended by representatives from the Malekutu Development Programme, the Londisizwe Youth Foundation and the Seed of Hope, who educated and motivated the young men on how to live a healthy lifestyle.
During the session, open discussions were conducted that also allowed men to speak openly about the challenges they face and the steps to take to deal with their mental health issues and other social ills. Activities were conducted to evaluate their knowledge about their health and topics on how they deal with conflicts in relationships.
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They also provided solutions on how to minimise GBV in households and the rest of the community. According to the session’s co-ordinator, Prince Nyundu, this was a way to create a safe space for men to feel comfortable talking and sharing the challenges they face on a daily basis.
“This initiative helped us to learn more about the importance of a safe lifestyle related to problems like sexual, mental and physical health. This was a great platform, because most of the men showed interest and engaged with one another. They shared advice on how to deal with some the social ills that affect our community. It is important for us to teach one another how we must treat our mothers, sisters, children and partners,” Nyundu said.