{"id":6769,"date":"2025-09-12T08:45:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T06:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hconline.co.za\/?p=5673"},"modified":"2025-09-12T08:45:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T06:45:39","slug":"a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/","title":{"rendered":"A Gentleman\u2019s Talk inspires learners to redefine masculinity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Nodicah Fundama &amp; Portia Nkambule<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Emalahleni<\/strong> &#8211; \u201cWe must stop saying that men should not cry, because it hurts us when we keep things inside. We should open up about the things that hurt us.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These words\u2014 spoken by Siphesihle Zulu, a Grade 9 learner at Pine Ridge Combined School\u2014 captured the heart of a transformative programme held on 5 September 2025.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a collaborative effort, Glencore and Octraco, together with the Kakarambha Foundation, hosted \u201c<em>A Gentleman\u2019s Talk<\/em>\u201d, a programme aimed at shaping mindsets, building a character and inspiring positive masculinity among young boys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The programme tackled pressing problems facing boys today: gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse, mental health, positive masculinity and respectful behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deputy Principal Mtau Smanga welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to fill a gap in the lives of young boys. \u201cThis programme is very fruitful. Sometimes boys feel neglected, but I believe it will bring change. Many boys do not speak out, but I think this will open their eyes and show them that if they have a challenge, they must talk and not keep quiet, they must not suffer in silence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thando Masango from the Kakarambha Foundation, who was once a victim of&nbsp; substance abuse, highlighted the importance of raising awareness among parents and teachers. He highlighted warning signs such as irritability, hyperactivity, loss of appetite and sleep disturbances. Masango warned about the misuse of substances, including codeine-based cough mixtures with and even soft drinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe goal is to engage with boys on a deeper level and provide them with the resources and support they need to avoid destructive paths and harmful behaviours,\u201d Masango said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Voices of change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learners reflected on the impact of the programme. Zulu shared: \u201cI have become wiser and learnt a lot about gender-based violence. It teaches us not to abuse girls. We also learnt about dating, that some people may hurt us, and how important it is to grow together as boys. We must stop saying that men should not cry, because it hurts us a lot when we keep things inside. We should open up about the things that hurt us.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fiona Jaha from Glencore Tweefontein echoed similar sentiments, saying: \u201cGBV is not a female-only issue; it is a male and female issue. Young boys must be informed of the consequences of their actions early, so that as adults they can mature with the message: I respect myself, and I respect women and girls.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More than just school bags<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The learners received 300 complementary school bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The programme emphasised that supporting boys requires a holistic approach, one that nurtures emotional, social, and psychological well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through role models, safe spaces, and meaningful conversations, initiatives like \u201c<em>A Gentleman\u2019s Talk<\/em>\u201d equip boys to grow into responsible men who contribute positively to their communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nodicah Fundama &amp; Portia Nkambule Emalahleni &#8211; \u201cWe must stop saying that men should not cry, because it hurts us when we keep things inside. We should open up about the things that hurt us.\u201d&nbsp; These words\u2014 spoken by Siphesihle Zulu, a Grade 9 learner at Pine Ridge Combined School\u2014 captured the heart of a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tie-news-style"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Gentleman\u2019s Talk inspires learners to redefine masculinity - Highveld Chronicle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Gentleman\u2019s Talk inspires learners to redefine masculinity - Highveld Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nodicah Fundama &amp; Portia Nkambule Emalahleni &#8211; \u201cWe must stop saying that men should not cry, because it hurts us when we keep things inside. We should open up about the things that hurt us.\u201d&nbsp; These words\u2014 spoken by Siphesihle Zulu, a Grade 9 learner at Pine Ridge Combined School\u2014 captured the heart of a...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Highveld Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-12T06:45:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Highveld\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Highveld\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Highveld\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/#\/schema\/person\/055539f0ba62d8d2de949a4b8ec0e631\"},\"headline\":\"A Gentleman\u2019s Talk inspires learners to redefine masculinity\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-12T06:45:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/\"},\"wordCount\":474,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG-20250909-WA0034.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.highveldchronicle.co.za\/wp64\/a-gentlemans-talk-inspires-learners-to-redefine-masculinity\/\",\"name\":\"A Gentleman\u2019s Talk inspires learners to redefine masculinity - 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