Daddy Appreciation Day

On Sunday 19 th June 2005, the Mabuphele Campaign, together with the Southern African Media & Gender Institute (SAMGI), and the Department of Health, Western Cape, hosted a Father's Day event titled “Daddy Appreciation Day”. The object of the event was to celebrate fathers and fatherhood. The festivities took place at the Monwabisi Recreational Centre, in Langa.

The keynote speaker was Mr. Chris Giles, who is a social/community worker, based at the Manenberg People's Centre. Chris's discussion was both brief and effective. He related two stories about his own relationship with his father, who was more interested in impressing, and spending time with his friends, than with his family. In later years when his father took ill and all the friends disappeared it was Chris who took in his father, and provided him with more than a place to stay; with a home. By having an opportunity to observe Chris's relationship with his own son, time spent doing things together, discussions they had with each other, and Chris telling his son that he loved him, often, caused his father to verbalize his regret for not being a better father to Chris.

Beyond the keynote speaker, we held two workshops. The first was a page out of Ikamva Labantu's, Men's Kindness programme, and dealt with communication. The facilitator for this workshop was the programme coordinator of the Men's Kindness programme, Mr. Wessel van den Berg.

Mr. Kita Thierry, Director of Hoops 4 Hope, South Africa, facilitated our second workshop. The workshop was called Skills 4 Life, and addressed the skills we need as for living and coping with everyday life issues. Issues like, anger management, communication skills, and the cycle of life.

After lunch, we got busy with the true calling of the day, fun and celebration. Some participants got involved with screen-printing “Daddy Appreciation Day” t-shirts; others sang karaoke, while others played pool. To make the day special and memorable, SAMGI created a booklet titled: A Tribute to Fathers. A booklet containing personal stories of relationships with fathers, life skills articles, contact numbers to agencies one can call to for help, a reference section of movies that deal with fatherhood, and another with quotes about fathers. Throughout the workshops our photographer went around taking pictures of entire families that attended the event, we then printed and pasted those pictures to a section of the booklet created specifically for that purpose; making the booklet both informative and a keepsake. Additionally, there were information kiosks, bags of goodies as giveaways and prizes, for young and old.

We at SAMGI, on behalf of the Mabuphele Campaign, and the Department of Health, Western Cape, would like to thank To the two-hundred plus men, women, and children, from all five communities that attended the Daddy Appreciation Day celebration and made it a success. Thank you.

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