Aimed at uplifting high schoolboys in Nelson Mandela Bay, the sixth #MentortheBoys workshop saw 120 grade 11 boys gather in Parsons Hill for valuable life lessons.
The event, hosted by Michelle Brown, owner of Brown’s PR, in association with Vodacom was held at the Hellenic Hall in Conyngham Street and saw speakers tackling issues ranging from personal safety to finances and online safety.
“I initiated this to provide a morning of speakers, networking, and exposure for boys to prepare them for the world after school,” she said.
The event started in 2018 when Brown noticed that there were not many mentoring opportunities for boys.
“I noticed that there were so events involving girls, such as the Take a Girl Child to Work Day.
“So I realised the need for boys to also be mentored as they are often sidelined in society’s goal of transformation,” Brown said at the initial launch of the initiative.
The event has grown in leaps and bounds and this year 12 participating schools sent through 10 Grade 11 boys to attend.
“The operational costs are borne by Vodacom, who also give each attendee 1 GB of data, for the morning and run a virtual Quiz, with prizes. Which was met with much excitement among the boys,” she said
The event has gained popularity over its six-year run and has seen Nelson Mandela Bay businesses step up to assist.
Event topics and speakers
- Personal safety and bullying: Ryan Morris (Atlas Security)
- Financial fitness and the importance of early savings: Natasha Moodley (FNB)
- Social Media Do’s and Don’ts: Xola Speelman (Founder of The Konvenient Magazine)
- Overcoming Challenges in Life and bettering yourself: Clayton Goezaar (Entrepreneur)
The attendees received goody bags filled with sponsored items along with coffee from Mastertons a snack pack from Newton Park SuperSpar and lunch from FatCats.
This year #MentortheBoys catered to grade 11 boys from Andrew Rabie, Booysen Park Secondary School, Chatty Secondary School, Hoërskool Cillié, Douglas Mbopa Secondary School, Ethembeni Enrichment Centre, Hillside Technical High School, Linkside High School, Newell High School, Otto Du Plessis High School, Westville Senior Secondary and Woolhope Secondary School
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