Movember 2024
Movember is a movement where we highlight and concentrate on issues relating to Men’s Health during the month of November. The blog was lucky to sit down and have amazing conversation with Victor, the founder and CEO of ‘The Dagen Project’, a community movement created to provide support to men to promote positive mental health.
I actually completely forgot about International Men’s Day (Nov 19th) this year but was kindly reminded when I saw someone’s status and quickly sent a message to my Dad and brothers! Then, I was reminded of Victor and his wonderful initiative and it just made sense to reach out to him to share some thoughts on the blog. His organization has had a series of events across Edmonton and most recently hosted an Open Mic event in Edmonton, you can check out their upcoming Christmas Party here.
So, Victor first of all what does the International Men’s Day mean to you? Did you do anything to celebrate it or were you celebrated on that day?
>> International Men’s day is a way of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of men, for me I recognize the important men in my life. My father, being the first example and role model of manhood. And my brothers, who teach me continuously what being a man is all about. I’ll be honest I’m not one to celebrate a day like that but after creating Dagen, I think it is important to recognize that men should be celebrated and acknowledged in their own way.
What is the Dagen Project?
>> The Dagen Project is a grassroots initiative led by myself and Kyle Richter. I created the Dagen project and launched in early September and since then, it has been quite a journey. From transitioning from a break from school, to unemployment, then gradually regaining the confidence to work, it has been a rollercoaster ride. When the inspiration of Dagen came, I was just getting back into the things I valued in life. I started at the gym again and starting being active. Then I started working, and going out to places again. Then, I had a dawn moment. A Dawn moment is simply like a light bulb moment but something that gives you hope. That Dawn moment felt like a sunrise or the little bit of light before sunrise. And this is what we call Dawn.
So to answer your question, the Dagen project is a thriving community that supports men’s mental health. Our mission is to empower and support men who feel disconnected, unmotivated and uninspired to Dagen/dawn again.
What has been some of the takeaways from people that have attended your events or for the men that are a part of this support group?
>> Every event has been different. But I’m happy to say that we have had three stand alone events since our launch. One of the takeaways that people leave with is that they experience the feeling of community and Dawn. Both of these two things capture the types of events we are trying to put out. A well curated and organized safe space for deep conversations and exploration of men’s mental health.
How do you think we can continue to support young men and promote healthy mental health?
>> This is a great question. And one that I do not think I have the full answer to. The best way to support young men, I believe, is to do the research. There is data to support that for young people ages 15-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death. When we research, we need to learn about the social problems that are facing us as a society. I believe this is a critical one. Other ways I think we can support is by spreading awareness, joining in the conversation and of course donating to us at the Dagen project! (You can reach out to them via their website!)
Thank you so much Victor for taking the time to highlight how we can continue to support and provide safe spaces for young men!
Now I am not a man and may not fully and completely understand the struggles of a man but it appears that the Dagen project is a wonderful resource for young men to add to their toolkit towards maintaining positive mental health practices. The Wednesday Waffle is also another interesting social phenomenon I recently watched online.
You can stay updated with the Dagen project on LinkedIn or Instagram.
#DiscipledByChrist
Mo 🙂
A young woman on a mission to discovering purpose, to inspire growth and contribute to the Kingdom mandate. On the blog we are all about learning and growing and this is done through writing on topics from Faith, Education, Music, Food, Travel and so much more... (Romans 12:2) View more posts
