Encouraging the active involvement of men in the lives of young children
The DO MORE FOUNDATION, founded by RCL FOODS, has teamed up with the Selati Cup 2023 soccer tournament in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga to launch a campaign encouraging the active involvement of men in children’s lives. This advocacy campaign, titled “BaBonise!” which translates to “Show Them!” forms part of the “Leave No Young Children Behind” initiative that the DO MORE FOUNDATION, together with RCL FOODS and other partners, has been spearheading for six years in that municipality, the home of the Selati Cup.
The Selati Cup is a group-and-knock-out soccer tournament where 64 teams compete over three months for a chance to play in the final game. RCL FOODS established the Selati Cup (Selati Sugar being an RCL FOODS brand) in 2015 with only 32 teams. The objective was to bring camaraderie and entertainment to the people of Mpumalanga and this year it kicked off on 21st March with events at various stadiums in the Nkomazi Municipality, and the final match being played on 4th June 2023.
The tournament has now also set the perfect stage for the launch of the “BaBonise!” campaign, aided by a national social media and local radio presence at the participating stadiums to engage spectators and players. “BaBonise!” came about in response to and support of an ongoing issue that South Africa struggles with – the fact that 60% of our children have absent fathers (Human Sciences Research Council and South African Race Relations Institute: 2020). Whilst this research paints a bleak picture, there are further studies that show 78% of children in South Africa share a household with an adult man (State of South Africa’s Fathers report: 2021). Herein lies a massive opportunity to empower and inspire the men who ARE present in the lives of children to step into this vital role.
DO MORE FOUNDATION Executive, Warren Farrer, says the tournament provides an opportunity to empower and inspire potential father figures to step up and help children thrive. Farrer explains: “Children learn through play. This soccer tournament, therefore, aims to use the opportunity of engaging men “at play” to highlight and help them understand the critical role they can “play” in positively affecting young children and their communities.”
According to formative research by social and behaviour change organisation, Heartlines (Understanding Fatherhood in South Africa), the involvement of a father figure in a child’s life has an invaluable impact on their overall well-being, such as their school performance, social competence, and emotional regulation. The father’s involvement is particularly important during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life (a period of unprecedented brain development) as they develop in response to their environment and learn from their affectionate interactions with adults. When a child does not have a father figure from birth, they run the risk of mental illness, teenage pregnancy, poor academic outcomes and becoming victims or perpetrators of violence.
Through the “BaBonise!” campaign, men will have the opportunity to pledge their support in building a strong foundation for the next generation in their community by helping all children to have a positive and active male role model, to feel safe and protected, and to have plenty of opportunities to learn through play. It encourages the thousands of men who are players and spectators at the tournament and the targeted audience of the advocacy campaign, to be ambassadors of change – inspiring other men in their community and beyond.
Other partners of the campaign include Nkomazi Municipality, the Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, the South African Football Association, Trans African Concessions, Tekkie Town, and the Department of Health.
Director of Sustainable Cane Supply and Community Development at RCL FOODS, Derek Van Niekerk comments: “All our partners need to hold hands and drive the “BaBonise! Show Them!” campaign with zest, to showcase the necessary changes which will impact the lives of all children in our community.”
To learn more about the campaign and get involved, follow the DO MORE FOUNDATION or Selati Cup on Facebook and stay tuned for their Selati Cup communications.
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