Marinus de Kok - MENtor
Originally from the town of Vereeniging, I moved to Cape Town with my folks at a very young age. I matriculated here and then went on to study Industrial Psychology at Stellenbosch University. My spare time was spent mainly making music, in music ministry, or working for my father at his service station. I completed my Master's degree in Industrial Psychology, with the focus of my research on remedying unemployment through affirmative development.
At home I am married for four years to the sweetest woman you can imagine. My wife and I are known as "the love birds." She is a teacher by profession and her name is Yvette. We are expecting our first (a little girl) this year and we are very excited.
I have seen what fatherlessness is causing in our society. I believe it to be central to so many problems in the world, particularly violence against women - which upsets me deeply. I have seen what a good father looks like through what my own dad is, and has been, for me. Furthermore, so many caring older male figures have guided and supported me in my life - without whom, I would not be where I am today.
LEAD SA - 5 values men say NO to violence against women and children!
Online Article - LEAD SA | November 2016
This company is filling the gap that absent fathers leave, and it is phenomenal!
Online Article - | August 2016
Online Article - Joburg Online | June 2016
2015
LEAD SA - Character Company growing boys of integrity
Online Article - 702 | August 2015
2014
A Fathers Love can Help
Blog Article - First National Bank | February 2014
2013
Interview with Jaco van Schalkwyk
Randburg Sun | November 2013
Together SA
Directory Listing | October 2013
DISCOVERY 947
RIDE JOBURG
947 Discovery Ride Joburg Is an awesome opportunity and day out to ride for a purpose. Your involvement and support will help us raise boys to be real men of character.
Curriculum Guide
Our curriculum guide is there to help you as MENtor to be more intentional with the boys. Every month has a theme with 5 weekly talk topics. It also includes articles for reading and activities to do with the boys. Some or most months will only have 4 weeks, so this gives you, the MENtor, the opportunity to choose which talk topics will be more relevant to your specific group of boys.
MENtors are required to prepare for their sessions by reading through the talk topics included in the curriculum guide but are encouraged to incorporate their own ideas and activities as long as it supports the monthly theme and weekly topics. Remember that these topics were chosen for a specific reason.
REMEMBER: Simply providing resources for a mentee is not mentoring. That is the minimum requirement to setup an appropriate learning environment. Mentoring takes place in the personal interactions with the mentee.
The curriculum guide will be revised and improved on a regular basis and will continue to develop with your help. While we try to include up to date and relevant content, there are resources of which we are unaware, and there is firsthand expertise and experience that can enhance and supplement the existing material, but we can only get this additional content from a greater community of mentors. So please feel free to comment on the layout, grammar, content and activity suggestions. We welcome your input! Feedback can be sent to willie.ch@racter.co.za
MONTHLY THEMES
RESPECT...
how to give it and earn it!
In November we talk about respect. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 5 page document covering 5 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Taking responsibility and make sure you persistently acquire respect for yourself from others
EARNING RESPECT | Short Video for older (teen) boys
RAISING BOYS WITH HEALTHY ATTITUDES| Article of Interest
RESPECT AND CONSENT | Interesting Short Video
BREAKING THE BOY CODE| Article with Short Video
SELF-DISCIPLINE...
as a key to unlocking personal potential
In October we talk about self-discipline. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 5 page document covering 5 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Interesting blog article on teaching kids about self-discipline (self regulation) using 7 different strategies
ME WANT IT BUT ME WAIT | Sesame Street Song & Video
5 ACTIVITY IDEAS| A Short video
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES | Interesting Video
LESSONS FROM ANGRY BIRDS | Animated Short Video
BEING A PROTECTOR...
of others and especially of yourself...
In September we talk about being a protector. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 5 page document covering 5 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
A social experiment to show just how easy it is to walk off with a child from a park
BRUTAL BOYS & MEAN GIRLS | Informative article on bullying
EVERYDAY LEADERSHIP| A Short video
KIDS CHANGE THE WORLD|It takes 5 minutes a day - short video
UNDERSTAND THE BOYS CODE | Informative video - TED Talk
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | Boys & Men in an Age of #MeToo
HONESTY...
what it is and why it matters
In August we talk about honesty. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 5 page document covering 5 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
A short video about Howard the Rabbit and his lesson about lying
KIDS TALK ABOUT HONESTY | A Quick Video
RESPONDING TO LYING| A Short video
THE HONEST CHILD |Video Discussions about lying
22 MORAL STORIES | Fables and Tales
KINDNESS to...
myself, my mom, others and the environment
In July we talk about kindness. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 4 page document covering 4 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Take on a 30 Day Kindness Challenge or get your boys to complete 10 acts of kindness (make your own video)
MAKING FRIENDS WITH FEAR | A Quick Video
REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE| A Short video
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS | 20 Acts - Video
SOCIAL EXPERIMENT | How many people do you think helped?
