Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Collaborating for #NoMore abuse
Campaign strives for an end to suffering
HUNGANI Ndlovu has been on both sides of physical and verbal abuse.
When the actor was at boarding school as a teenager, the bullying turned from verbal to physical.
It was the first time in his life he had been hit.
“My family never did that kind of thing. So it came as a huge shock to me,” remembers the 23-year-old.
His classmates had normalised a system of violence and bullying against younger pupils and, when he reached the higher grades, he admits he helped perpetuate the cycle, often picking on younger pupils.
They were an easy target for older pupils to take their frustrations out on, continuing the abuse.
“It was something I reflected on for years, and realised how wrong it was.”
He admits to an abusive relationship while he was in university in the US.
His girlfriend would often resort to violence during arguments.
After numerous alter- about their pain and the violence that they suffered to seek healing,” says Martin Pelders, the founder of Matrix Men.
It has monitored numerous cases of abuse against young men, most recently the Parktown boys abuse scandal that has dominated headlines.
Pelders hopes campaigns like #NoMore will help encourage male victims of abuse – who often remain silent – to come forward.
The campaign was launched in the US in 2013, and is dedicated to encouraging conversations around abuse and bringing violence out of the shadows.
“#NoMore brings together the largest coalition of advocacy groups, service providers, governmental agencies, major corporations, universities, communities and individuals, all under a common brand and a unifying symbol in support of a world free of violence,” says its website.
Send your stories of abuse – anonymously or otherwise – to nomore@matrixmen.org.
Visit https:// nomore. org, engage with the local celebrities on social media or follow the hashtag #RSASaysNoMore