Since ancient times, male children have benefitted from a society that provided mentorship and direction. Most communities had rites of passage that taught boys the values of strength, chastity and cultivated ideals. But this is slowly changing as the rigors of modern life catch up with society.
Kenya has been affected by Globalisation, with many citizens trying to cope with and the fast pace in which the world is running, with parents working longer hours, often away from the home for days, sometimes months. This leaves the boy child in Kenya without clear avenues for survival, build critical life skills and growth.
Kenyan Boys have found themselves struggling to fit into leadership roles in their community, because of lack of enough mentors and role modelsK.
Boys are now giving into drug abuse, immorality and crime at the expense of education, sports and the arts. I have experienced the dire impacts of the forgotten boy child in our offices, schools and social gatherings. Absentee fathers torn away by the ever demanding co-operate world, alcohol and drug abuse sometimes exacerbates the situation.
The result is a weak, unguided, depressed, insecure and lonely man, often associated with vices such as drug and substance abuse, sexual abuse and school drop outs. The real impact is felt in the broken marriages, single parent homes, struggling corporates, poor priesthood vocation uptake, poverty, unemployment and dependency with ripple effects on the economic and political scenes.
The remedy is invest in initiatives like Sadili's Ushindi Boys Club which transform the boy into a responsible man. Ushindi Boys Club is a rites of passage for boys aged between 11 and 17 years (Std 6 - Form 2) are expected to become leaders after 2 years, following the book "Sports for Life" (Amazon) by Dr. Liz Odera. Sports is used as an important medium to mentor the boys, and the program seeks to engage male mentors to volunteer.
If you wish to be a mentor, please contact: askus@sadili.com, and let us know more about you.
You will be sent details on the next steps.
