ENABLE MALE ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES THROUGH POSITIVE FATHERHOOD

The Mentor Brother Programme engages men as active partners in family health, gender equality, and community wellbeing. Ten Mentor Brothers – drawn from the same rural villages they serve – are trained as facilitators and role models to lead structured dialogues over six to eight months. These sessions explore themes such as positive fatherhood, gender norms, HIV prevention and treatment, and non‑violence in the home, creating safe spaces for reflection and behaviour change.

Many participants are fathers or partners of women supported through the Mentor Mother Programme. Their involvement directly strengthens family stability and care for young children, including those affected by HIV or living in high‑risk households. By shifting attitudes around caregiving, health‑seeking, and shared responsibility, the programme helps build safer, more nurturing environments for children to grow up in.

Semi‑annual results:

• 1,102 men participated in health education sessions.
• 545 active food gardens established by participants, improving household nutrition.
• Reported reductions in gender‑based violence incidents in Ntshilini.
• Increased male attendance at clinics for HIV testing and treatment.

By positioning men as allies rather than bystanders, the Mentor Brother Programme fosters a community culture of shared responsibility. Fathers and partners become advocates for maternal and child health, supporting women through pregnancy and childcare while reducing risks of violence, stigma, and neglect. In doing so, the programme reinforces the social and emotional foundations that protect children—particularly those living in families affected by HIV—from intergenerational cycles of vulnerability.

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