Stories – Fathers Matter

Education doesn’t fail at school first

At the 2026 Department of Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, Fathers Matter had a chance to highlight children's perspectives on fatherhood – and how their father experiences can influence their education.

Building your child’s emotional toolkit for school

We know about the uniforms and stationery, but one of the most important things we can help our kids prepare is their emotional toolkit. In South African classrooms and playgrounds, children learn more than the curriculum. They learn how to handle friendships, face challenges, and build skills like communication, empathy, resilience, and problem-solving.

The day men returned to school, for their children

At a Fathers Matter workshop in Orange Farm, Heartlines facilitator, Gosiame Masike, stood at the front guiding conversations with warmth, energy and easy laugher. “Bo baba,” he began, scanning the room, “what do you do to give your child an identity?”

[PICS] Playing Dad Cape Town film launch

Community, glamour, fun and, of course, popcorn were all part of the wonderful media launch of our latest Fathers Matter film Playing Dad at Nu Metro, Hyde Park on 4 June 2025.

Working with Soil and Seeds in Sebeko Street Soweto

Fathers Matter national working group calls for men to be protectors, allies and agents of change

There was a time when religious spaces avoided talking about gender justice. But over the years, more faith communities have recognised that silence actually reinforces harm.

How we can overcome bullying and build safer schools

Through initiatives involving young people, communities, education and law enforcement, dedicated South Africans are working to reduce violence and inspire empathy and trust.

Rethinking Fatherhood, Gender, and Masculinity in South Africa: A Symposium on Youth Perspectives

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.

Hey dads, big news about parental leave

Fathers Matter encourages men to play an active and positive role in their children’s lives by developing skills around caregiving and emotional presence. The new law about parental leave is an opportunity for fathers to do exactly that from the very beginning, creating space for both parents to share the work and the joy of raising a newborn.

When your father seems like a different man as a grandfather

No two generations of fathers raise their children in quite the same way. Andile’s experience shows that the next chapter of fatherhood is written by choosing how to carry the good parts of the past forward while changing the parts that caused harm.

When love learns a new language: Parenting a child with a disability

To every parent raising a child with a disability: You’re not behind. You’re not cursed. You’re not alone. You’re raising a masterpiece, one who might look different, sound different and move differently, but who who carries divine purpose in every breath.

Listening to the next generation in Gqeberha

Gqeberha youth share candid truths about growing up without fathers and forging their own identities as young leaders.

Bloemfontein's call to action for families

This August, a community called Batho in Bloemfontein became the centre of a powerful conversation about fatherhood, accountability, and community.