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | A world upside down
COURAGE...
with myself, others, my family and God
In June we talk about courage. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 6 page document covering 6 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
A great exercise to help boys identify their fears and work to overcome them.
COLOUR YOUR WORLD WITH KINDNESS| A Quick Video
FEAR OF FAILURE| An Insightful blog about overcoming fear
TO EVERYDAY KID HEROES | Kid President Video
SING-A-LONG | Daniel and the Lion’s Den
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | Everyday Heroes
WEEK 2 | Courage Amplifies our Lives
WEEK 3 | Breaking Personal Ceilings
WEEK 4 | Let’s Take This Outside!
RELATIONSHIPS...
with myself, others, my family and God
In May we talk about relationships. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 6 page document covering 6 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
The most important relationship is the one we have with ourselves.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS | A Quick Video
BOYS & GIRLS| An Insightful blog about talking to boys about girls
20 TIPS TO CHANGE THE WORLD | Kid President Video
AWESOME GIRLS | Kid President Video
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | Faith - the courage to believe
WEEK 2 | Developing a Relationship with Self
WEEK 3 | It starts with you - RESPECT - available in our curriculum pack
WEEK 4 | Identify and end toxic relationships - available in our curriculum pack
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT...
Understanding how to manage conflict
In April we talk about managing conflict. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 6 page document covering 6 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Conflict Resolution tools are useful in helping boys learn to diffuse tense situations and resolve conflicts
CONFLICT RESOLUTION | A Quick Video
ANGER CHART| A Tool to Help Gauge Emotional Intensity
EMOTIONAL CHECK-IN | A youtube video
ANGRY BIRDS | Emotional Control Video
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | Aggressive vs. Assertive
WEEK 2 | Camping with Character
WEEK 3 | Fighting Fair - Ground rules for boys
WEEK 4 | Values to live by
COMMUNICATION...
How we talk and listen
In March we talk about communication. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 5 page document covering 5 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Emoticons (Emotion Icons) or rather now emojis are a way to communicate concepts on a single image
EMOTICONS | Take a quick EmojiQuiz
EMOJI-PEDIA | A Dictionary of the latest Emojis
SEE & HEAR MORSE CODE | A youtube video
SA SIGN LANGUAGE | Learn the basic alphabet
BODY LANGUAGE BASICS | Positive Body Language T0 Tips
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | Mom & Son Communication
WEEK 2 | Listening to Understand
WEEK 3 | Empathy vs. Sympathy - Raising boys to be kind, caring adults
WEEK 4 | Better to Express than Suppress
KNOW WHO YOU ARE...
Who am I?
In February we talk about understanding who you are. To download the full month’s curriculum, click the MONTH button above. Or download the Talk Topic guide separately below:
Includes a brief summary of the weekly talk topics and key messages to be included
Includes a 6 page document covering 6 weeks talk topics - included a brief summary of each talk
PERSONALITY TEST | A fun personality quiz, just for kids!
SOUTH AFRICA | National Symbols
NATIONAL ANTHEM | Nkosi Sikelel’ - video
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Encourage your boys to create their own cv, listing what makes them so special.
PERSONALITY TEST | A fun personality quiz, just for kids!
SOUTH AFRICA | National Symbols
NATIONAL ANTHEM | Nkosi Sikelel’ - video
For additional reading, please visit our blog, or follow the links set out below:
WEEK 1 | Faith - the courage to believe
WEEK 2 | Values, how do the shape us?
WEEK 3 | Knowing yourself, and loving you anyway
WEEK 4 | Personal turned public
Every month has a THEME with weekly Talk Topics. You will notice that some months may have more Talk Topics then there are weeks, this gives you - the MENtor, the opportunity to choose which Talk Topic might be more relevant to you specific group of boys. However it is important that you stick to the month’s THEME at all times.
MENtors are required to prepare and orientate themselves by reading through the Talk Topics included in their hard copy manuals or through the links provided on this page. We are working to specifically expand the Talk Topics, creating a number of talks suited to each developmental age. MENtors are encouraged to incorporate their own ideas into designing an activity from the Activities Ideas downloads we provide for each month.
A weekly feedback report should be completed - by MENtors to help with overall programme monitoring and evaluation. The feedback must be submitted to the National Head Office within the week of your activity. Should you have more urgent feedback, please contact Loraine immediately.
Remember! You lead by example...
Our MENtors exemplify our 5 Values:
Have you...
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Liked our Facebook page?
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Shared a recent TCC Facebook post?
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Included your work with The Character Company in your CV and updated your Social Media, eg.: LinkedIn, Facebook, to show that you are helping to raise good men?
5 Values pencil bag
certificate
Your R80 donation will allow us to give a pencil bag to a boy growing up with an absent father. You will receive a personalised certificate like this sample that you can give to someone as a Christmas Gift this year - how much more valuable than branded clothing or another video game ...
