Storytelling can change a young person’s life

In many communities, the dominant image of manhood remains physical – protect, provide, endure, fight. These instincts are not inherently wrong. But they are incomplete.

Before he was Dr Mzamo Masito, a respected author and advocate for young boys and men, he was just another child trying to survive in the townships of the Western Cape while struggling with his own ‘father wound’. A wound that he would have to confront as he got older.

The world teenagers are navigating often looks nothing like the one their parents grew up in. Youth leaders who walk closely with teenagers every week see this shift clearly and believe parents need to understand the realities shaping teenage relationships today.

On 29 October 2025, Heartlines, in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand School of Governance hosted the Rethinking Fatherhood, Gender, and Masculinity in South Africa symposium.

Co-parenting through exam season isn't always  easy, but it can work if both parents are committed to supporting their child. 

In every South African home there is a story that whispers across generations. A story of women who’ve had to endure and show their resilience even when they were weary to the bone.