Heidedal Men for Change hope to rebuild community

Heidedal Men for Change, in conjunction with South African Breweries (SAB) and Men for Development in South Africa (Medsa), recently held a seminar where 70 men took part in a six-month mentorship programme called the Tavern Intervention Programme (TIP).
Men for Change is an organisation which is trying to bring fathers back to their homes and communities, while instilling a sense of responsibility among young men in society.
“We try to raise awareness about domestic violence, to sensitise men about their role in the prevention of abuse. We are also trying to raise awareness about the responsible usage of substance abuse,” explains Cassius Carelse, who was recently elected as the chairman of the organisation.
The organisation also has a men’s network movement, where they help men who have difficulties in their life by offering them support. The network also helps in crime prevention.
Every member was awarded a certificate to acknowledge their participation in the seminar, which included discussions around issues of gender based violence, child abuse, HIV and Aids awareness, child and human rights and the responsibility of a man and father.
Carelse says now that they have completed the mentorship with Medsa and SAB, they will be looking into ways of incorporating their knowledge into their communities.
“We are still negotiating, trying to build up some projects that we are going to run. Now that we are finished, we are on our own. We’ve come across this beautification project that we are interested in because most of our guys are unemployed and we have to see that these guys get a job.”
Carelse says they will use the many lessons they have learned during the seminar to work on improving the living conditions of the communities, while also being responsible fathers who take care of their family’s well-being. – Seithati Semenokane
seithati@centralmediagroup.co.za