“Out of 7.8 billion people in the world, 5.6 billion are females and only 2.2 billion are males,” said Dr Maxwell Masakona during the Men’s Health Day event that was held at the University’s Art Gallery on Thursday, 26 July 2018.
As the guest speaker, Dr Maxwell Masakona who is the former teacher and a pastor spoke about dealing with the odds that decrease the male species in the world. He said that majority of deaths on daily basis involves men and yet men are less in terms of numbers in the world. “When you are impacted, please also impact others if you really want to change this world,” he said. He further expressed that it is important for a man to find work before getting married. He said this will enable the man to take care of his family. Dr Masakona advised men to be creative when they are at work. “earn respect, do not demand it.” He further advised them to have the ability to manage their temper and to be men who receive corrections at ease. He concluded his talk by advising them to love their wives.
“The purpose of this event is to seek and create a healthy lifestyle for University employees,” said the Director Human Resources, Mr Justice Manenzhe. Mr Manenzhe encouraged men to attend such events because they will get help on how to handle certain issues at work and at home. “It is our duty to make sure that all employees are happy and healthy because happy employees are productive at work,” he said. He further highlighted that with these kind of events, they want to make employees aware of things that they might not be aware of and that might be threatening their health.
Mr Norman Mudau from Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment spoke about domestic violence. He said men are perceived as perpetrators of domestic violence and he highlighted some of the contributors that lead to domestic violence. Mr Mudau said issues such as financial management, anger management, multiple partners including secret lovers, jealousy, child negligence, low self-esteem, alcohol and drug abuse contribute to violence. He advised the audience that they need to teach their children to respect one another while they are still young if they want to stop domestic violence. He concluded his talk by highlighting that communication is the only solution to avoid misunderstandings at home and at work.
Dr Mpho Mpilo spoke about health challenges that men are facing and how to overcome them. He said since he started working in the health sector, he finds it difficult to see a man coming to consult. He further encouraged them to consult when they come across health issues. “Go for proper health check-ups at-least once in every six months.” Dr Mpilo advised the audience to never ignore diseases with the hope that they will be okay because some diseases can be cured if detected at early stage. He further told them to stop consulting amongst themselves when they are sick. He advised them to see doctors.
Dr Takalani Makulana, who is a Gynecologist spoke about what men wish to know about women. She said men are simple because all they need to know is simple and predictable. She taught the audience about the myths about women which are not true. She advised them to take care of their families and to love their wives and children. She further advised them to always be supportive to their wives or partners when they are going through difficulties that every woman may come across in lifetime.
Mr Edward Sipholi proposing a vote of thanks
Outside the venue where the event was held, there were HIV/AIDS testing, Blood pressure and blood glucose testing services.
Attendees and speakers of the event posing for a photo after the event
Issued by:
Department of Communications & Marketing
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525
Date: 14 July 2018
