22/09/2026
MEN ARE CARRYING TOO. BUT WHO IS CARRYING THEM?
For a very long time, men have carried silent battles.
They are expected to provide.
To protect.
To lead.
To be strong.
To have answers.
To take care of their families , whether they are employed or struggling to find work.
And somewhere along the way, society created expectations such as “indoda must,” a man must provide, a man must be strong, a man must have it together.
But who asks the man how he is doing?
Who checks on the father who is worried about school fees?
Who sits with the husband who is struggling financially but is afraid to say so?
Who listens to the brother who has been carrying responsibilities for years?
Who notices when the male colleague who is always smiling is actually struggling?
We often tell men to “be strong”, but rarely teach them that it is okay to say, “I am struggling.”
Mental health conversations and empowerment platforms have increasingly created important spaces for women, and rightly so. But men need spaces too.
Not spaces that encourage men to suppress their emotions or compete with one another, but spaces where they can speak, listen, learn, reflect and be supported without judgement.
Because when a man is overwhelmed, the impact may not stop with him.
It can affect his marriage.
His children.
His relationships.
His work.
His confidence.
His community.
So perhaps the conversation should not simply be:
“Why don't men talk?”
Perhaps we should also ask:
“Have we created an environment where men feel safe enough to talk?”
And more importantly:
How can we make it easier for your brother, your father, your husband, your son, your friend or your male colleague to carry what he is carrying , without carrying it alone?
At the Grounded Kings Festival, we want to have these conversations.
We want men to talk about mental health, relationships, fatherhood, finances, purpose, pressure, leadership and the expectations placed upon them.
But we also want society to listen.
Because supporting men does not mean taking anything away from women.
It means recognising that men are human too.
Sometimes, the man who appears to have everything together simply needs someone to ask:
“Brother, how are you really doing?”
Grounded Kings Festival
Real Talk. Real Men. Real Impact.
📅 28 November 2026
📍 Blue Tree / FNB World of Golf, Gaborone
Come and be part of the conversation.
