By Kagiso Bonoko
“Growing up, boys are taught terms such as ‘don’t be a sissy’, ‘man up’ etc. This has led to a culture where men have learned to hide their true feelings, emotions, and anxieties and have to constantly prove their masculinity.” This was part of the opening remarks by Martin Sweet, founder of the What About the Boys Programme.
“What About the Boys?” led by Primestars and the Youth Start Foundation in collaboration with various stakeholders, is a national programme that is designed to contribute to achieving Pillar 2 – Prevention and Rebuilding Social Cohesion – of the National Development Plan. The Programme has already reached over 15 000 boys, in grades 8–12, from rural, township, peri-urban, and urban communities across South Africa. It provides an evidence-based model to demonstrate real behaviour change from boyhood to manhood.
Primestars, a company that specializes in facilitating youth development programmes, has led notable community projects in South Africa. During the COVID-19 lockdown, they succeeded in facilitating extra maths and science classes to matric pupils (with social distancing protocols adhered to), under the banners; ‘Saving The Class Of 2020’ and ‘Standing With The Class Of 2021’.
Their newest programme What About The Boys? – kicked off on August 13, 2022, focusing on gender-based violence through preventative initiatives centered around the boy child.
“When it comes to dealing with gender-based violence, redirecting the fight to the betterment of boys is very crucial, as statistics suggest that boys are struggling and need support and guidance like never before. Boys continue to drop out of school, develop bad addictions, substance abuse, pornography, engaging in unsafe sex, diagnosed as emotionally disturbed, commit suicide more often than girls, getting into acts of violence and fights more often than girls. The hard truth is that many of our boys grow up to be abusers, which therefore brings the need for a special focus on them if we are to make any meaningful change in tackling gender-based violence” – Martin Sweet
The What About the Boys Programme was therefore created for the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV), through the promotion of positive masculinity, by targeting high-school youth on a national and digital level, through theoretical and hands-on elements.
This is aligned with Brand South Africa’s mandate of driving positive change in communities and serves as a firm demonstration of our nation’s dedication to nurturing a generation of young men who actively contribute to ending GBV, promoting nation-building, and creating a safer and more harmonious society.
Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, one of the dignitaries in attendance who renewed her support for the Programme. However, the most important delegates on the day were the teenage boys from various townships, some of whom were under the Afrika Tikkun, an NGO that primarily works within the Diepsloot informal settlement in the north of Johannesburg.
When asked to comment on the event, Mpumi Mabuza – Acting Chief Marketing Officer at Brand South Africa, said: “The launch of ‘What About the Boys?’ was a triumph in shaping boys into courageous young men who unequivocally stand firm against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This pioneering national intervention by Primestar, supported by blue-chip companies such as Seriti Resources and McDonalds; civil society; Business Unity South Africa; and the government’s GBV Response Fund, demonstrated that as a collective we can redefine masculinity and instill values of respect, equality, and non-violence among boys.”
“If we educate our sons, we won’t have to protect our daughters, we won’t need to teach them to defend themselves.” Martin Sweet
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