Masupatsela

MENSTRUST
DIRECTED by PUMZILE MLUNGWANA
EDITED by JEMIMA SPRING
TX 21 September 2009

As a young adult in the eighties Bryan Hansen felt different from other young men. He felt that he did not conform to the stereotype of what it meant to be a man and that he wasn’t allowed to show any vulnerabilities, especially during the turbulent days of apartheid. He travelled to New Zealand where he encountered mens’ groups with men who felt like he did. On his return to South Africa he decided to start a group like the ones in New Zealand.

Bryan formed MensTrust in Khayelitsha where he found other men who needed a safe space to talk about pressures and expectations that people had of them as men. One of the ways that MensTrust has created a safe space that encourages men to talk about the pressures they feel is through the talking stick circle. Men gather around a fire and the circle they sit in signifies that everyone is on the same level, that there is no hierarchy, and that everyone is equal. The men pass around the talking stick, and whoever is holding the stick gets a chance to talk about whatever has been on his mind.

Buhle Msipha and Leon Madolo are two young men who joined MensTrust and today volunteer for the organisation. Both Buhle and Leon feel that MensTrust was instrumental in helping them to come to terms with the anger they felt about various issues in their lives. Today they feel they have overcome their anger and are better able to relate to people. Buhle was also able to develop various skills through his volunteer work with MensTrust, which eventually led to him finding work at Stellenbosch University.

TO CONTACT MENSTRUST:
please contact Bryan on +27 83 248 2476.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A SPACE FOR THE OUTLET OF BOTTLED UP FEELINGS, YOU WOULD NEED TO:
- contact an organisation like MensTrust for advice and guidance
- speak to the men around you to find out if they’re interested to be part of your group
- work with the men to determine what your group needs to address
- register your group as an NPO
- write proposals to raise funds
- approach funders with your proposals
- market the work you are doing amongst men in your community

PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO SEE SCREEN GRABS FROM THE MENSTRUST STORY

USIKO
DIRECTED by JANE KENNEDY
EDITED by JEMIMA SPRING
TX 21 September 2009

Usiko is an organisation in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape that works with youth at risk. Usiko facilitators do the very specialised work of facilitating rites of passage journeys for young people living in and around Stellenbosch to allow them to make healthy transitions from childhood to adulthood within a supporting environment. Usiko works very closely with psychologists.

Many of the young people who are helped by Usiko come from communities where family and community structures have broken down, which results in a lack of support for young people. Usiko provides a diversion programme where young people are allowed to be part of a supportive group at Usiko, rather than being part of a gang. Young people are encouraged to share their problems with others in their groups. The adults in Usiko also offer support and advice and are soundingboards for young people who may have no-one else to talk to. At Usiko young people are acknowledged for the positive that they do, rather than for the negative.

An important part of the programme at Usiko is the trip into the wilderness. The members of Usiko are taken out of their usual environment into the veld, where the negative influences of life at home cannot reach them. During their time in the veld they are put through physically demanding challenges that they would not face in their urban environment. They also spend time by themselves getting to know themselves through contemplating three tough questions: who are you; where do you come from; and where are you going. The Usiko participants always speak fondly of this powerful experience.

TO CONTACT USIKO:
please call the Stellenbosch office on +27 22 485 7281, or email the Stellenbosch branch.

RITES OF PASSAGE WORK IS VERY SPECIALISED, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MENTOR YOUNG PEOPLE, THIS IS WHAT YOU COULD DO:
- find an organisation that is working with youth in your area and volunteer some time
- start a sports club or other club for youth in your community
- be a big brother or sister for a young person you know who needs guidance
- give young people a voice and a sense of their own worth through listening and allowing them to tell their own stories
- give them the opportunity to reflect on who they are as unique and special individuals with something to offer the world

SCREEN GRABS FROM THE MENSTRUST AND USIKO STORIES: