Fathers Matter

Stats SA reports that 42% of children in South Africa live in single-mom households. So how can we say that fathers matter? We believe that encouraging men to step up as active, positive and present role models for children, will benefit women too.

Fathers Matter wasn’t created to invalidate the important role that mothers play. We want to highlight and support the positive and active role fathers and men play in the lives of children, in order to lessen the risks linked to the absence of fathers or positive male role models.

Heartlines Fathers Matter recently partnered with the City of Joburg to facilitate a critical conversation about the role that positive, active and present male role models and fathers can play in children’s lives.

Honest conversations and creating safe spaces for reflection helped men in the Eastern Cape to take important steps towards re-writing the story of fatherhood for children in the region.

As much as we’d like to think more money would solve all our problems, children would rather have a dad who is involved in their lives than one who sends money but doesn’t know them.

When men look at their own childhood experiences and create space for sharing and healing, it frees them up to be a positive father influence for future generations. This was the message from the latest Fathers Matter Ambassadors Conference in the Western Cape.

Nkosinathi Sixabayi’s life was changed for the better by the men who were social fathers to him, and as an adult he is now intentional about being a positive, safe role model for other children too.

Social fathering is about carrying the "essence" of positive fatherhood into all of life. When men step up as positive role models for children who aren't their biological kids, it reflects the beauty of community.

Co-parenting Series: Part 2

Is it still possible to co-parent with a narcissistic ex partner? Shelley found a way to involve her son's father in his life using the parallel parenting model. Read her story here.

Co-parenting Series: Part 1

Lebo shares how she and her ex-husband persevered to find a way to work together and co-parent amicably for their children's sake.

At the KwaZulu-Natal Fathers Matter Ambassadors Conference, delegates from different parts of the province gathered to discuss the importance of fatherhood, share their fatherhood stories and brainstorm solutions to our nation’s fatherhood challenges.