Reversing the trend: Volunteering in Norway
www.sportanddev.org | 18 February 2010 | Chris Middleton
While volunteering opportunities commonly engage youth from Western countries in developing countries, an interesting programme run by SCORE offers the opportunity for young Southern Africans to show that they have something they can offer too – in Norway – while also gaining valuable experience.
Spreading the South African passion for rugby in Norway
SCORE in partnership with the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) and Fredskorpset (FK), make it possible for Norwegian youth to volunteer in South Africa. However, this programme also encourages Southern African sports leaders to volunteer in Norway.
Ntso Mkhwanazi is one among six SCORE volunteers who took part in this programme over the last six months. The young South African coach was invited to share his passion for rugby in the city of Bergen, Norway.
"They accepted me for who I am"
During his stay 6-month stay in Bergen, he could fully live his passion - he taught rugby in schools in the afternoon, and then headed to the stadium to coach the local senior rugby team.
His team eventually won the national title:
"Although rugby is not as important in Norway as it is in South Africa, I’m really proud we could make it and come up with the championship".
Adapting to Norway was a smooth process according to Ntso:
"The host family, the children at school and the team I was coaching accepted me for who I am, and this made it easy for me to adapt. We all shared a common interest for rugby. I also think it’s important to be flexible and open to new cultures".
Changing the image of rugby back home
The exchange programme also requires that volunteers who get this opportunity share their skills and experiences when they return. Therefore, Ntso is expected to coach rugby and share some of his life skills training knowledge with the youth in some of SCORE’s target communities.
Ntso believes he made the most of a fantastic experience abroad, but is very happy to be back in his hometown, Durban. When asked about his future plans, Ntso, with a determined look, answers:
"I want to become a professional rugby coach. I’m already involved in coaching with the Durban Sharks, and I’m also studying so I can become a professional coach".
He believes his aspiration to become a rugby coach is part of a bigger picture: increasing the participation of black South Africans in rugby, historically labelled as a sport for white people.
"During my stay in Norway, and working in Durban, I realise that interest for rugby can be triggered in all children. I also think having more black coaches is part of the process of modifying the image of rugby in South Africa as being a sport for white people".
Read this article on www.sportanddev.org.
New facility brings hope and opportunity for Mbekweni
SCORE have joined forces with UK based charity Hope Through Action to deliver sports and recreational programmes at a new £1.2M sports facility, in the Western Cape township of Mbekweni.
Hope Through Action have approached SCORE to service community needs through the facility by providing programmes that encompass welfare, education, sport and health.
SCORE currently runs the LivingSport programme in Mbekweni, implementing school sport programmes and assisting with the coaching of community sports teams. As an existing activities provider in the community, SCORE is designing these new programmes to meet the requirements of residents, with provisions for locally based education and health organisations.
Clare Barrell, SCORE Provincial Coordinator for Western Cape, says, "As an established partner to the Mbekweni community, we are well aware that the lack of decent facilities prevent the community from being involved in sport and recreational activities. The new indoor facility will provide a safe environment to encourage more youth to participate in healthy after-school activities."
A concern when investing in new facilities in rural communities is the long-term maintenance and sustainable delivery of suitable programmes. Clare believes, "the potential of this sports centre will be maximised to benefit local young people. Through SCORE's facilitation, we will ensure that the facility is fully utilised and becomes the recreational hub of the community, with the community members taking the lead in the daily organisation and administration."
Community leader and Chairman of local soccer league, Mr Luyiso, cannot wait for the new facility, ‘I am excited to try different versions of soccer such as 5-aside tournaments, something which is very new in Mbekweni. I am a proud member of the community and am proud to be organising sports clubs here.’
SCORE is excited to be embarking on this partnership with Hope Through Action and look forward to the opening of the facility during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in June.
RELATED ARTICLES...
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to see a related newsclipping under the SCORE South Africa section.
Click here to download a pdf article on how the Carling Cup Final is raising funds for the Hope Through Action project in Mbekweni.
Click here to download a pdf article on an interview with Lord Mawhinney, Chairperson of the Football League, about the Hope Through Action project in Mbekweni.
Click here to read an online article on the football-League.co.uk website
Click here to read an online article on the sportanddev.org website
Volunteering in Sport and Development: “an eye-opening experience”
www.sportanddev.org | 13 January 2010 | Chris Middleton
Volunteering in Sport for Development can be an exciting, dynamic and yet challenging experience. Read the interview with SCORE volunteer Line Kyllingstad from Norway, by Chris Middleton, for the sportanddev.org website.
Everyday around the globe, youth decide to volunteer for a specific cause or to pursue a passion. The field of Sport and Development is no exception, with volunteers often providing crucial skills, knowledge or experience for local organisations.
We talked to Line Kyllingstad who takes a look at what it’s like to be a volunteer in the exciting field of Sport and Development. Line has been a SCORE volunteer for 6 months in the community of Dysselsdorp (Western Cape).
What made you join SCORE?
