Some Members of Parliament have raised concerns that the needs of the boy child remain under-represented in national programmes.
The concerns were raised during the debate on the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare's N$417 million budget.
Namibia’s First Gentleman, Epaphras Ndaitwah, has appealed for greater attention to the plight of the boy child, declaring it a central priority of his tenure at the Office of the First Spouse and a critical pillar for Africa’s long-term stability.
Concerned by rising cases of substance abuse and school dropouts among boys, Augustineum High School, in collaboration with the organisation Vision Core, on Friday hosted a seminar aimed at empowering young men to make positive life choices.
Challenges that obstruct the boy child education, such as dropping out of school, lack of support, use of harmful substances and mental health, have topped the agenda during the Boys to Men event held at Witvlei.
First Gentleman Epaphras Ndaitwah stressed the urgent need to uplift the boy child, ensuring he is not left behind. He spoke at the launch of ‘Redefining Manhood’ and the Boys Club Manual by Andreas Robert.
Young people in Erongo Region have informed Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah that they are challenged by a lack of quality public education, unemployment, and the neglect of the boy child.
The 4x4 Initiative engaged boys between the ages of 12 and 21 about their role in society, aiming to educate them on values, encourage them to speak up, manage conflict, and gain communication skills.
Life skills teacher Pedro Kapirika says society has been so focused on uplifting the girl child that the boy child is left feeling neglected.
The teacher from Jacob Marengo visited Rundu in an effort to uplift some boys.
There was a time when the focus was solely on men.
Society places expectations on boys to be invulnerable, demonstrate strength, be self-sufficient, and, when faced with adversity, control their emotions and solve their problems alone.
Under-achievement and under-participation of boys in education have become a national concern and stakeholders are actively exploring ways to support the boy child.
A two-day colloquium was initiated by the University of Namibia (UNAM), to look into the topic.
