Ubuntu Bamadoda

2007-02-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

HOW IT ALL BEGAN!

Recently I have been requested to tell the story of how all of this began.

It links well with the success of the production at the old zoo mentioned below so I thought it's good to include here.

I was employed within an organization serving mainly women and children in poverty stricken areas. As many other organizations, the need was identified to work with the men in the families and areas surrounding the women and children we were serving. I have always had a passion for african music, especially male voice choirs. I belonged to a group for about a year, the only white man in a group of wonderful black friends. I remember this being my introduction to the world I was not very familiar with of the townships. We rehearsed in a little room at the back of a police station. I learnt the value of music in uniting and empoering people. This was obviously the first memory which came to mind when I was confronted with the dilemma of involving men in a positive way with their communities. Doing grassroots research, or put in another way, exploring the townships and the people we were serving I asked around if any of these choirs exist. Not surprisingly the answer was a resounding YES! I approached the groups and discussed the potential of them working with boys. I was moved and touched when I heard they are already doing this. My dream had found a perfect match. Unfortunately the organization I was working with at that stage did not support this initiative. Their reasoning was that it does not immediately and directly involve all the women and children they are serving. The groups of singing men only overlapped with some of the neighborhoods. This however did not deter us. We started the program with no financial support, doing sessions of intense, deep personal growth work with the men of one choir and involving the boys around them. After about a year the concept was noticed by a large NGO working in the area and they offered to support the funding process. we applied and succeeded in gaining funding. Currently we have four adult choirs working with forty boys, at least once a week. Our first cd has just been produced and our first professional stage production is currently running. The theatre is serving the middle and upper income groups of the city and the hall is full every night. This production is the pathway for these men out of poverty.

2007-01-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

JUMP THE MUSIC TRAIN

OUR FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION!!!

Dear Friends,

Before David Kramer left for London he persuaded me not to open my Zoo season before February as the winds blow in January! Well, we have just had the stillest January in years! I am opening with a real bang from the 1st of Feb with, "Jump the Music Train" This is the story of the extraordinary, Khayelitsha United Mambazo. It tells the story of their migration from the Eastern Cape homelands, to the shacks of Cape Town. Theirs is a story of wonder and success that has been inspirational to work on. I first meet this group of 10 singers when Pieter Dirk Uys put us together at the Voorkamer Festival, which they took by storm.

We have created a show that combines the joy and beauty of Mambazo music, with the story of young man and woman's journey to Khayelitsha. " Lennox's story" is a moving and real picture of how history has created a mass movement of landless people into Cape Town. Yet, in one generation, university graduates have emerged from the shacklands.

Yes! you will taste a little township culture, and you will witness the melodic proof that 'positivity is alive', right here, in the story of the Khayelitsha United Mambazo.

The food is a real east African 3 course special : with samoosas, magic Briyanees (vegetarian and

chicken), and fresh fruit ice-cream. Simple, light and tasty, served in the safari style of

tables under the stars, seated on canvas, folding chairs.

COME, JUMP the MUSIC TRAIN WITH US!

Starring

Nicholas Ellenbogen

Astara Mwakalumbwa

and the

Khayelitsha United Mambazo

Directed by

Luke Ellenbogen

We have 3 preview shows on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of Feb where you can have dinner in the lions cages, plus show for R120. Show only is R60. Tables must be booked urgently, as dinner numbers will be limited.The production will run through February, Wednesdays to Saturdays. Parking is much closer now and the lighting has been improved further.

To book phone 082 8463818

2007-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

THIS IS US!

I realised you might not know who we are!

w

2007-01-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

KICKING OFF THE YEAR!

As Bulelani from the Thokozani Brothers is doing up here...

Khayelitsha is busy, the summer is still hot and our work does not wait for us!

2007 is promising to be an incredibly rich year. It feels like we've been going for a month and it's actually only a week.

We've had a few conversations with the good people from the one man can campaign check out www.genderjustice.org/onemancan and the toolkits are ready to be implemented! Sonke is going to work with us in the first three months of the year to engage the community of Khayelitsha in a variety of ways, murals, marches, training etc.

Our friends across the province in all the towns we visited during 16 days were very motivated and I do not intend to let them down. We are working hard to get our training programme nailed down to a firm plan.

Another area we are developing is work with the boys that go to initiation school and the men that return. There are various aspects that affect health that need some awareness pre and post and we are very excited about this avenue of work.

