Message From Tshego Bokaba
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CSI Manager – Tracker Connect Pty Ltd
The Men in the Making initiative was launched on the 25th of March 2009 and immediately gained support and endorsement from the Department of Basic Education, for which we are eternally grateful.
The Department saw this initiative to be in line with their Girl Education Movement (GEM) and Boy Education Movement School programmes; the (BEM) in particular.
The concept was derived from the realisation that the boy-child in South Africa is calling out for attention, help, recognition and acknowledgement as he grapples with the challenges of life and the suppression that he sometimes experiences more focus and glamour is placed on girl children.
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Why did we come up with this initiative?
- To draw society’s attention to the plight of developing boys and young men at high school and beyond.
- To create a platform for boys to find expression and meaning in their lives.
- To level the playing field in so far as growth and advancement opportunities are concerned, between girl-children and our boy-children.
- To correct the distortion that ‘it is cool to do crime and be defiant and that you are not yet a man until you have walked through the corridors of a prison’.
- As a company fighting vehicle crime in the country, we have an obligation to educate and positively impact on the lives of boy-children so that they grow to be responsible citizens and future leaders of our country.
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The Concept In Perspective
Men in the making is not an event but an ongoing process that can only be realised and measured through the participation of like-minded corporate companies of our country in conjunction with Government, i.e. The Department of Education. Tracker and its business partners are just the custodians of the concept. The process belongs to the rest of corporate South Africa and our institutions of learning, which extends to both society and parents alike. This is a concept to build and restore confidence in boy-children in all aspects of their development and growth.
What We Hope To Achieve In Perspective
- We hope to register as many companies as possible to support this initiative.
- We hope the boys we are targeting will embrace this concept and allow it to change their lives in a positive manner.
- We hope to establish a long lasting partnership with corporate South Africa as we drive this initiative together.
- We hope this new private-public partnership with Government (Education in particular) will find expressions in other state organs that will help bring the two closer together for a better South Africa.
Endorsements
The Department of Education has endorsed the initiative, they are very supportive of the project and they see it as contributing to Government’s goals and objectives.
Metro FM is our media partner in this initiative and will participate, communicate and promote the project to the broader public.
Your company’s involvement will help to involve a larger number of young men and the opportunity can be used to promote your industry to entrants to the work force.
Project Implementation
Grade 10-12 boys from pre-selected schools, will be invited to spend a day at participating companies’ offices. An attempt will be made to match boys’ interests to the activities of the business.
Depending on the type of business, companies may structure the day in any way deemed to be appropriate, but should ideally include an address by the chief executive, an explanation of the business, some exposure to the various positions available at the company, guidance on potential study paths to gain entry to such a business, an address by a career/life skills counselor and some fun activities, involving the staff.
Participating companies will be supplied with project guidelines, disclaimer forms and participation certificate templates.
An orientation meeting will be held to ensure that participants’ efforts are aligned with the purpose of the project and to address any queries.
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