WALVIS BAY – Boys often take the backseat while a lot of emphasis is placed on creating better opportunities and mentorship initiatives for young girls. However, the Love Ink Network wants to change this narrative, through the Blue Project.
The organisation was established last year to address societal challenges at Walvis Bay, of which the Blue Project is one of the initiatives that was launched on Friday.
The Blue Project will focus on boys of school going age through a mentorship programme that will take place every second Saturday at the town.
About 40 young boys from various Walvis Bay schools attended the first session that dealt with peer pressure, confidence, substance abuse and respect among other topics.
“The Blue Project envisions a society where the boy child and young adult males are empowered, equipped and supported through structured interventions to be men of substance,” says Tangeni Mujoro who founded the project along with her partner Ivolene Rosa Da Silva.
Mujoro says that grooming the boy child is just as import as equipping the girl child especially in a society full of violence, alcohol and drug abuse.
According to her there is a desperate outcry within our society for so many pertinent issues, yet none as crucial as that of the male species.
“Most of the perpetrators of gender-based violence are men. Most cases of rape and murder of innocent lives are committed by men, the very men that are supposed to be their protectors. The police holding cells are filled mostly by males. The prisons across the nation are occupied mostly by males. Most of the suicides within our nation are committed by males. Most of the gambling houses, shebeens and streets are frequented by males. Hence we need to focus on young boys to break the cycle so they become better versions of themselves. They need to be empowered, equipped and supported through well-restructured intervention programmes,” she explained during the launch of the project.
Da Silva also says that their integrated programme focusing on the boy child is essential as it shapes the personal growth and skills development of boys and young men.
“Through this intervention we wish to prepare boys and young men to meet the challenges of adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of activities and experiences that help them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically and cognitively competent,” she explained.
Reformed ex-convict Hubert Mukosho also highlighted the importance of guidance and positive role models to the young boys, saying that he got caught up in the destructive activities at an early stage.
“As a result I ended up in prison and learned the hard way. However, you have the opportunity to make better choices for yourself by learning from our mistakes,” he told them.