Father A Nation (FAN) is a Johannesburg-based non-profit organisation whose mission is to equip and inspire men to be great fathers, role models and mentors who use their strength to love, serve, protect and provide and to stand against any form of abuse.
FAN believes that there is no greater nation-building imperative for South Africa than the restoration of men and fathers.
True masculinity is a great gift to humanity, yet South Africa is experiencing an epidemic of destructive masculinity. We have amongst the highest rates of rape, gender-based violence (GBV), corruption and murder in the world. Unless we deal decisively with this our future and the future of our children is in very real danger.
The research is clear - fatherlessness is the biggest driver of violent crime globally and the greatest predictor of social pathology in children. The most reliable predictor for gang activity and youth violence is neither social class nor race or education but fatherlessness.
By failing to father our children we have unwittingly been growing an army of sociopaths – men who are capable of violent crime, rape and even torture without conscience, men who abuse their power to get whatever they want, FAN says.
This is not something that will self-correct.
Wounded men raise wounded boys who become wounded men who wound. We must intervene decisively, strategically and emphatically to break the cycle. If we can inspire enough men to take their responsibilities seriously and use their strength well, we will turn the tide against crime, violence, abuse, corruption and social disintegration. We will build a nation that is safe, secure and prosperous for all who live in it.
"Father A Nation (FAN) has been restoring and equipping men and boys since 2013. We run high impact interventions for men and boys. Our Champions for Change programme for men trains, equips, inspires and networks men to make an impact on their families, communities and the nation," says the organisation.
FAN runs several high impact interventions including:
- #NOEXCUSE six-a-side soccer tournaments
- Champ Camps - 2-day, 2-night personal transformation experiences
- Workshops at tertiary educational institutions
- Champion Conversations in communities
- Staff training at corporations
- Tavern events
FAN also conducts workshops at schools for teenage boys.
To learn more about FAN and the programmes they run, visit their website or Facebook page.
If you're interested in donating to any of the FAN programmes, use the bank details below:
Account name: Father A Nation NPC
Bank: First National Bank
Account no: 62412505482
Branch code: 201511
Swift code: FIRNZAJJ
* Find more organisations and worthy causes to support on Mandela Day: https://www.iol.co.za/trends/mandeladay