THE Men on Mission (MoM) initiative is already making a significant impact on the social landscape of Guyana. The brainchild of President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the group was officially launched during October last year as part of the “One Guyana” vision.

The idea behind this initiative is “to tackle toxic masculinity and create a positive environment and safe space for men, promoting integrity, productivity and accountability and character- building.”

In his remarks at the launch of MoM, President Ali urged men to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

According to the Head of State: “We men are the root cause of many problems in society. It is now our time to be the root or solution, to be the root of positivity, to be the root that makes a difference, to be your root that builds a support system.”

Men on Mission, the President said, will be the foundation to remove violence against women and children, among other social ills.

The response by our men has been most encouraging. In fact, the number of men who volunteered have surpassed expectations. This speaks well of our men who have not only heeded the call, but have also been integrally involved in the work of the unit.

It is no secret that males are more likely to drop out of school long before the end of the formal cycle of schooling.

As noted by President Ali: “An important part of Men on Mission is to work with boys all across the country, and not only with boys, but with girls also to ensure that we do coaching, mentoring, and motivation to get back our boys and girls, but especially our boys in school and their learning environment.”

The phenomenon of “male underachievement” is not peculiar to Guyana, but has become a global problem. Females tend to outperform their male counterparts not only in terms of academic performance, but in other spheres of life as well.

A lack of male role-models and stereotypical gender roles are no doubt contributory factors, which may have militated against males entering the teaching and nursing professions.

But as observed by President Ali, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a male nurse just as there is absolutely nothing wrong for a female to be an engineer or a pilot or a doctor.

The Men on Mission is aimed at reintegrating men into society by equipping them with necessary skills that are needed in the labour market. Already, the unit has set itself some laudable tasks which include the building of homes for the more vulnerable, including those living with disabilities.

In keeping with its mandate, the MoM has organised a regional boys camp to train 500 boys in a variety of skill areas designed to encourage healthy growth and proper development of boys into men. And according to Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force and Chairman of the Men on Mission Committee, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, the camp is open to all boys in the country.

The MoM agenda goes beyond training and home construction. It also includes supporting homeowners along the country’s main corridors to fix their fences, paint their buildings and fences and to plant flowers as part of the country’s beautification programme.

President Ali must be commended for his initiative to launch the Men on Mission project, which, from all indications, is already making a difference in our society.