Namibia Teenage Girl Establishes Men’s Foundation

A TEENAGE girl from Walvis Bay launched an organisation at the town on Saturday, which aims to allow men to meet and discuss issues relating to their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

The organisation is called Auni Azizi, which means ‘helping God’s precious’ in Swahili.

Anna Ndara (16) says she felt a lot of focus is directed to women and girls, while men and boys are pushed aside, thereby losing their identity.

“I was doing self-evaluation and asked myself why I hate men. They have not done anything to me. I have not been sexually or emotionally abused by a man, yet I had a grudge against them. I realised I attended many events for women where one or two women would talk about how bad men are, and how they mistreated them. It really got to me.

“So, one day I was discussing with a friend how boys are neglected,” Ndara says.

She says she wants her organisation to be a safe space for men with regards to the issues they are faced with.

At the organisation’s launch, the men were addressed by various speakers who encouraged them to be respectable leaders in society, while at the same time being mindful of their emotional well-being.

“There are certain things we need to go back to in terms of our definition of a man. The issue of emotions is important. You find broken men doing things they are not supposed to do.

“There is a need to heal. Speak up! You don’t have all the answers. You cannot help yourself. Sometimes it is fine to say I have a problem, I need help. You will think you have it, until one day you are killing women,” motivational speakers, Pius Samuel said.

“You need to find yourself. We are not perfect, we also have emotions. Do not let society tell you you should not cry. Our grandfathers also cried, even if their wives did not know it.

“It becomes dangerous when emotions build up. You will start hurting people,” another motivational speaker, Hidipo Johannes, said.

Auni Azizi is currently active in the Kavango East and Erongo regions, and countrywide summits are planned for the future.