Page 22 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 22

Community
Inter view

don’t think about such things when sense? No. But the good thing is, men here?” She gave me 200 shil-
we’re going for a mission.” And I going back to the old lady, she told lings and she said, “Just accept this
asked him, “Does that make you me when you work it out in a way as my gift because you have brought
a human being or why can’t you that you support people, you will my husband back home.” They had
look for other ways to engage these never lack. And she used to pray for separated and it’s not separation
people?” And it really helped, be- me and for sure. I have never lacked. where they were in different homes.
cause the OCPD then accepted the No, they were in the same house,
call because we had a conversation Yeah, because it makes life sense. but living in different rooms. I have
with him on how to engage with Absolutely. Because at the end seen, I must say, with God’s help, I
the communities. So, the reason of the day, if what you’re doing have seen their families transform,
why we should get involved in such is giving fathers the tools they and it is possible for people to rec-
situations is to make sure that we never had to be fathers to their oncile and live together.
don’t have young men dying. We can sons, then what you’re doing is
actually have a conversation. And rebuilding an entire society. And Please tell us about ‘Brave
as a society, one of the things that I the ripple effects are far greater Hearts’.
have found is that we don’t look at than you have 30-minute mentor- ‘Brave Hearts: A leadership journey
conflict, as a presenting opportunity ship sessions with young men. leaving no son behind.’ This one is
to make our society better. So, we a manual to assist boys, and espe-
try to, when we to religious groups, True. I find it interesting because cially teenagers, one, to know their
we pray away conflict. When we there’s a father, we had a conversa- purpose in life by articulating their
come to governance, we invite law tion with and he had brought his vision. Then the other thing is to
enforcement. So, what you’re trying son. I told him, “You know your son help them also to know where they
to contain is this pain in the society, is not that he needs to be mentored are at in their developmental stages.
instead of having a conversation. by another man. All he needs is your Now the purpose of Brave Hearts
My goal when engaging with such attention and he needs to connect is to create a community of young
groups is mainly to address commu- with you as a father.” And so we men who are driven by conviction
nity trauma, whereby people can ex- had an assessment for the father, and who are driven by truth and
press their pain and then we can get and then for the son, and the father care for the society. A communi-
to a place where we understand each got to know that he is not present. ty of young men who truly love
other, where we can grow together. I think that is one father that I truly truth. And, by so doing, they excel
Because at the end of the day, and celebrate because the following economically, socially and they also
that’s what I was telling the OCPD, week, he resigned, from his work- excel as a society. And also as a way
with the new reforms in the police place. He said, “You know, there is of mitigating bullying in schools,
force, it means that this person will no way I can present a broken child because one of the things is that
come and work in this station, but to the world when I am making a lot bullies are cowards. So, what we’re
after that he will have to go and live of money here.” He had to reduce trying to do with ‘Brave Hearts’ is to
in a community. So, what kind of on what we would say, comfort to build courage among boys, to know
community is he to live in? make sure he builds a son. actually, they can stand for truth.
Then there’s this one time we had a And last week, there’s a boy, an eight
What fruit will he find because conversation in a village somewhere year old who went home and told
there are seeds that have been with a group of old men. I think in the mom, “I just stopped a bully
sown? So ‘Father to Son’ is one total, there were about 12, 14 elderly in school.” And I was very happy.’
of the books you have done? men. And in total, we were joking That day is where you say that today
Yes, and it has been an interesting with my wife, in total their age was I will sleep in my shoes. Just to cele-
journey, just having fathers embrace almost 400 and something. And my brate the young man. So, everything
this journey, where they mentor wife was just telling me, “No, that’s is possible. And now with Brave
their sons. And for biological fathers huge.” So this group, after a ‘Father Hearts, it’s actually connecting our
who are present, when they bring to Son’ session, I found that they social well-being with our gover-
their sons for mentorship, some- were sad. Then, by the end of the nance, and encouraging these young
times I say, “No.” I’d rather work day, as I was going home an elderly men to participate in leadership and
with the father, for him to mentor lady, in a marketplace somewhere, governance. It is not necessarily
the son, because the relationship is came running and she asked me, occupying a space somewhere or
long-term. Does it make business “Are you John, who was training our having an office somewhere as an

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