Stories – Fathers Matter

Winning essays on fathers

What does the word ‘father’ mean to you? That’s what we asked young writers across the country for our latest essay competition, run together with FunDza. These are the winning entries.

No rule books for dads

Fathers Matter Ambassador Michael Mol shares the lessons he has learnt as a father.

Fathering – The new story

Fathers Matter Ambassador Mahlatse Mashua shares about his experience as a father.

Being a single father

Gosiame shares the joys and challenges of being a single father to his daughter.

Understanding our experiences of fatherhood

Our experiences with our own fathers can impact how we father our children. Understanding our stories can help us heal and grow.

Choosing to write a new story: becoming a parent after a difficult childhood

After a challenging childhood, Quinton Pretorius and his wife have chosen to raise their children in a radically different way.

Social fathers and other male role models can have a huge impact in a child's life. David shares his story of being an adoptive father to his youngest son.

Teaching first time dads to change nappies

A BBC News story about a midwife in Nigeria who is finding creative ways to support men as they become fathers.

Discipline to equip, not to punish

Sonke Gender Justice MenCare Facilitator, Suleiman Henry, shares practical tips for dads on disciplining their children.

When the mind struggles, the body lets you know

Many people are unaware that their persisting physical symptoms may have a psychological cause. It is more common to treat the symptoms with medicine, rather than deal with the real issue.

Practical tips for working through hard emotions

We spoke to some experts to get helpful tools for when you are feeling overwhelmed or that your emotions are out of control and affecting the people around you.

What to do with your feelings when everything is not ok

It's difficult for men to be vulnerable when life is hard. We look at some of the ways men typically respond when life is challenging, especially when they lose a job or source of income.

Fathers Matter