"Several factors encouraged me to apply: first of all, I really wanted to gain experience abroad and to learn more about a new culture. I also wanted to use my skills (I’m studying physical education) in a good way."
What was your most rewarding moment during the last six months?
"It’s an award in itself to live and be part of my community. When I look back, I realise our team organised many sport for all activities. Hundreds of children from 2 to 20 years old took part in these events – this was really exciting but it was also quite challenging to coordinate these activities!
Furthermore, it made me feel good to see these children simply having fun. This gave me the impression we’d accomplished something for the community."
Were there any challenges during your assignment?
"Obviously, there are cultural differences between Norway and South Africa. I was surprised at how important a role religion plays in my community. I was aware of this prior to my departure but I hadn’t suspected it would be so visible and take so much of people’s time.
Also, the daily rhythm is very different from home. Things take a lot longer here, and this is definitely an area where I needed to adapt.
I would say the language was another issue: in Dysselsdorp, people mainly speak Afrikaans. I’ve been trying to learn Afrikaans and I can now follow a straightforward discussion if people speak slowly. Actually, sport helped me get in touch with other people and facilitated communication. Sharing common interests is a great way to initiate discussions with other people."
Has this experience triggered further interest in the field of Sport and Development?
"I would definitely like to remain in this field, but maybe not focus exclusively on sport. I want to continue studying, and I would be interested in focusing on sport but also on development.
Looking back, I believe this was an eye-opening experience: I think many people back home believe they have a good understanding of the challenges in South Africa. I think it’s a whole different matter to experience these challenges. That’s why I would encourage other people to volunteer, provided they are open-minded, flexible, and can improvise to find solutions!"
Read this article on www.sportanddev.org
Football coaches win! SCORE partners with Coaching for Hope
SCORE is proud to announce a new partnership with the UK based Sport for Development organisation Coaching For Hope. This organisation, one of four official UK Football Association charities, introduces an innovative and powerful approach to youth development and enhances the football specific element of SCORE programming.
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| Former Bafana-bafana captain, Lucas Redebe was invited by Coaching for Hope to participate in a training session in Khayelitsha. | David Beckham sharing his skills with children from Ikhusi P.P. School in Khayelitsha whilst attending a ‘Coaching for Hope’ training session arranged by the English Football Association. |
Coaching For Hope uses football as a tool to provide communities and individuals with life and leadership skills to empower players and address the social and health issues they face in their communities, with a particular focus on HIV/AIDS and substance misuse.
Programmes aim to equip coaches with skills and knowledge to create a safe environment for youths and deliver good quality football and life-skills sessions to young people in their communities and at the same time, become trained to recognised UK Football Association standards.
Top Premier League and Community Academy coaches from the UK present the training programme, whilst Coaching for Hope staff provide ongoing support to the graduates, who then qualify to deliver Coaching For Hope sessions and develop training initiatives of their own. Coaching For Hope provide three levels of qualification that a coach can attain, ranging from coaching to those who can present their own workshops.
Coaching For Hope have worked with local partners since 2005 to deliver over 15 coach training courses, which have enabled over 700 coaches to deliver social messages and high quality football training to 7000 vulnerable young people. Currently Coaching for Hope programmes run in South Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso and in 9 SCORE communities in the Eastern and Western Cape and have future plans to work in Lesotho and Botswana.
SCORE is thrilled to be working with Coaching for Hope and looking forward to sharing and delivering new skills to coaches.
For more information, please visit www.coachingforhope.org
''We need to bring the World Cup excitement to the communities''
www.sportanddev.org | 13 January 2010 | Chris Middleton
With the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ less than 150 days away, the heat is on in the major South African cities. But sports leaders in more remote areas reveal other expectations from this major event.
For Nkosana Mguni, SCORE provincial coordinator (Limpopo), it’s important the excitement around the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is brought to remote communities.
Nine cities to host the event
The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will be hosted in nine different South African cities, making this a nation-wide event. 64 games are scheduled in these host cities, culminating with the FIFA World Cup™ Final on July 11 in Johannesburg.
And for those who won’t be able to make it to the stadia – fan zones will be set up in each of the host cities to encourage mass participation in this unique event.
One event, different expectations
Nkosana Mguni (SCORE coordinator for the Limpopo province) thinks there is less excitement in the remote communities in which he works.
First of all, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is not as visible in these areas as it is in the major host cities.
"When arriving at the airport in Johannesburg or driving through Polokwane, there are big signs and posters announcing the World Cup. This is not the case in the communities in which we operate".
Secondly, communities don’t quite see how they can directly benefit from this major event:
"Youth from these communities can’t afford to travel to Polokwane, and the price for a ticket is also too expensive for them. I’m afraid that once the event is over, these communities will be asking: what difference did this make?"
"This stands out against the situation in the host city of Polokwane, where some businesses are preparing to welcome crowds of spectators, and houses are being renovated to host tourists and visitors."
