Early Childhood Development (ECD) training

One of the first steps taken by the municipality was to invest in the people who care for and teach young children. ECD practitioners play a vital role in influencing how children learn to interact with the world around them. Yet their work is often undervalued, underpaid and unsupported. In Drakenstein, a comprehensive training programme was organised to equip these practitioners with new skills, resources, and methods for engaging with children in ways that are both developmentally appropriate and emotionally affirming.

This was about recognising ECD practitioners as community leaders in their own right. When teachers are confident and well-supported, children benefit – and so do families. The municipality’s investment in ECD acknowledges that prevention does not begin at the site of violence. It begins much earlier, in spaces where children are taught how to express themselves, how to resolve conflict, and how to feel safe in the presence of adults.

Men taking a public stand

One of the most powerful moments in the challenge period was the Men’s Silence March, where men from the community walked together in quiet procession, holding signs and walking through the streets to make a collective presence. Their silence was an intentional act of listening and reflection, offering a pause in public space to acknowledge the role that men and those in positions of power play in perpetuating violence and show commitment to change.

The walk was powerful because it was simple. There were no speeches, no performances, just a line of men walking through their own neighbourhoods, showing that solidarity does not always need to shout. It sometimes begins by listening.

GBVF community run

In another part of the municipality, residents gathered for a 5-kilometre run.  What was significant was the sense of shared purpose. Children ran alongside parents, older residents ran at their own pace, and local athletes joined in support. While the run was organised to raise awareness about GBVF, it also gave people a way to show up for something that matters in their everyday lives.

Making space for honest dialogue through a men’s awareness session

Alongside the public events, Drakenstein also hosted a dedicated session for men to talk openly about issues that are often kept hidden, such as masculinity, control, respect, and the unspoken pressures that shape how boys grow into men. The men who attended were invited to reflect on their own behaviours, their fears, and the examples they had learned from their fathers, uncles, teachers, and peers.

When men are able to speak honestly with one another – without being shamed or excused – new possibilities emerge. Possibilities for repair, for commitment, and for choosing differently.

What Drakenstein’s 100-Day Challenge has shown is that prevention is not one thing. It is many things, done together. It is about how we teach our children, how we show up in public, how we talk to one another, and how we decide what is normal and what is not acceptable. The impact of this work may not be fully measurable yet. But its meaning is already clear. When communities are given the tools and the trust to lead, they do not wait for permission. They begin. And in that beginning, something powerful happens, people remember their power, and they begin to use it.