We are beyond proud! It is so well deserved and we are all honoured to work with this special guy, who impacts young lives wherever he goes.

Urshwin Engel, 30, was raised in a community in Cape Town that was rife with gangsterism and gang violence, and it opened his eyes to its danger to society and the effect it has on men. He works as programme lead at an organisation called School of Hard Knocks where he mentors and leads NXTGENMEN, a programme that focuses on men’s mental health and gender-based violence. Here he explores funding opportunities, facilitates programmes, trains other organisations and plans one-day tournaments for men on a monthly basis. Working on NXTGENMEN gives him the opportunity to work with men who have suffered grave difficulties.

He says the programme offers men the opportunity to find their voice and take control of the narrative about men’s character and role in society. Having grown up in a community with gang violence, Urshwin understands that people don’t choose their conditions and often become a victim of their circumstances, and so when more opportunities are created, the better chance they have of making positive choices. He is also involved in Camp Joy, a restoration centre for men with a history of substance abuse and gangsterism, where he coaches a rugby club and teaches boys and men life skills.

Achievements

A project that I am really proud of is the SOHK NXTGENMEN programme. I have been with SoHK for five years and in this time we have started a new project called NXTGENMEN. This programme focuses on men’s mental health, gender-based violence and providing coping strategies for men. I was initially part of the programme as a co-facilitator and later became the project lead.

I have always dreamt of reaching out to our men as I’ve seen the difficulties in our communities and also the struggles that come with being a man growing up in South Africa. I have previously worked in a community that was rife with gangsterism and learnt that people don’t choose their conditions and that society has allowed these negative things to become a part of our norm.

With NXTGENMEN we give men the opportunity to explore their individuality and own voice. While doing this programme, I  learnt that men want to change the narrative, and don’t want to be labelled as “trash” and it has given me hope for a better South Africa.

Mentors

My dad is a pastor and does a lot of community work. Growing up, I would always be by his side and learnt to have a holistic approach to life as my dad never saw status, power, race or religion. He felt that everybody needed support and always did his best to make Cape Town a better place.

Coach CeeJay reflects:

This year was going to be the year where I got my things in order. However, I feel like I haven’t been able to do that. I feel a sense of dissatisfaction with myself even though I know I am trying and the work that I do is important.

The transition that has happened this year for me was moving into a new space. I have been living in the comfort of university residence for the last 5 years. This has been such an extreme transition for me because I was able to get a space where I feel safe and also happen to move in with people who are very welcoming and show a lot of love to each other and me, but it meant that I would far from the things that I was used to. Seeing my friends can be a mission which has led to a sort of distance between us. However, we have been working to make this situation better. This transition has allowed me the chance to learn what it means to be alone, paying rent and just taking care of myself and my family, as an adult. It has helped me to reflect a lot on myself and the kind of person I want the world to see versus the person the world already sees.

So, I am now on that journey of accepting myself but also working on the things that I found needed to be worked on so that I can give the best version of myself to our participants, my friends and family, and myself.

It has been quite a journey. Sometimes, I find myself going back to my old ways but because I know why I’m doing this I always find a way back. Another transition I am experiencing is working on having difficult conversations. In my experience, these types of conversations have led to more harm than good. So, I have been working on that by myself and with my counsellor. It’s still a work in progress.

How has the NextGenWomxn programme helped you?

Being given the opportunity to take the lead in some of the NextGenWomxn (NGW) programmes has been such a wonderful experience because it has brought back my motivation and my confidence in my abilities to not only be a leader but also to take on responsibilities that I sometimes shy away from because I’m scared of failing. I have always felt that our communities lack knowledge and resources in many aspects of life and that is why people tend to make bad decisions or discriminate against others. I feel like it is my purpose to deliver that knowledge to the people so that we are all able to live in a safer South Africa and the NGW program has brought back that sense of purpose for me. 

What advice would you give to your 2023 self?

The advice I’d give to my last year self is to stop putting too much pressure on yourself and trust that what you have planned will work out. Even if it isn’t always according to the timeframes that you set.

Be okay with not succeeding in everything you do because that is also a learning opportunity.

You don’t always have to do too much to impress people and that who you are is enough. You’re doing great regardless of how you perceive yourself. Lastly, love yourself, talk to yourself and be okay with being by yourself. Too much of anything can be harmful and so you don’t need to be panicking and overthinking all the time because in the end things are going to come right because you are meant to do great things and you will be something great in the world, it’s only a matter of time.  

THE LEARNING EVALUATION

With the support of the DG Murray Trust, SoHK undertook an evaluation of certain design decisions that needed to be made about the SoHK for Schools programme. This evaluation, carried out in late 2023, informed decisions that the organisation made about the shape of the SoHK for Schools programme in 2024.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

The evaluation centred around three questions:

1. Does the SoHK for Schools programme work?

Ultimately, this is the pivotal question for the SoHK for Schools programme, interrogating whether SoHK is fulfilling its mission of improving mental and emotional wellbeing of its participants.

2.Which SoHK for Schools delivery model works best?

In 2023, SoHK had several different SoHK for School delivery models in place, with the intention of assessing whether the different models (namely, 1) a new compulsory model for all Grade 9s, held during school hours, 2) a referral/opt-in model, for all grades, held during school hours, and 3) an after-school model) realised similar or different outcomes.

3.Should SoHK continue to mandate therapy for its coaches?