Bringing the "World Cup spirit" to remote areas
Against this background, Nkosana believes SCORE has a key role to play in bringing the excitement of the World Cup to remote communities. During the World Cup year, SCORE will rely on well-established contacts and programmes so that children from rural areas can also take part in this unique international celebration of football.
About SCORE
SCORE's vision is to "Change lives and build stronger communities through sport". Targeting Children and Youth, Women and Girls and Rural Communities, SCORE achieves it's vision by building strong partnerships (especially at community level); through the capacity provided by SCORE volunteers and the volunteer community sports leaders trained and supported by the organisation in the communities where SCORE operates .
Read this article on www.sportanddev.org
Boots & briefcases - SCORE hosts SANEC delegation in South Africa.
The partnership between sport and business took center stage on December 4, 2009 as a delegation of entrepreneurs and representatives of companies and organizations from the Netherlands visited South Africa to explore development opportunities that have been created by the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The delegation concluded their visit in Khayelitsha with a special sports and activity session organized by local coaches trained by SCORE. Isiphiwo primary school in Western Cape became host to the visitors who joined in football and traditional games as well as Kicking AIDS Out! activities. Through this, the members of the delegation were exposed to the coaching methods and skills of community volunteers who are now running their own sports organization.
Rashieda Davids, a local community coach believes that, "SCORE has become a support base for school programs and played a major part in developing the sport structure… now many schools are involved in community sports events." She adds, "Sport has brought more excitement to the school and community, there has been more enthusiasm from staff who have arranged their own tournaments." Working with community police and child protection organizations, she believes that sport and life skills training work hand in hand.
This is a view echoed by Ms Erica Terpstra, President of the Netherlands Olympic Committee and former Minister of Sports whom led the delegation to South Africa, commenting, "Many times before I have experienced what sports can do for a country."
Among the Southern African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (SANEC) delegation were companies of varied backgrounds, from safety and security organizations to new media companies. Jop Blom of Behold, a legacy initiatives company has had previous experience in facilitating companies and NGOs in building structural social partnerships, with the aim of ‘promoting and empowering social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibilities and linking the private sector with development work.’
With South Africa’s economy showing growth of over 5% a year, it has emerged as one of the world’s most promising markets and as the host nation for the World Cup, brought to light many potential paths for development.
The visit highlighted the important role of social responsibility and has created relationships with new associates and strengthened ties with existing partners.
SCORE looks forward to a continued relationship with SANEC and to the opportunities for SANEC partners to share in SCORE's vision of Changing Lives Through Sport.
Namibia: Nia Kumzer to kick off Galz & Goals campaign
As part of its ongoing drive to promote Young Girls football in Namibia, the NFA announced that Nia Künzer will arrive in Windhoek to accept her invitation to become International Ambassador for their "Galz & Goals" programme in partnership with UNICEF at a media launch at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek on Friday 9th October at 11am.
The Galz and Goals programme is an initiative to create football leagues for girls at under 13 and under 15 level, and will use this platform to promote individual health and social responsibility.
Speaking at the launch alongside Nia Künzer will be Jackey Gertse, Head of the NFA Women’s Desk, Jacqui Shipanga, Director of Women’s Football at the NFA and National Manager of SCORE Namibia; NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro, and UNICEF Representative Ian MacLeod. The Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture Reverend Willem Konjore will deliver the keynote speech.
The NFA, together with UNICEF and SCORE Namibia under the Directorate of School Sports is developing a curriculum for teaching healthy lifestyles, which includes information on HIV/AIDS prevention, drug and alcohol abuse and gender discrimination, among other topics. Through the use of training workshops with teachers, coaches and parents, girls will not only be taught about the technical aspects of the game, but about important life skills that will help boost their self-confidence to make positive choices in their own lives.
The media launch will be followed by a two-day festival, with training for coaches and a football tournament for girls’ teams in Windhoek. Launches in four other regions will follow, culminating in a NFA training camp to select the Namibia girls’ squad to visit South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
About Nia Künzer
Born in Mochudi, Botswana as Nia Tsholofelo Künzer (her first and second name being Swahili for "bliss" and "hope"), during her parents’ two years tour with a development aid organization, Nia played defense and midfield with football clubs Eintracht Wetzlar and VfB Gießen and was with 1. FFC Frankfurt (1st Frankfurt Women's Football Club) from 1997 until her retirement in July 2008 due to injury.
Her Golden Goal in the final match against Sweden made Germany the winner of the 2003 World Cup and was to become the first ever women's "Goal of the Year" in the history of German football. Nia actively promotes the idea of women's soccer and helps in recruiting from the next generation of enthusiastic young girls. She is currently the Ambassador of the Hessen region for the World Championship 2011 at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Sports in Germany.
About UNICEF
UNICEF works with governments and partners throughout the world to use sport-based programmes to improve children’s lives and to strengthen communities. UNICEF teams up with leading sports organizations and world-renowned athletes to bring attention to challenges facing children and to mobilize resources to address them.
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
