| Sonke's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence |
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We’re involved in a range of exciting activities in this year’s national 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. We hope that the activities will encourage men both to look at their own behaviours and attitudes, and to get actively involved in ending gender-based violence and abuse. Highlights of Sonke’s 16 Days campaign this year are:
Mural on displacement, reintegration, and men and care in the context of HIV and AIDSSonke has partnered with the Artist Proof Studio to create a mural on a wall at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Joubert Park. The mural will be unveiled at 11am on 10 December, Human Rights Day. The mural covers two main themes: xenophobia and men and care in the context of HIV and AIDS. "We want to get people to understand the reasons why people leave their home country; they don't usually do this by choice and they come to South Africa to seek refuge," says Nyanda Khanyile of Sonke Gender Justice. John Taos, a refugee from Rwanda, brought his life story to the design. The mural will speak of the conditions that forced him to leave, what he endured to come to South Africa, the xenophobic attacks of 2008, and the importance of reintegration. "It's significant that this mural is being launched on Human Rights day as issues of displacement and xenophobia are intimately linked with human rights," adds Nyanda. For more information, please contact Nyanda on 072 214 9974. 
A section of the mural being painted
Street soccer in Guguletu, Cape TownSonke is hosting a street soccer festival on 9 December in order to talk to people, especially men and boys, about testing for HIV and taking ARVs, and stopping violence against women and children. "In every township around the country you will see boys and young men playing soccer in the street, and we hope to harness the energy around the sport to get men to look at issues that important in our communities," says Leo Mbobi, who is coordinating the festival. We have invited John Shoes’ Moshoeu, a veteran Bafana player who has played for Kaizer Chiefs and in Turkey, and has represented his country 73 times including in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The festival will start at 10am on 10 December, at the community swimming pool parking area in Guguletu NY117. Players should arrive at 9am. For more information, please call Leo on 083 688 7487. (Note that the date of this event had previously been scheduled for 10 December, but it had to be moved back a day to 9 December.) Men marching in LimpopoSonke partnered with the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme and Thulamela Municipality to organise a march on 6 December that started at the Thohoyandou shopping complex and ended at the University of Venda stadium. Around 600 men participated, and the march was lead by religious and traditional leaders. The march encouraged men to take a stand against gender-based violence, and New Start was available to test for HIV. The event received a lot of media coverage, including from SABC TV, Phalafala FM and the local SABC radio station. Meadowlands mural against violenceSonke is partnering withthe organisation African Men’s Health to launch a mural on the wall ofthe Meadowlands clinic. The mural is a response to a fight that brokeout nearby at a concert held by a local youth radio station on 25 November 2008. The fight resulted in eight deaths and manyinjuries. The mural looks at issues around rape and violence. Talking about gender-based violence in Nairobi and DakarDean Peacock, Co-Director of Sonke, will be presenting at the UNHigh Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) regional headquarters in Nairobi ongender-based violence on 5 December. Bafana Khumalo, Sonke's other Co-Director, will be presenting at aUNIFEM and UNFPA convened panel at ICASA (International Conference onHIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa) on theintersection of gender based violence and HIV on 6 December. Condom distribution in QumbuSonke will be distributing condoms at Qumbu taxi rank on 5 December. There has been a positive response to condom distribution previously, for instance from taxi rank management, especially because condoms can be hard to get in rural areas. Soccer tournament in QumbuIn line with Sonke’s previously successful use of soccer as a way to gather and interact with men, a soccer tournament will be held on 8 December at Siyakhanyisa in Qumbu. Men will be telling their stories to players and fans in between matches, with HIV prevention as a major theme. "It’s a potentially dangerous time, now, as people are coming back form the big cities to the rural areas for the holidays, bringing alcohol and wanting to party. When they’re drunk, people tend to forget about safe sex," says Patrick Godana, who is coordinating Sonke’s activities in the Eastern Cape. Door-to-door campaign in MvumelwanoSonke will be partnering with Siyakhanyisa to distribute pamphlets and t-shirts door-to-door and talk to people about gender-based violence, on 10 December. The police station will also be visited. Mvumwelwano is notorious for rape and Sonke is hoping to turn the village upside down! Children's party in NcumbeForthe benefit of orphans and vulnerable children, Sonke organised achildren's day at the chief's place at Zwelidumile ka Dumani in Ncumbe,Eastern Cape, on 4 December. Over 200 children attended. Party packs, t-shirts and playing balls werehanded out to add a smile to the lives of children living in verychallenging circumstances. Patrick Godana, the Sonke staff member coordinating activities in the area, spoke and emphasised respect between boys and girls. He also gave the contact details of partner organisations who could assist with applications for the child support graint. The chief emphasised the consistent use of condoms as it pained him to see children growing up starving and in such difficult circumstances.
Kliptown mural unveiledSonke launched a new mural on 1December on a wall next to Walter Sisulu Square, which is where theFreedom Charter was adopted in 1955. The mural depicts men taking astand against violence and accessing voluntary counselling and testingfor HIV. Sonke partnered with MoAfrika iTlokomela, an organisation ofex-convicts who promote crime awareness through activities like givingtalks on the consequences of crime and taking school children on prisontours. Sonke is working to help them integrate gender into their work.
Activities in Nkandla, KwaZulu-NatalThe 16 Days of Activism kicked off on 25 November and things have been busy for Sonke in Nkandla!
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