Social Research Project: based on the enthusiasm of the young men in the Shosholoza and Inkunzi Projects to become involved in HIV prevention work, despite the global perception that men were nearly impossible to engage in this field, TAI decided to tackle the next societal hurdle in our patriarchal society – that caring for children and the ill was exclusively “women’s work”. In the face of the growing numbers of orphans and terminally ill AIDS victims in South African communities, women were being put under tremendous pressure to rise to this challenge, especially as many of them are HIV positive and ill themselves. In response to this need, TAI has piloted the Abafana Bebhola Bayanakekela project to promote the ideal of “men as carers”, that aims not only to promote the meaningful involvement of young men in caring work for vulnerable children, but also to provide additional psycho-social support for vulnerable children.
Focal areas: positive masculinity, men as carers, HIV prevention, meaningful involvement of men in AIDS mitigation, meaningful involvement of men in caring for and supporting vulnerable children, providing psycho-social support for vulnerable children, increased mobilisation of community structures in caring for and support vulnerable children, promoting a proactive and not reactive approach to assisting vulnerable children, lobbying and advocacy of community and government structures.
- Work with young men as peer educators (aged 15 to 24 years) through soccer teams as organised by the South African Football Association (SAFA). Additional adult support provided through the team management, coaches and local advisory committees (including traditional and political leaders).
- The participants undergo training and capacity building in areas such as sex and sexuality, correct information relating to puberty, HIV prevention, AIDS mitigation, gender issues (especially in the context of a very patriarchal society) and women’s rights, project management, communication skills, decision-making and negotiation. Attention focuses on caring for vulnerable children and the needs of vulnerable children, how to report abuse, etc.
- On-going mentoring and support is provided by the TAI staff to assist the young men in engaging with the vulnerable children, mobilising the community in providing more support for vulnerable children, outreach to other young men to promote the concept of “men as carers”, monitoring the progress of vulnerable children (including school attendance and health).
- Also the young men begin their own community based projects that reach out to other soccer teams in their areas. TAI supports these outreach programmes with technical support (eg planning, evaluating, etc) and some resources. The teams also network with local structures with the aim of building an enabling environment for young people and vulnerable children in the face of the AIDS epidemic.
Although TAI’s projects follow similar methodologies, the approach and materials developed differ vastly from project to project, as per the intended beneficiaries. An Annual Report has been finalised.
DIRECT BENEFICIARIES: Young men in soccer, vulnerable children, community structures, parents of young men, guardians of vulnerable children
INDIRECT BENEFICIARIES: Community structures, community in general.
