The Sonke Gender Justice is implementing a Capacity Building project for Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in the communities of Orange Farm, QwaQwa and Soweto.
About the project
This initiative seeks to strengthen the capacity of CBOs to engage men and boys to promote gender equality, reduce gender-based violence and the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS through the use of Sonke’s flagship campaign One Man Can.
This project has been supported by Oxfam GB, who will continue to support the initiative in 2011-2012, with a focus on Soweto.
Scope of work
Sonke’s work on this project includes:
- strengthening the capacity of CBOs to engage men and boys to promote gender equality, reduce gender violence and the spread of HIV
- conducting OMC training workshops for men and partner organisations
- disseminating information that encourages responsible behaviour amongst men and boys
- recruiting peer educators to assist in community mobilisation and advocacy work; and
- providing technical support to partner organisations to undertake community driven activities
Key strategies used include supporting street soccer tournaments, which were used as a means of engaging members of the communities in discussions on their challenges and to help provide a space to find solutions to address these. Community dialogues also provided a space for raising awareness and generating discussion.
OMC trainings
In total, 54 OMC trainings were conducted in the three areas in 2010-2011. The workshops covered five training modules derived from the OMC Training Manual:
- Gender, Power and Health
- Gender and Violence
- Gender, HIV and AIDS
- Healthy Relationships; and
- Taking Action
