Community Volunteers - Mapuve

Mapuve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Millicent Ngonyama &

Esiah Chavalala

Player, Age: 16

Team Leader, Age: 25

comVol_Mapuve_MillicentEisiah_300

“Sport can’t tell people what to do, but SCORE give people the opportunities to lead themselves. Millicent is one example of a player that has been given the opportunity to lead and take on responsibility.”


As an active coach and leader Esiah was chosen by SCORE to work with sport committees in Lesotho as part of the Youth Sport Exchange Programme (YSEP). A year later he returned to his community to find that the sport structures he had helped build still remain. Happy that the community had a continued sport activities, he is responsible for organising the local sports leagues and working towards inviting neighbouring community teams to take part in these games.


Esiah believes “Sport will help our nation create a positive life change. People change their habits when they play sport.” Through the Cup of Heroes programme, youth are given the opportunity to learn about their culture and a partner country. “I see the community learn new things, about their culture” he continues that they also learn “from mistakes and from one another to grow… Sport gives people leadership and communication skills and makes people confident in these ideas.”


Through the YSEP programme Esiah earned the opportunity to take on responsibility and develop his communication and leadership skills. Now under his leadership he has seen 16 year old Millicent Ngonyama grow as a female soccer player and take on responsibility at this year’s tournament. “I am reporting back to the community stakeholders how our team did” she said, as she is the designated communications officer for the team. “Before SCORE, I was at the bottle store, and now soccer has changed my life. I have more skills than I had before.”


Through the Cup of Heroes programme Millicent has seen radical differences in the community, “The community has changed through sport, now youth are taken seriously in the community and find what we are doing interesting!” she remarks.