• A Cape Town institute helps men up to age 56 attend initiation school after missing chances when younger.

• The organisation needs donations of food, clothes and blankets for 52 initiates returning home this month.

A Cape Town organisation that helps older men who missed their chance to attend initiation school when they were younger is asking for help to welcome home 52 initiates.

The men began their initiation journey on 8 November and completed their traditional journey to manhood this month.

The institute needs donations of blankets, clothes, shoes, groceries and meat for the homecoming celebration on 15 December.

The Somagwaza Institute is based in Gugulethu.

“We received messages from families asking for assistance as they didn’t have any means to take their boys to initiation school. We started the project to assist where we could because we understand the frustration of older men who haven’t been to initiation school,” said Sikelela Zokufa, who started the institute.

“They don’t get respected even by younger people who went to initiation school before them. We want to restore their dignity. When we started, we had 11 initiates. Last year, we had 41, and this year, we have 52 initiates ranging from 23 to 56 years old,” he said.

“Anything that is needed when preparing for the initiates’ homecoming will be much appreciated. We are happy that we decided to do this project, and we are helping a lot of people who didn’t know what to do to go to initiation school,” said Zokufa.

Resident Nolukholo Mboxela supports the project. “Imagine a 56-year-old who had never got a chance to go there because his family didn’t have the means to do so. He has been called a boy by kids because he hasn’t gone yet. And those who are over 18 and still haven’t gone to initiation are not respected, they are called boys,” said Mboxela.

People who want to donate can visit the institute at Ikhaya Loxolo Old Age Home in Gugulethu, opposite KFC at the Gugulethu Mall.

Pictured above: Initiates.

Source: File