As Pati would remind us, the area of crime and gangsterism is essential to focus on when working with men. We look forward to working with the Chrysalis academy and the salesians insitute this year.

I'm very hyped about a trip I'm going on next week with David, my regional coordinator and Marisca my colleague who manages the OVC program in Khayelitsha.

We are going to visit Umzi Wethu in Port Elizabeth, it combines wilderness work with leadership with youth at risk, it sounds amazing, watch this space for the impact.

Well, a few words to kick off the year, all I can say further is that I hope you are all well, and come and listen to our gigs!

2006-11-22T06:14:00.000-08:00

I remember a year ago when we had the march in the city. This pic I found in my office drawer and now it sits on my wall, to keep a reminder of what has transpired since then.

Right now we are in the midst of arranging a campaign that will reach across the province, reaching men in eleven towns in the rural areas of the western cape.

It is a crazy juggle of exciting and challenging logistical proportions, but I believe it is a landmark event in the country.

I do not know of a wider, more far-reaching programme for men that has happened in SA before.

We are also promoting the One man can campaign, joining the spread of this message, check out the logo:

This campaign has a central toolkit which contains lots of goodies to apply when working with men.

Check it out at www.genderjustice.org.za

As for our roadshow for 16 days...

Watch this space!

2006-10-31T01:44:00.000-08:00

SOME PICTURES

Thokozani Brothers

Khayelitsha United Mambazo

Monwabisi Brothers

2006-10-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

OUR PLANS FOR 2007

Last week we holed up in the workshop at the craft market in the waterfront and did a powerful review of the year's work.

We came up with new goals for the year ahead, as well as a new vision statement which we are very proud of but was also the source of much debate!

So have a look and please send me your comments!

Men as Partners (Cape Town) Vision statement 2007

Healthy families that care and strive together
for responsible manhood in their community.

Goals for 2006/2007

• MAP workshops
To educate 600 men (new learners) in Khayelitsha about reproductive health and gender based violence issues through the M.A.P programme.
• Community Action Teams
To engage 150 men and 50 women in sustainable M.A.P community action teams in Khayelitsha.
• MAP Training Pathway
To develop a clear process and curriculum for training community action teams ( end of March 2007)
(MAP workshops → Training the Trainer → Community Action Teams)
• Database
To establish an active database of partners.
Finalize categories by the end of March 2007
• Condom Dispensers
To keep 30 condom dispensers full for 12 months across Khayelitsha.
• Prisons Programme
To revive and sustain Prisons programme.
• Mentorship Programme
To hold 3 mentor training camps with 30 mentors and 3 camps with boys and mentors
• Events
To do 6 events that will raise awareness about M.A.P/ health/gender issues/HOPE worldwide which reaches 6000 people as audience.
• Schools Programme
To run a year long school programme with 6 schools in Khayelitsha with 600 learners collaborating with other HOPE worldwide SA programmes.
• Support group
To keep a support going January – December 2007 in Khayelitsha for male participants of M.AP.
• VCT
To improve access for men from Khayelitsha to get tested.

• Rural programme
To deliver MAP training and capacity workshops from January 2007 to December 2007 in partnership with Menstrust South Africa with local forums on Health and reduction of GBV in the following towns:

• George
• Swellendam
• Caledon
• Beaufort-West
• Laingsburg
• Worcester
• Paarl
• Malmesbury
• Vredendal
• Vredenburg

As you can see it is big year ahead, but we are rearing to go!

2006-09-29T01:16:00.001-07:00

WE DO THIS FOR THE CHILDREN OF OUR CHILDREN

It was already dark on Friday night when we saw the taxi's against the mountainface.

As planned they stopped , feigning misdirection, and drove off with all the luggage just after all the men and boys had stepped out for a breather.

From down below we could see the first flashlights flicking on.

They're going the wrong way!! They're going the wrong way!

And they went a way we did not know existed, but they made it safe and sound, the boys immediately depending on their mentors. This was how the camp began.

It was a camp where men and boys spent time together travelling on a journey, mostly unaware of the way ahead, but doing it together. Playing on the beach, being challeneged with the obstacle course , walking at night up the mountain with baboons in the bushes...

All of these were only opportunities to bond and to trust.

A circle of men with boys watching big-eyed as men show real strength by entering their feelings with courage.

A solemn moment when mentors and boys commit.

A boy sitting on the beach with a man next to him. Not speaking, just sitting.

These were moments that are the stuff of lifelong memory.

