Economics teacher Faizi Nazir has launched Papa’s & Pony’s, a workshop where fathers gather on Monday evenings in Amsterdam to learn how to braid their daughters’ hair.
Nazir, a father of two who is known online as De Voorleesvader, got the idea from an initiative in England where fathers met in pubs to practice braiding. When no similar group emerged locally, he set up his own workshop, which drew around 35 fathers to its first session.
Conversations while practicing
The practical work serves as a low-pressure setting for men to talk about parenting, their uncertainties, and the bond with their children. Nazir notes that working with their hands makes it easier for participants to open up, as they do not have to look each other directly in the eye.
Staff from Yoni also attend the sessions to teach the fathers about menstruation and the bodily changes their daughters experience during puberty. Participants take part in a quiz, examine period products, and ask questions about topics they might otherwise hesitate to raise.
Building a community
Nazir sees the project as a deliberate contrast to rising online manosphere culture, aiming to show that many men want to be emotionally open and engaged parents.
The initiative has expanded beyond the initial workshops into a broader community, with WhatsApp sub-groups where fathers continue discussing family life. Nazir hopes to expand the concept further, with an ambition to eventually fill an arena like Ahoy with fathers learning the skill together.
![Top [count] Travel Blogs to Follow - OnToplist.com](https://www.ontoplist.com/images/ontoplist31.png?id=6a8dcf108f478)