Movember – what’s it all about?

This month it’s all about flashing your stache and for the week we have chosen to raise awareness around Movember and in particular an organisation called love your nuts and their founder – Torsten Koehler.

“This week we highlight prostate cancer and in particular Torstens journey and advice with regards to a topic that at times is very much not spoken about enough”

Before Movember (“Moustache November”) became a global phenomenon over a decade ago, it was a simple idea that was birthed in Melbourne, Australia, during a conversation between two friends over a causal beer, as it were. According to the Movember Foundation, the initial idea was to try and bring back the moustache, since this facial hairstyle had lost its fashionable appeal. This challenge, however, soon grew into something much bigger, and much more meaningful.

The idea was now to encourage men to grow their moustache in order to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). What resulted was the establishment of the Movember Foundation, which has since spread its movement across many other countries and has grown to symbolise support for men’s health issues. Over the past few years, the foundation has repeatedly been ranked as one of the top NGOs in the world.

In South Africa, the Movember Foundation is booming, and every year, thousands of men grow their “mos” in support of men’s health, including prostate and testicular cancer, physical inactivity, and mental health issues. Ref: https://educonnect.co.za/movember-why-to-grow-a-mo-for-your-bro/

Bio – Torsten Koehler

The founder of Love Your Nuts campaign was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1995 whilst educating young teenagers about ‘sex education’ at a school and being in his early thirties himself.  His journey of survival started by openly confronting in his book his thoughts and emotions, relate the reactions of his friends, family and not least, his students, who provoked him without reserve and in doing so, gave him enormous help and hope. 

His book “Love your nuts” was published internationally in 2011 in English (German version was published in Germany in 2004 already). He has won, he lives and he loves. He is showing everybody how valuable they are and how fantastic life can be” (a reader’s words) and therefore has a passion for this campaign.

He studied teaching and was a teacher for 15 years in Namibia. This 15-year span was interrupted three times and in the years 1991, 1997/8 and 2006 he toured through 48 countries on all the continents.

He has been a Cape Town resident since 2007. At present he is following his passions – photography and design – after leaving the teaching profession in 2005.

From January 2017 he will work full time for the “Love your Nuts” foundation with the best job description ever: talking balls and saving lives!

This week we highlight prostate cancer and in particular Torstens journey and advice with regards to a topic that at times is very much not spoken about enough.  

Find out more about “Love your Nuts” below: