Youth At Risk:
Schools Programs
- Mentorship and Role Models (Big Brother)
Involved fathers provide practical support in raising children and serve as models for their development.
Children with involved, loving fathers or positive male role models are significantly more likely to do well in
school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and pro-social behavior compared to children who have
uninvolved fathers. Committed and responsible mentorship during infancy and early childhood contributes
emotional security, curiosity, and math and verbal skills. FFSA is partnering with the SOS Children's Villages
to provide positive male role models and mentors to help these children who do not have a constant or
stable male/father figure. This program serves to bridge the gap in their emotional, mental and spiritual
development.
- Sport and Recreational Programs
According to The Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, childhood and adolescence are critical times to lay
the foundation for lifelong physical activity. Sports participation can significantly help kids through
challenging periods and set the tone for a healthy adult life. FFSA is planning to run various sport and
recreational program's as part of an After School Hours program to help and prevent the youth from
associating with the wrong role models and partaking in harmful behaviour.
- Conversations Program
The Fatherhood Foundation seeks to engage men/fathers through dialogue to begin addressing the issues of
Fatherhood and Fatherless-ness in our society. By facilitating dialogue sessions a new context will be written
one that aims to restore the man towards better fathering and effect a new moral-regeneration in South
Africa.
e.g. Are you a dad or a father? A dad is someone who not only physically helped to create the life of a child,
but also supports that child with the basic necessities (food, clothing and shelter) and provides guidance and
advice to see his child through life.
- Family Success Seminars
Healthy marriage services help couples, who have chosen marriage for themselves, gain greater access to
marriage education services, on a voluntary basis, where they can acquire the skills and knowledge
necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage. FFSA employs various techniques and speakers to engage
couples in order to strengthen and build strong marriage and families.
- Research & Information
Good research and program evaluations assess program performance, measure outcomes for families and
communities, and document successes. Information on previous and current research and evaluation
efforts can help programs and researchers to direct limited resources to where they are most needed, and
most effective, in assessing results. FFSA is aiming to be at the forefront of providing statistics and figures on
fatherlessness, family and societal trends. Zane Meas is writing a second book on fathering and family titled
"Happy family, Happy nation!"
- Camps
Specialized 'Father, Son and Daughter' camps where
fathers get to interact and learn from and with their
children are important for the process of building
strong families. These camps are held in an "urban"
environment and form part of the FFSA's Urban
Campaign, to reach and work with dads in urban
areas, where most of the social ills occur. FFSA
endeavors to present two camps per year in each
area to reach fathers and their children.