HOPING to mobilise men to become mentors and guides for young people in the community, a ‘community fathers’ workshop was recently held at the Blue Roof Centre in Wentworth.
The workshop was hosted through the collaborative efforts of Darian Smith (Safer Communities International and PhD student in peace studies at DUT), Craig Bouchier (Heartlines), Wayne Jean-Pierre (Freedoms SA) and Jane Wright (Hope for the Heart Pregnancy Care Centre).
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Smith, who is leading the project in Wentworth, said the aim of the workshop was to explore the concept of ‘community fathers’ and further delve into the possibilities of what could emerge.
“The project and study aims to draw on a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to mobilise ‘community fathers’ in co-creating safe spaces in the Wentworth community, with the intention of reducing violence and promoting a more peaceful and cohesive society.
“The workshop was a starting point in getting to understand where fathers currently are in their understanding of fatherhood and what that entails. We also aimed to create a platform for community fathers to engage and learn best practices from each other,” he said.
Smith said he believed a lot of the social ills in the community was a result of absent fathers.
“Given the important roles that fathers play within communities and the pervasiveness of community violence, family sociologists and some criminologists have suggested that the presence of other types of adults might together be able to substitute for resident fathers and be able to mitigate some of the negative effects of a father’s absence,” he said.
Smith said they intended on having training and community projects every month, over the next two years.
If any men would like to get involved or find out more, contact Smith on 084 432 1972.
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