One of the activities conducted by MOSAIC, a MenCare+ South Africa coordinator, is to provide counseling to men who have used violence in intimate partner relationships.
A group of men who had been through this counseling program expressed the need for continued support, specifically from their peers. Veronica Libbie, a senior counselor at MOSAIC, has, together with the men, established a male peer support group. July 2014 saw this group complete its fifth support group session, and each member brought one man from his respective community with him to be part of the group.
Although this group began as an extension of the Toolkit for Men, it has developed into a new social support system, with members playing an active role in each other’s lives. The men are also deciding on a strategy to expand the reach of the program through the establishment of home-based and community-based peer support groups that are open to all men.
MOSAIC sees this initiative as a positive move towards broadening the network of care for men.