Being privileged to witness this gold, I realized that these boys and men are forging a relationship that will last beyond the manhood of the boys.

This sacred substance of mentorship which passes between a man and a boy passes on, through the boy when he is a man, to the next generation of boys.

Our work is not just for today.

It is for the tomorrow of tomorrow.

2006-09-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST INGOMA KUSASA

Breaking from the traditional Ingoma Ubusuku,Songs of the night, we held the first Ubuntu Bamadoda Ingoma Kusasa, Songs in the morning. In preparation of the mentorship cap next week three of the four Ubuntu Bamadoda isicathamiya groups gathered together on Saturday, despite the rain. each boy's choir delivered their first performance, and each men's choir did a performance. the vibe was relaxed and everyone had a lot of fun. We did not compete, but we shared our music with each other. Zola Qumsa deliverd a passionate speech and call to the men to take their participation int he programme seriously and to remember that is for the boys on the inside and the boys on the outside that we are doing this.

The event ended with an inner circle of boys moving around a larger outer circle of men. The men were singing to the boys: It is your right my child, it is your right.

The star of the show was zola's youngest son, 4 years old, who proudly joined his older brothers and did all the steps his father and brothers were doing!

Leaving the session I could not help but be immensely grateful for the opportunity to work with such richness in the midst of such apparent poverty.

2006-09-12T02:36:00.000-07:00

UBUNTU BAMADODA IS ROLLING!

This week we are:

1 in between the two mentorship camps,
2 after the weekend at the Darling Voorkamerfest,
3 organizing a meeting for our groups on Saturday, where all the boys and men can meet each other
4 doing two Men as Partners workshops
5 hosting a mentor-circle
6 and a men's support circle

!!!!!

The Men as Partners programme is also running strong. After a meeting with the local department of Health we realised we have an opportunity to combine our VCT programme with our MAP programme.
From now on we will offer VCT and entrance into our HIV care and support programme at the end of every MAP workshop.

I think it is safe to say the whole Men's programme is running at full steam right now. All three our Ubuntu Bamadoda target areas are in full implementation phase, the skills programme has been running for a while with the MAP workshops, the english lessons and the basic computer lessons, we are hoping to start soon with sound engineering training and a basic approach to marketing, before the year is out.

The Mentorship programme has had a powerful lift-off with the first camp for the mentors and the mentors stepping into the work with the boys, 22 Sept 2006 we are doing the boys and men camp, and that is just around the corner! Along with this we have recently employed two volunteers to begin a schools - based version of Ubuntu Bamadoda.

I believe the Darling Voorkamerfest has been the strongest development in the promotion and employment aspect of the programme yet. The networking opportunity was immense and we did not miss it!

So it is a busy busy time at this beginning of Spring.

And then while all of this going on, a group of men ,gathered in a shack sing a song:

"Elilungelo gelakho, it is your right my child."

In the same room a group of boys are watching them.

2006-09-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

The guys keep on impressing me. After we agreed on “hello my baby” as the apt song for the performance in Evita se perron, they came on stage in front of the country’s foremost artists and performed one of Ladysmith’s songs called “Long walk to freedom”.
It has been a night of excitement and joy as the Khayelitsha United mambazo group is singing their way into the darling voorkamerfest.
Apparently voorkamerfest is a dutch concept, it basicly means the local community open up their homes for performers and audiences to use as venues.
We are hosted at George and Norma’s place in station street in Darling. Their massive stoep in front of the house became the performance area and soon happy audiences were dancing their way to their transport after the performances.

On the way here we picked up an Ubuntu Bamadoda banner and as soon as we arrived we strapped it to the minibus we are using. Everywhere we go everyone can see:
“Ubuntu Bamadoda, there is a boy watching you”

I still feel sad that Khayelitsha United Mambazo missed out on the mentorship camp, as it is so great to hang out with the guys. Maybe we can make a plan and arrange something.

For now the darling voorkamerfest is an amazing experience. Tonight we had a show where all the performers at the fest did a short clip of their show, it was a powerful, funny, moving and amazing two hours.

Although I know I might be biased, I think the loudest applause was for a little isicathamiya group from Khayelitsha. The perron is a venue that is unashamedly “BOER”! With Pieter Dirk Uys’s typical style he had collected hundreds of examples of all kinds of mathoms. Letters from Pik and PW, Mandela and Mangosuthu adorns the walls in the museum and the stage is surrounded by artwork depicting some famous victories of the boers.

