David · name changed
David grew up hearing that boys should suppress emotion and dominate women. Those ideas shaped how he and his peers viewed relationships and responded to reports of abuse.
NOCAPAD community dialogues introduced him to gender equality, consent, respectful relationships and emotional wellbeing. Through mentorship, he began to see young men as important partners in preventing violence.
He started informal discussions in youth groups, football clubs and trading centres on managing anger, healthy relationships, responsible fatherhood and supporting girls’ education.
One example in the account concerns a girl at risk of leaving school for marriage. Working with community leaders and NOCAPAD staff, David engaged her family and helped identify support that enabled her to stay in school.
His experience shows how changing attitudes among boys and young men can contribute to both violence prevention and educational opportunity.
Adapted from NOCAPAD’s FHN project Stories of Change report. Names are changed where indicated to protect privacy. These accounts describe reported experiences, rather than independently measured project results.
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