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Handout 11C: Painting Murals to Engage Young Men 28Every day, thousands of people leave and enter Soweto, Johannesburg from the taxi rank 29 opposite ChrisHani Baragwanath Hospital. Now, if they glance up as they board a mini-bus, they will see a colorful muralwith a clear message. The bright, cartoon-like images show men in positive roles: as an involved and lovingfather, as a caregiver to those sick with HIV/AIDS, as a visitor choosing to get tested for HIV at a clinic, andas a man taking a stand against domestic violence. If the mural’s message resonates with just a fraction of thepeople who pass it, the collaboration between MAP and a group of artists will have achieved its goal.As one young male volunteer who participated in the design of the mural put it: “This mural, it’s lifechanging,it carries more than you could ever think it does, it shows exactly what’s happening in our society.We’re at war with a lot of things and these are very personal issues for me.”The mural was a product of a group of young male artists involved with the Artists Proof Studios (APS) whohad been to MAP workshops, along with peer educators and participants from the MAP Network. Togetherthis group of young people, mostly men, took the initiative to create a visual message to the community,advocating constructive male involvement. The project was timed to coincide with “16 Days of ActivismAgainst Gender Violence,” an awareness-raising campaign in its seventh year in South Africa.Standing back to admire his handiwork on the mural, APS student Cyprian Bekwaphi described hisexperience of attending a MAP workshop. Around him, other team members filled in the sketches withbright colors, bringing the MAP messages to life. “It was eye-opening. It made us realize a lot of thingsabout taking care of people and not just corny ‘use a condom’ phrases. It got into why you should respectwomen and respect yourself.”The “MAP Mural CAT” chose this action based on what they knew of their community. The location for themural was strategic—it is one that nearly everyone in Soweto sees. The message for the mural grew out oftheir experience with workshops, meetings, “ambush theater” at taxi stands, and community residents andleaders. By portraying positive images of male involvement, the team felt confident of sparking conversationand re-evaluation of men’s role in the family and community. The campaign also provided opportunities forindividuals to get involved, to develop leadership, and to reach out to a range of “stakeholders” in thecommunity.28 Adapted from a case study prepared for MAP by Kristy Siegfried, December 2004.29 This taxi rank, or bus station, is the largest transportation hub in all of Africa.95