Tonight the guys decided to sing : “Long walk to freedom”

No more hey you boy take this do this go there go here
No NO No
No more white boss saying do this well done you did a beautiful job boy

You go guys. You go.

It is almost one AM now and bongani is going to sleep.

2006-09-07T01:05:00.000-07:00

THERE IS A BOY WATCHING YOU

The dark wind was howling and pulling at our bodies. I felt the hands of the man on either side of me as a strong presence and support. We were standing firm on the top of a mountain. A circle of men. The wind was doing its best to blow us off the mountain. It was late at night and we were all tired as we shouted our presence to each other.

Yes, I felt.
Yes, this is the way it should be.
I am invigorated and tired.
Yes, we are ready for the boys.

The journey up the mountain at night was a good balance-point for the journey we had taken in the day. At night we had gone up the mountain. In the day we had gone into the dark places in ourselves.
The memories of being alone.
Of being a child that had to survive, take care of a younger sibling, avoid the death by fear or hunger. The memories of the dark things children should never experience.
In order to become a mentor, we went to the place inside ourself where there was no mentor. We looked. We felt as men seldom admit to feeling.
Grief walked with us, and silently alongside, Hope.
As tears and relief flowed through the room on Saturday morning, there were sixteen men, embracing the boy they carried inside.
And there were sixteen boys, relieved at finally gaining the opportunity to just be boys.

And then we played! Lappies introduced us to the obstacle course in the dunes where we climbed and fell and crawled and swung and felt the joy of challenge.

The ocean and the mountain provided us with gifts of manhood, and gifts of boyhood.
This camp was real. It lay the foundation for our return, when we will play again, with sixteen boys inside us, and thirty boys outside us.

This camp was the preparation we regard as necessary to become a mentor. The next camp we will have the boys with us.

We will be ready.

Somewhere on this journey man had said with deep feeling: “Remember, there is a boy watching you.”

This has become our slogan.

“Remember, there is a boy watching you.”

2006-08-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

PRINCIPLES OF MENTORING

The following is a model I developed to remind men of the roles they should play as mentors to young boys. If anyone has any experience in the field, please comment and advise. Our Mentor training camp happens on 1 September 2006 and the boys to men camp happens on 24 september.

B.A.S.S.
Ubuntu Bamadoda principles of mentoring

B-BE THERE
A-ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD
S-SAFETY
S-SELF EXAMINATION

We are attending a mentorship workshop offered by Getnet on Tuesday:
www.getnet.org.za

2006-08-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Men as Partners workshops in a shack?

This is the place they are most needed!
Eric and Mhlangabesi took the initiative and started to do MAP workshops in a shack in Site B Khayelitsha.

It was well attended and powerful since the people who took part had been interested for a while. They could not attend since they all work, but this time they could make it.

The participants were all residents of Site B and most of the men were from the Isicathamiya group Thokozani Brothers. the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme is aiming exactly at doing workshops like these with the guys from the Isicathamiya groups.

The next workshop already has a full list waiting to attend and the shack-workshops seem to be a popular attraction.

Well done guys, we are watching the progress.

2006-08-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

ENKOSI MAMA
Women’s Day 9 august 2006

“Igama Lamakhosikazi Malibongwe” this was the theme for the day. We met at Nkazimlo primary school where the march of the women’s day was going to start. Before we even went out for the day it was good to see the collaboaration between HOPE staff, OVC, Care and Support, and ABy and ABC and the MAP team worked very well together that day.

The purpose of the day was to visit female clients that we are working with and just appreciate them. We also had young people from the ABy Community Action teams helping us and the most amazing thing that these guys were doing was the reading of the poems to the clients just making their day and showing appreciation. The banners said it all in the messaging because we had messages like “thank God for our women” and that was to show how much we appreciate the women in our lives.

I’m still amazed by the work of some support group members who managed children and the flow of traffic. At the end of the day we manged to visit all the clients we planned to visit and the impact of the visits was felt because we all had one plan and that was to go out there and make a difference to our clients in need.

The 9th has passed now but I can still hear the song in my heart sayin’
“Igama Lamakhosikazi Malibongwe” which translate to “ the name of women should be praised” and that’s true because they gave life to us, that is why we say:

Enkosi Mama.

