About Us
Our Story Begins in Khayelitsha
With Fathers, Sons, and a Community Searching for Healing.
Over 60% of children in South Africa grow up without present fathers. This crisis fuels toxic masculinity, gender-based violence, and fractured communities.
Fathers Connect Foundation (FCF) is a South African non-profit organisation transforming lives by empowering men to become active, loving, and responsible fathers. We believe every child deserves the presence and guidance of a committed father figure.
Who we are
The Seed of an Idea
Father’s Connect was born from a simple truth:
Men want to show up — they just don’t always know how.
Based in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, we work to reconnect men with their roles as fathers, mentors, and positive role models within their families and communities.
Father’s Connect was founded by Themba Baleni, who, like many men in our communities, grew up without a father figure. His personal journey, learning how to be a man and a father without guidance, inspired the creation of a space where other men could find support, accountability, and brotherhood.
We see the absence of fathers not only as a personal issue but as a community crisis that contributes to many of the challenges we face today. This ranges from disconnection and loss of identity to violence. Father’s Connect exists to change that story, one father, one son, and one family at a time.
In community dialogues, youth programmes, and everyday conversations, one message kept resurfacing:
“We need a place where men can talk, learn, and support each other.
That place didn’t exist. So we created it.
Every conversation, dialogue, and workshop we host is a step toward healing: healing men, healing families, and ultimately healing communities. We’re not just talking about fatherhood; we’re rebuilding it from the ground up.
Why We Exist
Why We Exist
South Africa’s fatherhood crisis is not just a statistic, it is a lived experience.
It shows up in classrooms, in households, in gang activity, in crime statistics, and in the emotional struggles of boys and young men.
But through our work, we realised something powerful:
- When men are supported, they rise.
- When boys are mentored, they thrive.
- And when fathers and sons heal, communities change.
Father’s Connect was built to offer that support — consistently, intentionally, and with deep cultural belonging.
Why We Exist
Our Commitment Going Forward
Father’s Connect is committed to breaking intergenerational cycles by:
- Restoring dignity in fatherhood
- Guiding boys into responsible manhood
- Rebuilding family structure
- Strengthening communities through love, respect, and accountabilit
Our story is not finished — it is unfolding every day, in every father who chooses to show up and in every boy who chooses a new path.
We are building a movement grounded in ubuntu, carried by community, and strengthened by hope.
This is our story. This is our purpose. This is our commitment.
Train with the best
Our Programs
Mission
Vision
We are building a movement grounded in ubuntu, carried by community, and strengthened by hope.
We are funded by
