The Men’s Foundation SA is proud to announce the launch of its annual Brovember campaign, beginning today, on 1 November 2024, in collaboration with Build it, a long-standing, community-focused supplier of building materials across Southern Africa. This year, the organisation invites men to grow a moustache, get active, or make a donation to support awareness campaigns that aim to provide life-saving prostate and testicular cancer screening, support and treatments to South African men in need.
“With the launch of Brovember, the Men’s Foundation aims to challenge the societal stigma around toxic masculinity, and how it affects men’s health. By encouraging a more proactive approach to self-care among men in South Africa, the foundation aims to create safe spaces, and opportunities, for men to open up and ask for help,” comments Garron Gsell, CEO at the Men’s Foundation SA.
In South Africa, access to cancer treatment remains a monumental challenge. Many treatment facilities lack adequate resources, with waiting lists that serve as a grim reminder of the unmet needs in our healthcare system. The Men’s Foundation is committed to addressing these gaps and encouraging public engagement and support through the Brovember campaign online via www.brovember.co.za.
Build it’s National Marketing Executive, Chris Quayle, reflected on this partnership, stating that: “Build it’s partnership represents a significant commitment to this mission. With 400 stores across Southern Africa, Build it has proudly served communities for almost 40 years, driven by its core values of family, entrepreneurship, and passion. With our values at the heart of everything we do, we believe in giving back to the communities that support us, and the Brovember campaign is an initiative we are proud to support for the men of Southern Africa”.
Throughout the course of Brovember, South African men are encouraged to sign up to the cause. “By signing up, men will gain access to vital information surrounding men’s health issues. Communities are encouraged to participate in the campaign by either growing a moustache for 30 days or taking on the “MOVE for Mental Health” challenge, whereby you commit to a challenge with the number 80, for every 1 man that dies due to suicide every 80 minutes. You can walk, cycle or run 80 km’s for the month of Brovember, deadlift 80kg’s – this is also linked to the research out of South Australia University that proved exercise to be 1.5 times more effective than anti-depressants in treating mental health” shares Gsell.
As the leading men’s cancer organisation in SA and member of the South African Cancer Alliance (which has challenged the Gauteng Department of Health to address long-standing issues in radiation oncology services) Brovember shines a light on the critical need for improved access to cancer care and treatment across South Africa. Brovember 2024 stands as a rallying call for community action, solidarity, and compassion in the face of a disease that takes too much from too many.
For more information on the Brovember campaign or to join the fight against cancer, visit brovember.co.za to register, grow, move, or donate. All funds raised will remain in South Africa and be invested in programs that support the physical and mental health of South African men, ensuring they receive the care they need.