Members from Songe Social Change hosted an Amakrwala (new initiates) camp at Nyandeni Great Place in Libode under the theme nda ndiyi yinkwenkwe zajika izinto, recently.
The co-ordinator and manager of the Adolescent Boys to Young Men (ABYM) programme, from Songe Social Change, Someleze Ngoyi, said they realised there is a problem when these boys return to their families from the initiation schools.
Learners who attended this camp came from Bhekizulu Senior Secondary School, Chief Henry Bokleni Senior Secondary School, and Victor Poto Senior Secondary School, in Libode.
Other attendees were boys from Makhotyana Location, Tyara Location, Nyandeni Location and Rainy Location.
According to Ngoyi, it was noticed that even in schools they do not respect their teachers, especially female teachers.
“Even if they are given instructions they do not follow them, and even in their homes they are no longer listening to their parents, especially their mothers, because they are calling themselves men. We also noticed that some of them are involved in crime,” said Ngoyi.
He added that they also take part in increasing the high rate of rape and incidents of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Ngoyi said that they have hosted this camp with the aim of talking to and educating them about these issues.
“We want them to know what is expected from them as they are men. They must take responsibility, and ensure that they build their future in the right way. We also want them to know what is expected from men in society and in their homes.”
He confirmed that, so far, they have seen positive outcomes from these campaigns, because even the illegal initiation schools had decreased in Nyandeni.
He added that they have a programme called Adolescent Boys to Young Men which they host in schools, and also with boys who are no longer going to school.
“We also have an HIV-prevention programme, teaching them, and also providing them with clinic services, because men do not like to go to clinics. We are encouraging them to protect females from this disease. We also have another programme called Behavioural Change, where we encourage them to have one partner.”
He added that they are hosting this event in OR Tambo District, but are willing to expand it to other districts provincially.
One of the attendees, Mandilakhe Kumazana (17), of Victor Poto Senior Secondary School, said that what is more important is to decrease the high rate of children who go to initiation school at an early age.
“Most of the time we go to these schools at an early age, and we do not even inform our parents when we want to go.
“These are some of the things that were taught in this camp.
“They taught us that we must have some documents that are signed legally, and how a man should behave in order to be a real man,” said Kumazana.