SoHK’s coaches are young individuals who, through their work with SoHK’s participants, have to carry significant emotional weight. This is in addition to the fact that SoHK’s coaches live in similar, or the same, communities, as SoHK’s participants – often communities where conditions are difficult, and exposure to trauma is all-too-common. In order to support SoHK’s coaches, SoHK has provided, and required that the coaches use, trained counsellors.

This question sought to explore whether this mandated therapy model is one that has realised positive consequences for the coaches and for the SoHK for Schools programme.

FINDINGS

1. Does the SoHK for Schools programme work?

The evaluation revealed that the SoHK for Schools programme has quantitatively significant impacts on several aspects of the participants’ mental wellbeing, across models. The quantitative assessment was supported by qualitative data from focus groups and interviews. Overarchingly, the evaluation indicates that participants have a more positive outlook on their lives and their surroundings, and exhibit observable improvements in behaviour, strong indicators of improved mental and emotional wellbeing.

2. Which SoHK for Schools delivery model works best?

The impact of SoHK for Schools was definitely stronger in the new, entire grade, compulsory model. This model had the highest dosage (>90% attendance, against 48% for the opt-in models), exposing participants to more of the SoHK curriculum and coaches. The after-school model was not successful at all – attendance by participants, whose ability to attend was limited by their transport needs, was sufficiently poor that the after-school programme was discontinued in the 3rd term of 2023.

3.Should SoHK continue to mandate therapy for its coaches?

The mandating of therapy helped coaches to overcome their initial reservations about attending therapy, breaking through personal reservations and cultural norms. SoHK’s process, which asking the coaches to engage in written reflections, not only had the benefit of helping the coaches deal with their own trauma, but had the effect of helping the coaches increase their emotional intelligence, with significant implications for their work with the participants in SoHK’s programmes.

Recently the Expresso TV show invited us back. This time we have grown in number of coaches, participants and programmes. We are very honoured and grateful for the opportunity to share what we do. Urshwin and Ntuthu did us all proud!

Watch the full segment by clicking the button below:

…has been the most memorable experience so far.

It feels sort of full circle from being an intern to now Team Leader. It is incredible to see the growth within the organisation. 

Being a Team Leader (TL) comes with a responsibility that you have to apply yourself to achieve any little milestone. My first week of being a TL was nerve-racking not because I couldn’t deliver my sessions to the participants but rather to ensure that the group of amazing coaches reach their own goals or aspirations and that they reach their full potential within their respective coaching careers. Just as one of my greatest mentors, Mr Urshwin Engel, has guided me into becoming who I am today. Even though at times I struggled to believe in myself, he was there to push me through when I needed it.

With the second week of finding my feet, I have discovered that it’s easier to control what you know you have control over. Everything else will find themselves to work perfectly, (I don’t need to have control over every situation- I can rather focus on things that I do have control over).  

“Imperfections are little fragments of perfection in the long run.” 

Eventually taking a step back, reflecting on each day, you tend to discover the little victories such as seeing participants grasp with excitement something new, or little things like relationships blooming into something that can be beautiful. 

As much as I am still nervous about being a Team Leader,  I am sure that being one is pushing me to be a better person and leader and I am welcoming any challenges I will face in the future within and outside of SoHK.

Author: Yongisa Njobo

I would like to take this opportunity to formally welcome and say well done to all the coaches for making it through their 2 weeks of training and orientation. A special congratulations to new coaches; Zinthle, Anthony, and Athenkosi. On behalf of everyone I want to thank the reserve coaches, Indi, Emihle, and Khanya, for putting in the effort to attend and engage in each session.

A special “welcome back to SoHK” to Yongisa, who is now a Team Lead with me.

I am also very excited about Urshwin being promoted to NxtGenMen Programme Lead!

As the whole team has gone through the training, we have covered many topics. These topics have been in preparation for the coaches to enter the schools and be ready to provide the necessary support to our participants as well as granting them the knowledge and practical experience for their growth.

In week one, the coaches attended sessions covering the organisation's logic, processes and policies, and for some of them, their first touch rugby experience. The week ended with a short course provided and accredited by UCT called PFA (Psychological First Aid). This is a new training element to give all of the coaches the necessary information and skills to manage and deal with the type of situations they may face when entering the schools and dealing with the participants. This course spoke to the psychosocial aspect of working with our participants. The coaches have been equipped with rapport building-, needs assessment-, needs prioritization-, and intervention skills. This was provided through the model known as RAPID.

Week 2 started with the PFA course assessment and roleplays. The new coaches were paired with a coach from previous years and in a scenario where they made use of their new PFA training. Many of the coaches found themselves in difficult positions and realised again that the work we do at SoHK is tough and that we need to be supportive of each other and have a comprehensive skillset to do our work to the highest standard possible. Constructive criticism and information were provided and all coaches felt better equipped and ready to deal with disclosures they might face working with at-risk adolescents.

Nearing the end of the 2-week training and orientation period, the coaches got to grips with the evidence-based SoHK curriculum and received insight into its creation and reasoning for each session. The most important part of the overview was the explanation of the theoretical framework sunderpinning the curriculum. The coaches were shown the aspects of the curriculum that lead to change within the participants. They were also given the chance to experience what it is like to be in a session - acting as participants and receiving the sessions as the learners will.

I am very proud of my existing and new colleagues and am very excited about the impact we are going to have on 600+ children’s lives in 2024. Watch this space!