The next step: A boy's journey to manhood
In a bid to address the growing challenges faced by young boys today, The Next Step: A Boy's Journey to Manhood programme was launched in October 2022. This initiative aims to provide a safe haven for boys grappling with adversities such as substance and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, and the search for identity in an increasingly hostile world for boys and young men.The five-year programme, already being implemented in several schools, including Etosha Secondary School, Tsumeb Secondary School, Opawa Secondary School, Tsintsabis Combined School and Oshikoto Secondary School, focuses on guiding boys through their struggles towards a brighter future. Etosha Secondary School is a proud co-founder of this impactful movement, striving to turn boys into empowered young men. With a focus on rehabilitation, guidance and support, The Next Step is dedicated to helping boys take control of their destinies, setting them on a path to a successful and responsible manhood.
Together
It offers a place where boys can express themselves freely and gives them the opportunity to bring up problems they face so that those can be addressed as a group. "This programme has helped me deal with some underlying issues I had been ignoring for far too long," Remaquine Khoeseb, a learner from Etosha Secondary School, said.
The initiative does not take a 'Lone Ranger' approach; rather, it aims to collaborate with other programs and support boys throughout the region and across Namibia, according to Axaro Thaniseb, one of the stakeholders in the programme and a teacher at Etosha Secondary School.
The first camp and regional conference is planned for next year, offering participants the chance to come together and get to know each other better.