As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, but this is not stopping us fulfilling our mission.
ACT for SOCIETY Center (AFS) decided that the best way to be helpful and to keep providing support to our youngsters is the constant online presence. Therefore, once a week, AFS organize an online Be a Man Club meeting, where everyone is welcome to join! In these meetings they create a virtual safe space where young men and women can talk freely about their emotions, the way they feel from changing lifestyles, and different techniques on how to always think positively and keep going.
In order to motivate them to be active, every time they meet they brainstorm on the next week’s ‘homework’: something they have to do/fulfill during the week and let us know in the next meeting. Last time, most of the youngsters were feeling to demotivated and unproductive. Therefore the homework for the following week is for them to be productive in three things during the week – be it school related, a DIY project, or a hobby!
AFS will continue all the activities of Be a Man Club online, because not even a virus can stop the love we have for our youngsters.
How are we promoting positive masculinity during the lock-down?
Have Be a Man Club members show how Good a Man can be!
Our words cannot even get close to describing the development and the glow up the Be a Man Club members have, but their own words can – highlight in AFS! That’s why during the quarantine we had two members share with us their quarantine experience. As you can see form the videos, they both share with us how being quarantined has shaped them into better young men.
Rubin, a 17 year old from Tirana started off saying that the first days were hard for him, since he could not properly organize his day. Anyway after a couple days he started getting better at doing everything from home. Besides studying, which is a priority for him, he also helps out his mom in house chores, since she has to work full time, even during this time. He has started cooking, mops the floor, changes the bed-sheets and cleans the house. His mom is proud of him and happy that he helps her out. Rubin says that besides the fact that doing chores keeps him active; he also has a moral benefit because he feels useful and contributes in his home. At the end of the video he declares that he will keep doing chores in his house even after the lock-down is over!
Alvi is 16 years old and he lives in Tirana too. Alvi says that besides studying and doing his homework, he has learnt some new skills – he learnt how to cook! He also says that he never even thought of doing house chores, but he found out that they are crucial to every home. Alvi states that he has committed to doing house chores, not only until the lock-down is over, but always!
These two young men show how Good Men they will grow up to be in the future!
The activity is implemented by Status M within the framework of the Young Men Initiative II – The Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Western Balkans project, supported by CARE International Balkans, Austrian Developing Cooperation and Oak Foundation.
#YMI #CareInternational #CARE #ProgramY #ProgramE #SvicarskauBiH #AustrianDevelopmentAgency #OakFoundation
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