11 Sep 2024

While women are busy grouping themselves in order to advance their interests, men are lagging behind.

Such is an observation by Holy Matrimony Society founder and president, Dr Charity Opelo.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Bomme Thari Society in Good Hope on Saturday, Dr Opelo said if men could organise themselves in an orderly manner like women did, they could get their voices heard and work towards healing from the traumas they were going through.

Earlier on when giving a key note address, Dr Opelo appealed to the traditional leadership to try and address issues facing the marriage institution in order to help resolve problems bedevilling it.

She commended Bomme Thari for their mandate of self upliftment through crowd pooling, saying through the society, many families in the Morolong community would have their social and financial burdens eased.

Dr Opelo encouraged Bomme Thari members to remember that it was their individual duty to submit to their husbands if the society was to get the support it needed, adding that they should strive for behavioural change now that they were among a respected lot.  Dr Opelo reminded the congregation about a hierarchy where Jesus Christ is at the top most followed by the husband as the head of the family and then the wife - the helper, whose duty was to be submissive to her husband. She said marriage was founded by God in the Biblical Garden of Eden, when He realised how Adam was lonely and he made him sleep, whereupon He took out his rib and made him a partner.

She said while mothers were capable of single-handedly raising children, upbringing required the input of both a mother and a father in a conducive environment for them to blossom into responsible members of the society.  

Dr Opelo, a marriage counsellor and a marriage officer by profession, after getting married in 2018, founded Holy Matrimony Society with her husband, which society she said had grown in leaps and bounds.

An experienced leader, she shared that, ‘running a society, especially as a non-governmental organisation, comes with its own unique challenges;financial constraints, lack of support, and sometimes limited participation’. 

She, however, said such they could overcome challenges with resilience, clear purpose, and dedication. She also stressed the importance of forming strong partnerships with local businesses, government and other organisations that shared the same vision as Bomme Thari. Dr Opelo also said communication was key to attracting the support they needed, adding that their impact would grow as they continuously engaged with the community and adapt to the changing needs around them.

“For a society like Bomme Thari to thrive, commitment from each and every member is vital. Your vision to support families in times of need be it during weddings, anniversaries, or the upbringing of children, is admirable,” sha said adding that for such to succeed, each member must be dedicated and active in the activities of the society.

“Participation strengthens bonds and ensures that no one feels left behind. Let your love for one another and for this society be reflected in your actions. The more you commit, the more you will build a legacy that will last for generations to come,” she said Bomme Thari Society was established by in 2022 by Ms Dineo Mtengi after realising that weddings were often disorganised. She then called a group of women from different age groups and backgrounds to sell them the idea of supporting one another as group members whenever anyone had an even such as a wedding, an anniversary of even a burial in the family.

To date the society has 15 members and hopes to grow in numbers so to collectively push their mandate and impact the community. ENDS