Eric Bafo 11 August 2006 Facilitator for HOPE worldwide Men as Partners Cape town

2006-08-10T02:03:00.000-07:00

SOME GRAINY CELLPHONE PICS ON WOMEN'S DAY:

MARCHING IN MAKHAZA KHAYELITSHA 9 AUG 2006
We were walking through the neighborhood singing and dancing:

Malibongwe! Igamalam Makosikazi : Praise the name of women

A MAN CARING FOR A CHILD

A MAP staff member spotted this little one with loose shoelaces!

2006-08-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

So tell me about your life as a boy...

This friend of ours from another NGO was interviewing a participant at an event and I spotted the boy sitting behind them. Boys and men are quite the talk these days.

Boys eventally become men and the best time to work with men is when they are still boys.

The stereotype is that men do not care about children and are not involved in their parenting. There is however something I notice quite often. When I drive to work in Khayelitsha I pass through several neighborhoods on the way. In khayelitsha there is much more life on the streets than the suburbs I grew up in. People walk everywhere and many know each other.

In the estimated population of almost a million in Khayelitsha its easy to understand.

What I have noticed is men walking around with young children male and female.

I am very aware that some folk will immediately suspect something underhand going on, but it mostly seems like an uncle or a brother or a father walking their child to school or home.

Sometimes I stop and speak to them and acknowledge what I see.

The response is usually, yes the mother is working and I can't let my child walk alone.

I am aware that most child abuse happens with a familiar and trusted person. I am also sitting with the pain of this knowledge.

Having said that it's wonderful for me to see men that are , at least superficially, taking care of children in the public eye.

It tells me something is changing for the better.

2006-08-01T05:05:00.000-07:00

THIS IS NOT A TOOTHPASTE ADVERTISEMENT!

We know it looks like we are advertising toothpaste but the fact is we are just a happy bunch.
The Men as Partners team decided to take some time out and connect as a team. We had a braai at Wessel's place and the vibe was as good as it looks.

Many jokes were shared and we kept on "faka manzi" ing as the fire threatened to crisp our meat.

A wonderful way to end a week and start a weekend.

2006-07-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

As the sun was setting over False Bay the lucky few that were privileged enough to be part of the event witnessed a moment worthy of being called great.

The song of men from the hill made a call over Khayelitsha.

The call was one to the souls of other men

It was a call demanding respect and attention.

"You are valuable."
"Your children are valuable"
"Your partners are valuable"

Join us in providing care.

We are real men, and we care.

2006-07-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

KNOT YOUR AVERAGE WORKSHOP!

Our Men as Partners workshops with the guys in Ubuntu Bamadoda have begun. This week we started working with the guys from Khayelitsha United Mambazo. Unfortunately there were a few glitches with the scheduling, but the reports from the facilitators are great.

Pati and Mhla both feel that the members of this group are highly geared to make a success of the Men As Partners (MAP) process.

When the participants complete their workshops we form Community Action Teams. This is the bit I always get excited about.

Getting active on a community level in Khayelitsha.

We'll be reporting on the activities soon so watch this space!

2006-06-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

So this is our basic approach. It is three-fold in essence, the boys being the heart of the programme, the training the head and the promotion and employment the hands and the legs of our programme. This sketch comes from one of our workshops where we were brainstorming the programme and sums up the design quite well.

2006-06-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

MEN PROMOTING EQUALITY THROUGH TRADITIONAL MUSIC

This article is intended to present the exciting and innovative approach that the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme is applying in its activities in Khayelitsha. It also describes the main objectives and activities contained in the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme.

Social development interventions are often separate from economic and cultural practice. The Ubuntu Bamadoda programme combines social, economic and cultural awareness and practice in response to two of the major challenges faced by the community of Khayelitsha: the infection rate of HIV/AIDS and the high level of gender-based violence.

The programme is rooted in a wider network of organizations working with men in the struggle for gender justice and the reduction of HIV infection rates. Numerous organizations and government departments, dedicated to the development of programmes and activities that aim to include men in this struggle, have mushroomed in the Western Cape in the last few years. Broadly speaking, the group of organizations all aim to develop the potential beneficial interaction of men with their partners, families and communities. It is our belief that this will directly reduce the high level of violence and HIV infection prevalent in our communities.

Most perpetrators of crime, violence and rape are male. Unfortunately, this has led to the good, responsible and law-abiding men often being perceived as a threat on the basis of their gender.

The fact that most perpetrators are men does not mean that most men are perpetrators.

HOPE worldwide is a global organization with a variety of programmes aimed at reaching those in need with sustainable solutions to developmental challenges.

