Using sports to raise awareness about child abuse, human trafficking, and substance abuse. The Sports Initiative Projects had a series of local schools’ handball events from the 6th to 16th June 2022.
The educational programme combines life skills awareness with the handball team to enhance life awareness among the youth and to build active and safe communities. After many successful events before covid-19 with over 200 children participating in handball events, the organisation started working again.
“With the help of an organisation in Cape Town (Play Handballza) we had a visit from an international handball coach Mr. Martin Berger of handball inspires in Germany, who helped with training local school educators and facilitated coaching workshops for the participating schools of Daveyton in Kgalema Primary school and a workshop for club coaches in Deutsche Internationale schule (German school),” said Bongane Brian Khumalo the director of Sports Initiative Projects.
He further stated that the aim of these workshops and tournaments is to provide knowledge and fun with handball in schools and the township of Daveyton with the vision to further develop handball in other parts of Gauteng, and to keep the youth away from the life of crime and drugs.
The project is planning more workshops in the surrounding areas of Ekurhuleni.
Participating schools were Dumehlezi Primary school, Kgalema Primary school, Gugulesizwe Primary school, Madingoane Primary school, Inkatha Ka Zulu Primary school, and Mayfield handball club in the handball programme.
Winners of the tournament are as follows:
Boys
position 1 Dumehlezi P.S
Position 2 Madingoane P.S
Position 3 Mayfield HC
Girls
Position 1 Mayfield HC
Position 2 kgalema P.SPosition
3 Madingoane P.S
Zodwa Mdlalose from SANCA addressed the children about substance abuse, and Ms. Nyiko Chauke addressed the kids about human trafficking and child abuse.
Junior coach, Linah Molala who also represented team South Africa in Zambia was mostly responsible for the planning of the youth day.
The project is not resting as the kids are on school holidays, the project is planning to have a holiday programme for the children in the community. This will enhance learning.
Anyone interested in joining the initiative can contact Brian on 0736463021.
By Simphiwe Nkosi
