By: Tlotliso May, 2017 Activator

Activator Brian Hlongwane rallies behind the gender equality call and urges the world to turn towards #IncludingTheBoyChild.��

The world as we know it is in a dire and desperate need to heed the call for gender equality. This is when there is an onslaught of women and the high incident rates evident in what appears to be the status quo in South Africa and the world alike. There is therefore a need to not grow tired of finding new and inventive ways of closing the gender gap between women and men and this should be done at a level of childhood such that we have an inclusive society with the generations that are still coming. Activator Brian agrees fully with the sentiments mentioned here and further implores the world and all civic organisations to never forget to include the male child in all their efforts to empower children and close the generational gender gap. This is a cause that Activator Brian wishes that all other Activators and civic leaders take upon themselves to follow.��

Activator Brian is a Business Management and Finance professional. When he was faced with the plague of unemployment, he turned to being inventive and used his acquired skills and talents and established a company where he offered tutoring services to learners. This also ranged from tertiary students who could benefit from his knowledge, to his potential clients. He later joined a company called Water and Water Waste Management company where rendered his services as a finance and management professional and concurrently serves as a Community Engagement and Fundraiser for an organisation called Blooming Buds on a voluntary and NPC basis. He boasts about being a husband to a fellow Activator and a father to a beautiful daughter. See? Siyashadisa here by ACTIVATE!

Activators can all attest to this or that development in their lives after joining the network. One will boast that the resources and human capital that is offered by ACTIVATE! Change Drivers have offered them a chance to be better activists. The stories of success amongst activists are popular and Mr Hlongwane is not an exception. There is a propensity amongst Activators to join other like-minded organisations after being a part of the ACD Programmes in an effort to further their exposure into the world of activism.

To this end, Mr Hlongwane joined YALI (Young African Leaders Initiative)�� and was a part of the RLC Cohort 5 which focused on Business and Entrepreneurship Development Track. In this course, future and aspiring entrepreneurs are equipped with experiential learning that will see them successful in all their business quests. Brian did not only take the mainstream course but ensured that he took other courses within YALI and was also a part of SWITCH as a mentor. He is currently a mentee at Sanlam as one of twelve mentees who are mentored by SANLAM in Partnership with ACTIVATE! Change Drivers.��

In his ultimate future, Brian wishes to acquire his Master’s and further successfully establish a social invest fund that is aimed at eradicating some of the prevalent social ills that we find ourselves in as a country. He joined the campaign #IncludingTheBoyChild because he believes that there is a rapid need for gender equality. He also joined this initiative because he wants to be on the side of change and solutions and not become a part of a problem as far as gender equality and norms are concerned. Brian���s idea of South Africa is one where inclusivity and equality reigns and Tata Madiba���s dream of a rainbow nation is realised.��