Video: Manhood Camp Teaches Real Men Qualities

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MILLPORT, Ala. (WCBI) — A recent study by Columbia University shows that 43% of children in the United States are growing up in a fatherless home.

That’s why one Columbus Ministry is encouraging young men to be strong leaders.

With each dribble, these young men from across Northeast Mississippi are learning what it’s like to work as a team.

But that’s not the main focus of the camp. Father’s Child Ministry in Columbus is teaching 40 young men ages 13 to 18 about their roles in society.

“The purpose of manhood camp is really encouraging our young men to man up and become the men that God has called them to be,” says Edward Yeates.

One way they are learning about how to become men is by interacting with male role models who teach them how to overcome a fatherless home.

“There’s nothing that we can actually do to put Fathers back in their homes but what we want them to do is we need to break the cycle. We want them to be good fathers. We want them to be fathers of their children because they miss some things and we want them to learn from it and be those things for their children,” says Gabe Jolly.

For 14-year old Braeden Polite, this retreat has helped him see what a real man looks like.

“He’ll take responsibility for what he’s done and he’ll have courage enough to take risks for his family and for community to help them out,” says Braeden Polite.

Through this manhood camp, polite wants to remind other boys like himself there is someone to lean on.

“Giving them scriptures and building them up and giving them courage and telling the fatherless that it will be okay. You can survive without a father just know that you have a father that loves you in heaven,” says Polite.

Leaders understand many issues these boys face on a daily basis can;t be fixed in a weekend, but hopes these tools will be helpful later in life.

“Maybe they won’t go through some things that we had to go through. We’re trying to stop them from doing that but if they do, we want them to know it’s not about how you starts, it’s about how you finish,” says Jolly.

The camp wraps up Saturday night with a special ceremony.