With the purpose of urging males to raise their voices, Makhala Thekiso Foundation will on September 14 host a stakeholders’ workshop at Peka in Leribe.This was disclosed by Programs Director Mrs. Makhala Thekiso in an interview with the agency on Monday.

Mrs. Thekiso explained that the main purpose of the event is to establish a committee which will be responsible for handling issues affecting males regarding the public services they get, citing clinics and police stations.

Mrs. Thekiso indicated that males including men and boys who have been sensitized on Gender Based Violence will be part of the workshop for them to know the committee which will be dealing with their issues. The Programs Director reminded that the foundation is embarking on a six months project

that started last month, aimed at focusing, strengthening and channelling males into positive, productive thinking. Moreover, she said the males are from the ages of 18 to 35 and elected from the 15 villages within Manka Community Council. She mentioned that the project is focused on Public Participation and Accountability, reinforcing male communication in the matters affecting them.

Mrs. Thekiso said the male group has been neglected for a long time and this makes them resort to alcohol and excessive use of drugs.  Talking about the objectives of the project, she said it has strengthened men;s demand for fair service delivery on reported Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases to police stations, community structures and access to health facilities to combat HIV/AIDS.

She mentioned that the aim is to strengthen service delivery on men;s demand accountability on reported Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases to police stations and community structures and seek medical attention to control spread of HIV/AIDS together with other chronic diseases. In response to how they gather the males, she said they source them through the football committee managing the soccer teams within the area.

Explaining the expectations, she said after the workshops it is expected that males with cases should bring them forward so they can be assisted on reporting. She further stated that it is not constructive to only focus on building girls yet they go to the same communities where males are still a problem. The same project has been running in Thaba Tseka since last year.