TUT promotes positive masculinity

POLOKWANE- The Directorate of Health and Wellness at the Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Polokwane campus hosted a Men’s Arise conference on July 20 to address issues that affect young men.

Among the issues that were discussed were mental and stress management, building supportive networks, the role of masculinity in health, sexual health, and preventative health measures. The conference also had a question-and-answer session.

Dr Lazuros Kgwete, a psychologist, highlighted the importance of taking care of one’s mental health and advised the men to be vocal about their problems.

“We as men should make use of the free therapy and stop saying therapists are only there to help women. They are there for everyone.”

He advised the students to refrain from bottling up what bothers them.

“It is not wrong to seek help but important to find help to deal with all the childhood trauma which is often the cause of many social ills, including gender-based violence.”

Charles Maponya dealt with the subject of sexual health and said as students they should make it the norm to check their health status and refrain from casual sexual encounters as this puts their health at risk.

One of the students, Mulalo Mathoko said he wished he had learnt some of the valuable lessons at an early age, as the session helped him in ways he never thought of before.

“My life changed for the better, and from now onwards I will also advise other young men to go for regular health check-ups and to feel comfortable speaking about the challenges we all face.”