About Us
Our Mission
Our Mission
MatrixMen was started in 2011 by Martin Pelders our founder. Martin himself is a recovered addict and survivor of childhood sexual abuse. His recovery was a long and painful process that he faced alone.
"I didn't believe there were other men that had suffered what I had, I felt so alone and like a total freak. The world only talks about the female victims, and more so never talks about the female that rapes. I was abused by women and men alike so I felt really weird"
During the healing process Martin decided that he needed to start an organization that would talk about and support the men that had been abused.
As the years progressed, MatrixMen realised that there was a serious lack of support for men's mental health, In terms of Health all we expect from men is that they have a great body, a six pack and big shoulders. We seldom look at what men are going through emotionally and mentally. This fact became more and more obvious as we looked at the research into the state of men in Africa.
Some Of the Numbers
44% of all boys suffer sexual abuse by age 18 more than the girls
25 to 28 men commit suicide every single day as opposed to 4 women
97% of prison inmates are Men
70.1% of the homeless are men
Literacy rates among boys and men are only 9,6%
Only 42% of university in South Africa are men
68% of our homes are fatherless
With all the numbers above, surely we must realise that We Have A Crisis Amongst Men
Why The Name MatrixMen
When we talk about the Matrix in this context its not about movie. We refer to the geological matrix, a hard out shell that nothing can penetrate but once we crack it open the men are filled with gems.
MatrixMen runs support groups in various parts of the country and is beginning to open up further afield
We run online recovery programs that people can log onto at minimal cost
A very exciting project and a first of its kind word wide is out center for men and boys in Mpumalanga
MatrixMen endeavors to help men and boys that have taken the bold step to prosecute their perpetrators by standing by them and advising them through the court process
We arrange weekends of recovery for survivors where we focus on holistic health, not just mental but teaching good nutrition, sleep, exercise and
MatrixMen is vested in teaching men to develop a better EQ. We run training programs helping men to communicate better, use words instead of anger. Essentially we teach men to get away from the big five coping mechanisms
Sex
Sport
Silence
Addiction and
Anger
March 2001
Join one of our fireside meetings or start one in your area. We feel it is vital to create spaces where men feel comfortable to be able to speak about the issues that they most struggle with, be it work, fathering, or relationships, we support one another in a non judgmental way.
NO. No. As much as we often blame ourselves for what happened to us as children, you never asked for it or invited it into your life. It was never your fault and no matter what it did not alter your sexual identity. It may have confused you, but we can help you work through that.
This isnt true. While the hard abuses often cause physical harm, they can often mentally be classified as crimes.
Soft abuses change the way we think about ourselves and the way we interact with the world. Men with tremendous anger issues were often not heard as children.
The abuses perpetrated on children at a young age is not easily forgotten. It remains in our subconscious for a lifetime. The best way to deal with these issues is to talk about them and work through them.
Healing isn't easy, but it is life transforming
Help us to build our new center and extend our groups nationally .