In South Africa the main focus of HOPE worldwide is on the prevention of HIV/AIDS infection and care and support of people living with AIDS. Men play a significant role in the spread of HIV/AIDS. Their attitudes, beliefs and practices are often lamented as being largely unaddressed in the work towards overcoming HIV/AIDS. A significant partnership with Engenderhealth and Planned Parenthood South Africa has led to the development of the national Men as Partners programme. The Men as Partners programme, informally referred to as MAP, forms an essential part of the range of services HOPE worldwide offers. It is centred on peer education training that develops into community mobilization efforts managed by participants. It works comprehensively in addressing the beliefs and actions of men in South Africa in the way they relate to HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence.

In Khayelitsha the MAP programme at HOPE worldwide has now extended to include the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme.

Ubuntu Bamadoda utilizes a form of traditional music known as Isicathamiya. Isicathamiya is the style of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who have played a major role in showcasing and developing it to the extent that it has been awarded a Grammy. It is uniquely male and is inevitably thematically based on social issues and their resolution. The importance of the role of music in society has always been clear in the way that it reaches into the hearts of people. Isicathamiya is a form of music that gives men an opportunity to demonstrate a kind of power that is different from violence or brute strength. Thus it holds a powerful opportunity for gender activism since it gives men a captive audience where they can display attitudes and behaviour, and perhaps even more importantly, reach other men with their inner power, supporting the struggle to overcome HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence.

The approach of the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme is strength based in the fact that it works with men who are already responsible in their behaviour. It is community-based and works with five existing Isicathamiya choirs in Khayelitsha. These men are models of a kind that is sorely lacking in an environment like Khayelitsha. They already carry in their hearts and behaviour those aspects that are greatly missing in the lives of women, children and other men. Most of them are in long-term, committed relationships and most of those who have children are committed to the support and nurturing of those children.

The programme has three core activities responding to three areas of development.

1. The heart of Ubuntu Bamadoda is a mentorship programme that supports adult men in working with young boys at risk of entering a range of dangerous behaviours. A weekly rehearsal of Isicathamiya provides an opportunity for these boys to bond with their role models and form strong relationships that will lay a foundation for their future behaviour as men. Like the famous fulcrum Archimedes named, the programme has a fulcrum on which sustainable change rests. The psycho-social work with these mentors is this fulcrum for the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme. Working with their own stories and experiences as men is the starting point for change, first healing the painful memories of their own childhood, then offering something to the boys in their care. The mentors are therefore not just spending time with the boys but are actively taking responsibility for their own lives. This is the main response to the social needs of the participants.
2. The grassroots financial sustainability of the programme rests on the promotion of these choirs as professional musicians to a large potential client base in the Western Cape. None of the choirs in the programme earns a permanent income out of their performance, therefore the programme aims at achieving a partnership with the groups that would lead to efficient promotion, where the group can eventually gain a sustainable income. They are to be responsible for their own promotion and employment. This aspect responds mainly to the economic needs of the participants.
3. The cultural practice of Isicathamiya provides an ideal base from which to start and develop a capacity programme with participants. The capacity programme addresses the growth of the musical expertise, business skills and life skills of the group members. In this sense it dovetails perfectly with the mentorship and financial aspects of Ubuntu Bamadoda.
This, then, is the basic approach of the Ubuntu Bamadoda programme encompassing social, economic and cultural development in one sustainable intervention. The monitoring and evaluation schedule is rigorous with the aim of recording as well as improving the programme design as it is being rolled out. The recorded programme could serve to inform other programmes within the close network of gender interventions that could work in a similar way with a combination of social, economic and cultural aspects.

In conclusion, it is important to note the fact that the programme is not introducing something new to the men in these groups. In the community consultation phase preceding implementation the choirs have been reporting on a remarkable issue: They have been trying to work with boys from their neighbourhoods as early as 1990! They have had successes and have also struggled to continue the work with the boys. When asked about their motivation for doing this, the reply is inevitably: “We have to show them that there is something better to being a man than crime and violence.”

The launch of the programme on 14 June 2006 was placed close to the official National Youth Day since the most important aspect of Ubuntu Bamadoda is the mentorship of young men by elders. The importance of role models or mentors is regaining attention in society with regard to the impact it can have on the behaviour of boys and men in shaping their actions.

In the atmosphere of violence and crime we face daily, Ubuntu Bamadoda reminds us that there are good men living close to boys. If they could meet on a level that counts, a shift towards a reduction in the prevailing levels of crime and chaos is inevitable.