Heartlines

Heartlines CEO Garth Japhet will be the keynote speaker at this year's Dr Wallace Mgoqi Annual Fatherhood Lecture. To register for the event, click here: https://lnkd.in/dsp_bSTi

We'll be part of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum 2024 in Cape Town this week.   The SVRI Forum 2024 is the world’s key research conference on violence against women (VAW), violence against children (VAC), and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality in low and middle-income countries. The Forum provides multiple and diverse opportunities for global role players in the field to connect, learn, share and promote their research and practice to influence policies to improve the lives of those impacted by VAW and VAC.    Heartlines will be screening two of our films in the Fathers Matter series and hosting a Q&A panel afterwards. If you’re attending #SVRIForum2024 be sure to join us on Friday!

What does it mean to be South African? These days, the idea of belonging, or of national identity, has become a complicated subject.   Our CEO Garth Japhet recently shared his thoughts about what it means to be South African and how we can become a more empathetic nation by listening to one another's stories about belonging.   Read his piece in the Mail & Guardian online here: https://lnkd.in/eXTdhM6W

Happy Teachers' Day! 📚🌟 🍎 Every week, over 1.6 million children in South Africa are nurtured and educated at ECD centres. This is made possible by the 198,000 amazing ECD teachers and leaders who pour their hearts into shaping young minds. At Heartlines, our Fathers Matter team has had the privilege of partnering with ECD teachers across the country this past year as we shared our Fathers Matter ECD Toolkit, which aims to help ECD practitioners find ways to include fathers in this important period in a child's life. We are continually inspired by their commitment to the well-being and development of our country's children. To all the ECD heroes out there, we appreciate you today and every day! ️ Find out more about the Fathers Matter ECD Toolkit here: https://lnkd.in/dpUdGpJv #TeachersDay #FathersMatter #ECD #ThankYouTeachers

🌍 Calling all social behaviour change practitioners and researchers! 🌍 We’re thrilled to announce that Heartlines and the Wits School of Public Health have partnered to launch the South African chapter of the African Society for Social and Behaviour Change. If you're passionate about driving positive social change, we invite you to learn more and fill out our short questionnaire to discover how you can get involved. Let’s shape the future of social and behaviour change together 💡 👇 Read more and join us today!

Stats SA reports that 42% of children in South Africa live in single-mom households. So how can we say that fathers matter? We believe that encouraging men to step up as active, positive and present role models for children, will benefit women too. Read more about the importance of women in our Fathers Matter programme: https://lnkd.in/dsYeX9kr

One of the core messages of Fathers Matter is that, although many children in South Africa grow up without their biological fathers, positive male role models who step into that gap play a crucial role in transforming the story of fatherhood in our nation. These "social fathers" – uncles, grandfathers, coaches, teachers, pastors, or any other safe men – can make a big difference in a child's life. An ambassador for the Fathers Matter project, George Mwaura, recently shared his thoughts about social fathering in an article for SAA's Skyways magazine.

Rahima Moosa’s father was a huge admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and this inspired her passion for politics. She went on to become a pioneering South African activist and politician who played a significant role in the struggle against apartheid. She was a strong advocate for women's rights and played a pivotal role in the Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW), helping to organise the historic Women’s March to the Union Buildings in 1956, protesting against pass laws, all while heavily pregnant. Through the support of her father, Rahima’s contributions have left a lasting impact on South Africa’s struggle for freedom and democracy. As we celebrate women this month, let us also appreciate and honour the role fathers play in nurturing leadership qualities in girls.

The ECD sector is not currently known as one booming with active, present fathers. But we’re hoping that through ongoing partnerships in the sector – and with tools like the Fathers Matter WhatsApp Coach - things will start changing. Thank you to the team at Innovation Edge whose incredible support enabled us to start the Fathers Matter ECD project. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dZDTxbMS