Location and general information
Personal developmentContext
The Football Foundation of South Africa, which is subsidiary of the Grootbos Green Future Foundation, was founded in 2008. Its aim is to build a network to reach large numbers of beneficiaries through local schools and the community in South Africa (in the area between Stanford and Gansbaai in the Western Cape). Most South Africans attend schools that are overcrowded and under-resourced. Few qualify for university and very few can afford tertiary education. The aim of the project is to empower South African girls by giving them improved opportunities in football, other sports and life skills, along with a better, sustainable future, improving their position in society. Young girls are particularly vulnerable and disempowered in low-income communities. The town of Gansbaai is situated in a rural area with an exceptionally high rate of unemployment and characterised by an influx of migrant workers from neighbouring Eastern Cape. Unemployment and a lack of parental guidelines often result in young girls having to take on parenting roles in spite of their young age.
Project content
Educational initiatives include the grassroots soccer HIV/Aids programme, female empowerment programme, Dibanisa environmental education, food for sport and various life-orientation curriculums that are developed using football and other sports terminology to illustrate and consolidate life skills and learning. Programmes are tailored to girls and boys in two age groups. For children up to 6 years, there is a programme that develops gross motor skills; for children from 6 to 19 years there is a programme for afterschool training and opportunities in football, hockey, athletics, rugby, netball and canoeing in Gansbaai, Stanford and Hermanus.
Additional guidance programmes are provided for over 1,300 high school students a year to help them with subject choices and career guidance.
The female empowerment programme is essential in reaching out to young girls who are, in the organiser’s opinion, increasingly difficult to reach through sport once they become teenagers.
Objectives
To empower vulnerable young girls and teenagers by giving them access to sport, educational programmes, environmental awareness and health programmes.
Project activities
- Female empowerment
- Excursion
- Self-defense course
- Inclusive integration camp
- Grassrooths soccer HIV testing
- Multiple sports trainings, camps and tournaments
Expected results
- Increase attendance among girls from age five and into their teenage years
- Increase the number of girls who attend the female empowerment programme from 20 in 2018 to 60 in 2019
- Increase the number of girls who attend Rock the Boat canoeing from 11 in 2018 to 20 in 2019
- Increase the number of girls who take part in football, rugby, hockey, netball, track and field, cross country from 2,286 in 2018 to 2,500 in 2019
- Increase the number of girls attending swimming from 77 in 2018 to 100 in 2019
- Organise a girl power tournament to coincide with International Women’s Day
Partner
