Our Story
The foundations of Isiseko Imara’s story can be traced back to 2008 when George Mwaura first came from Kenya to study theology and intern at Westville Baptist Church in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2009, he joined Westville Baptist’s newly created social outreach non-profit organisation called the Church Alliance for Social Transformation (CAST). He worked as a Sports Coordinator, running the Ubabalo whole-life sports coaching programme in communities such as KwaDabeka and Lamontville. George used basketball and soccer as a tool to mentor and disciple young men growing up without fathers. Sports coaching grew into something much bigger – the young basketball team in KwaDabeka began to call themselves “the Clan”, finding community and a sense of belonging in the team.
In 2010, George launched his first boys2Men camp, a weekend camp designed to introduce young men to Jesus, and also provide an initiation experience, or an invitation to the journey from childhood to manhood. Older men and fathers served as camp father-figures and provided ongoing mentorship and discipleship once the boys returned home. Through camp surveys, we found that over 70 percent of the boys were growing up without fathers, which further highlighted the need for father-figures.
The boys2Men camps and sports teams birthed a wider movement to address the issue of fatherlessness in KwaZulu-Natal. As more boys began to experience a healthy model of fatherhood and manhood based on God’s design, their thinking and behaviour began to change for the better. Previous participants not only broke generational fatherlessness in their own families by becoming active fathers, but also continued the cycle by coaching and mentoring other young men in their communities.
Despite the momentum of this movement, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on sports and gatherings was a major setback. However, the young men kept asking when sports and camps would start again – their relentless commitment compelled us to continue advocating for the restoration of God’s heart for fatherhood.
In January 2024, Isiseko Imara was registered as an official South African non-profit organisation, with a returned focus on journeying with fathers and young men in order to strengthen family foundations for the next generation and break the cycle of fatherlessness. Most of the current sports coaches are previous programme participants who have a heart for other young men to experience the same life transformation into manhood. Isiseko Imara provides a vehicle for local communities to break generational fatherlessness and change the narrative about manhood and fatherhood at a grassroots level.
