Gautrain campaign focuses on raising the men South Africa needs
Gauteng’s high-speed commuter rail does more than just move people between destinations; it is also committed to moving society toward a better tomorrow. “We accept our responsibility to contribute beyond transport to plant the seeds to grow a South Africa that loves and respects itself and all its people,” explains Albi Modise, Senior Executive Manager for Communications and Marketing at the Gautrain Management Agency.
The “Wellness of a Child” campaign has entered its second year after being launched in 2022 and continues to address the challenges that face children, and most importantly South Africa’s young boys. This is done through programmes focused on nurturing their development and introducing them to mentors who model positive masculinity. Modise says the campaign hopes to move society towards positive change.
The majority of children in South Africa — between 60-70% — grow up in single-parent, primarily mother-led households, which highlights a strongly gendered imbalance in society. The statistics are jarring, Modise says, as studies show that many absent fathers had absent fathers themselves. This means that they have never benefited from the advantages of strong male role models, and are unable to step into this space as they progress through life.
“Fatherlessness often leads to feelings of abandonment and neglect that perpetuate problematic cycles as our boys grow into men,” Modise explains. “By addressing societal issues and nurturing a boy’s integrity and character from an early age, we raise men of courage and humility who respect themselves and others. This contributes positively to society as a whole.”
This is why the organisation has partnered with The Character Company and the Mail & Guardian on the “Wellness of a Child” campaign. As partners, he says, the aim is to improve the lives and enhance the futures of hundreds of boys between the ages of five and 10 who are growing up without father figures.
“Gautrain already provides mobility, but through campaigns like this one, we will play our part to move society towards positive change,” he explains.“We have been involved in successful initiatives empowering girls. This time we bring the boy-child into focus, so that both genders will be equipped with skills and character to positively impact families and communities. This will bring balance.”
Lack of positive male role models
Jaco van Schalkwyk is the founder and “father” of the Character Company, a network of individuals with a singular goal. The aim: to raise a generation of boys who will grow into good men. A generation of men who will behave differently.
He says in South Africa four out of five boys lack positive role models. “We provide them with the opportunity to develop new skills through values like integrity, responsibility, humility, kindness, courage, honesty and self-discipline. In doing so, we can change South Africa’s current culture of violence and abuse.”
After talking to hundreds and thousands of boys and men, the predominant question is “Do I have what it takes?” This, he says, is a terrifying question to face alone as these boys are looking for a sense of belonging and identity. “And without a positive role model affirming him, this boy faces isolation and is vulnerable to both being abusive and being abused.”
Positive role models teach young boys that they have inherent worth. The programme also provides them with a safe space to be vulnerable about what they are going through, while holding them accountable for their actions and reactions. “Our MENtors teach boys that it is better to be real and to be vulnerable than to be ‘strong’. It’s this facade that we as men think we must have that leads to so many emotional problems and issues with relationships, identity and a lack of belonging.”
Mentorship to model healthy masculinity
To address this crisis, The Character Company focuses on long-term MENtorship programmes. “Research shows that the time between the ages of five and 10 is critical, and a father’s impact is highest in those developmental years,” Van Schalkwyk explains. “It’s at this time that a young boy transitions from solely needing maternal love to wanting adventure and guidance from a man, someone to model his masculine behaviour [on] and provide a sense of belonging.” His programme targets young boys to establish healthy models of masculinity before problems take root.
The impact of the programme, however, extends beyond just the wellbeing of individual boys. By modelling healthy masculinity, the mentors also stand to gain: “Men keep returning because here they find real brotherhood and accountability. This is a space where men check in on each other’s hearts instead of checking out each other’s resumés, and this is a moving experience. Safe spaces to be vulnerable are rare, and finding one can be healing, as men are often starved of emotional connection.”
The boys, he notes, are exposed to this vulnerability and authenticity, learning from mentors who are leading by example to positively contribute to society. To him, this sense of community is one way to address issues such as gender-based violence, corruption, racism, suicide, and substance abuse that stem from the lack of positive male role models early on.
What does success look like?
According to Modise: “It is a resilient boy child who becomes a man who approaches life with optimism and kindness. Success looks like a boy growing into a man, understanding and embracing his responsibilities courageously and humbly. He is self-disciplined with integrity and respects himself and others. He acknowledges when he’s wrong.”
Van Schalkwyk also has a vivid image of the type of man the programme hopes to mould: “It’s a picture of a boy becoming an open and connected man. This is a man willing to share his stories and, in doing so, heal himself and others.
“This is an ongoing journey of accountability, respect and kindness that the boys can witness when engaging with mentors. It fosters an understanding of and an appreciation for vulnerability, which in turn enables accountability and commitment. It’s a picture of a boy growing into the man our society needs, who can step into the spaces where other men have fallen. This becomes possible because this boy had the shoulders of men who came before him to stand on.”
Call for action: partnering for change
Modise says the partnership between Gautrain as a public transit agency and the non-profit Character Company was well-calculated, and easily achieved because of a strong alignment between their values and shared goals. “Their programmes align strongly with Gautrain’s values of empowerment beyond economic means, allowing us to facilitate opportunities for fatherless young boys who deserve a better future, and a society that deserves their contributions.”
This is not and cannot be a short-term campaign. Both Character Company and Gautrain acknowledge this, which is why their partnership is an ongoing one. Both organisations also realise that the success of this initiative relies on society-wide support and cross-sectoral collaboration.
“The campaign needs individuals, companies and NGOs to contribute funds, volunteer skills and time as mentors,” says Modise. “More men need to join to grow the reach and raise awareness about the importance of nurturing boys from the earliest age to become responsible citizens.”
Van Schalkwyk echoed this call for action: “We always need more mentors as we have a waiting list of hundreds of boys needing support. We each need to play our role in seeing the South Africa we want — and the South Africa our children deserve. Beyond mentoring, you can sponsor a boy financially, or volunteer your time, skills or space to host a baking class or a reading group. You can provide adventure facilities, or just sign up to share your passion for surfing or farming or photography for a day.”
A journey of healing
This campaign aims to empower boys to break negative cycles, rooted not in judgement but in compassion and healing. This, says Van Schalkwyk, is inevitable when so many of the MENtors are on their own healing journeys. “Growing up with an absent dad gave me low self-esteem and left me feeling unwanted; like there was something wrong with me. This led me to always seek affirmation, and in turn, have unrealistic expectations of friendships and relationships.”
He speaks candidly about his own childhood wounds and subsequent dysfunctional patterns but also emphasises that instead of bitterness and blame, he chooses to channel his pain into purpose: “In mentoring these boys I’m giving them what I desperately needed but didn’t receive. In supporting other men we are giving each other the connection, love and support that we all lacked. I’m motivated to ensure that no boy feels unwanted or unloved and that no man lacks a place of healing and purpose. At Character Company, with the support of Gautrain, we establish and affirm the worth of every participant — whether they are five years or 50 years old. If we can guide one boy to become a committed father who later engages with his own son in an adventurous, spirited and connected way, then we can change the future trajectory of a generation of children.”
Modise sums up the ethos powering this campaign: “Together, we can build the society we wanted for ourselves and we want to see for our children. It is a South Africa where every man is empowered to be the best man he can be and a South Africa where no child is forgotten. Our combined contributions can, and will, empower the next generation of South Africans to do better than we did and be better than we are.”
Visit www.thecharactercompany.co.za for more information about the mentorship programme.
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