One Economy tackles social issues with men’s ultimate potjie competition
By Jaenique Swartz.
Reaching out from the Office of the First Lady, the One Economy Foundation recently hosted a potjie competition exclusively for men, to bring the message across that there is no room for violence of any kind in inter-personal relationships.
The One Economy Foundation hosted the ultimate #BeFreePotjie competition at Xwama Restaurant on 21 April.
The event focused on male engagement to dispel myths of gender violence, to assist with reproductive health issues and to address mental health struggles among men.
The foundation hosted a similar event in 2022 which tackled a spectrum of social problems in an attempt to educate men and to spread more awareness to prevent male-based violence.
One of the headliners of the event was King Tee Dee, who is an ambassador for Smart Cut, a male circumcision clinic. He dispelled the myths surrounding sexually transmitted diseases and educated young men and boys about the importance of getting circumcised.
Another reputable attendee was clinical psychologist, Edwina Husselmann, who sat down with the men to have a open discussion about their mental health. She encouraged them to seek help when they need and guided them how to deal with mental health struggles and trauma.
The competition had over 140 attendees who joined the engagement and where they sat down with two inmates from the Windhoek prison which corroborated what Husselmann spoke about.
Many of the men had grown up in environments that normalised violence and alcohol abuse, stressing that seeking help during periods of adversity is very important for one’s mental health.
The event was very interactive in the discussions, ending on a high note with Paulus Amuthenu and Sem Uutoni crowned as the ultimate potjie masters, taking home N$5000.
Second were Donald Kariseb and Jones Mothibi, third place going to Kirenus Kevanhu and Simon Kauluma who took home N$3000 and N$2000 respectively.
