HARARE, Feb 14 (NewsDay Live) - Churches have been urged to take a leading role in addressing the surge in the number of male suicide cases in Bulawayo.
In the same spirit, government has also been challenged to intensify social support for families and communities to promote good mental health.
Domestic disputes, life challenges and feelings of helplessness are deemed the first underlying factors.
Acting towards this development, a drug education, prevention and rehabilitation organisation, Rechabites Trust, has taken a step in acting towards alleviating the suicide cases among men.
Trust founder and senior pastor Zenzo Siwela said men need support, and churches should take it upon themselves to extend a hand in helping men to open up on issues affecting them.
“The church has to talk about these ailments which affect men. They (men) should be given room to open up, even crying, because men bottle up and they need our support,” Siwela said.
He said this initiative came after realising that drug and substance abuse was the root cause of the problem, and since it is known to be affecting the youth and children, men are not spared in the menace as evidenced by the rising suicide cases.
“The trust started on drug awareness because our children were being affected. Now we have decided to include issues which can lead to addiction,” Siwela said.
- Address rising male suicide cases, churches urged
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Meanwhile, the trust held a Men Talk at YWCA in Bulawayo running under the theme Learn, Understand and Take Action.
Twelve men gathered to be taught about underlying and ignored prostate cancer signs, which men should take note of to avoid late presentation for treatment.
“I was affected, one day I went to the toilet, and I could not pass urine. It was very painful. This happened the whole day, I had to be rushed to the doctor and he could not help, then I was rushed to a specialist,” Siwela said.
“Again, as a senior pastor at a local church, my big brother in the Lord had a problem too. He sought help from our bishop.
“That is when I saw that men are not talking about their problems, thus, taking it upon myself to initiate the Men Talk.”
Siwela said prostate cancer is slowly affecting and killing men, while the church is silent, hence the gatherings will help in making men speak out, assist them get treatment and talk them against issues such as suicide.
He further invited men on the next series of the Men Talk, which will be held in March.
