Coaching Boys into Men
A programme aimed at ending early child marriages
Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is a comprehensive, evidence- based violence prevention strategy that is used to inspire community-based coaches to teach boys that violence never equals strength and violence against women and girls is wrong. Through the programme, boys are taught on the dangers of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. The programme builds positive behaviour and developing healthy masculinity and respectful, nonviolent relationships.
With the high numbers of child marriages and adolescent pregnancies in the Katete district, working with girls exclusively was not enough hence, the need to also include boys in interventions aimed at addressing child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. Through the programme, boys are taught on the importance of treating women and girls with respect and that violence against women and girls never equals strength or manliness.
Though the programme is anchored in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, it also links with other Ministries such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health through referrals for boys who may be in need of other services in health and education. It also links with other community structures such as traditional leaders and community dialogues promoting positive gender norms.
The programme leverages on the power of sports to influence positive masculinities in the boys who enroll in it. Coaching boys into men programme thus, uses soccer[1] as an entry point and recreation activity for the boys. With 135 trained coaches across 6 districts, the selected boys from the community are divided into two age cohorts of 10-14 years and 15-19 years.
Peter Maposa is a schoolteacher at Chimwa primary school in Kapangulula village, Katete district and a trained coach under the coaching boys into men programme for the last 2 years.
With the high numbers of child marriages and adolescent pregnancies in the Katete district, working with girls exclusively was not enough hence, the need to also include boys in interventions aimed at addressing child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. Through the programme, boys are taught on the importance of treating women and girls with respect and that violence against women and girls never equals strength or manliness.
Though the programme is anchored in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, it also links with other Ministries such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health through referrals for boys who may be in need of other services in health and education. It also links with other community structures such as traditional leaders and community dialogues promoting positive gender norms.
The programme leverages on the power of sports to influence positive masculinities in the boys who enroll in it. Coaching boys into men programme thus, uses soccer[1] as an entry point and recreation activity for the boys. With 135 trained coaches across 6 districts, the selected boys from the community are divided into two age cohorts of 10-14 years and 15-19 years.
Peter Maposa is a schoolteacher at Chimwa primary school in Kapangulula village, Katete district and a trained coach under the coaching boys into men programme for the last 2 years.
[1] a form of football played by two teams of eleven players with a round ball which may not be handled during play except by the goalkeepers.
“I coached 50 boys of which 25 are between 10-14 years old and the other 25 are between 15-19 years old. We meet each team twice every week. Each session starts with a 15-minute lesson on diverse topics such as positive masculinities, participation in household chores, respectful relationships with others including women and girls and Gender Based Violence (GBV). After the discussion on the topic, the boys are then engaged in soccer. This is also characterized by music composed to raise awareness on pertinent issues that affect adolescent girls and boys. The aim is to coach boys into men using sport as an entry point which provides the boys with a recreation activity,” said Peter.
“I enjoy being a coach because through this programme many boys are becoming responsible people in society. We named our football teams Chimwa United; and this makes the boys proud and feel part of something more meaningful,” said Peter.
13-year-old Richard Mwale is a grade 2 pupil at Chimwa Primary school and is a member of the Chimwa United football team. Richard lives with his grandmother Julianna Phiri in Mandowa Village of Katete District.
“I enjoy being a part of the Coaching Boys into Men programme because, we learn a lot of things such as taking part in household work and not just to leave it to our sisters, respecting other people. The programme also gives us an opportunity to play soccer in a well-coordinated manner with a coach like in professional football. I hope to become a teacher like my Coach Mr. Mapona,” said Richard.
Julianna Phiri, Richards’s grandmother said, “I came to learn of this programme a year ago when we were visited by Mr. Mapona. He explained what the programme was all about, and I gave consent for Richard to be part of it. Over the months, I have seen significant changes in Richard’s behavior and how he has become more responsible, even assisting with some of the chores at home unlike before.”
In 2024, the Coaching Boys into Men programme will be scaled up to cover all the wards in the 6 districts where the Global Programme on Ending Child Marriage is being implemented. Other Gender Transformative approaches in the programme will be strengthened using the recently concluded Gender Norms Study in addressing identified persistent norms that increase girls vulnerability to child marriage and adolescent pregnancy.
