Local heroes go international

Inspirational young leaders from across Southern Africa will unite at the international finals of SCORE’s Cup of Heroes tournament to showcase the skills and knowledge they have acquired through sport.

The Cup of Heroes, now in its fourth year, fuses sport, fair play, culture and community service into a competition format that inspires community youth to embrace the skills they have acquired through SCORE’s Sport and Development programmes. The tournament at Esselen Park, Johannesburg on the 24-26 September, is an opportunity for youth to leave their communities to travel, meet, form friendships and share experiences with other young people who are motivated by social change.

This year’s theme ‘Celebrating Diversity – a single bracelet does not jingle’ is inspired by the spirit and scenes of the thousands of football fans that were united in South Africa to support their team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ earlier this year.

The 12 mixed teams of 30; from communities across South Africa, Zambia and Namibia have the opportunity to demonstrate their talent on the sports field, in traditional sport codes and off the field in cultural presentations, all of which are marked under fair play guidelines. Preparations for the tournament include community service projects that involve undertaking volunteer work by making a positive impact in their own communities and researching the history and culture of an assigned partner country.

These finalists are the teams that won in the regional tournaments played in June this year. The communities taking part are all currently involved with sport and development projects with SCORE. The teams are from:

-         Dysselsdorp and Khayelitsha (Western Cape)

-         Hillbrow (Gauteng)

-         Tshidimbini , Mapuve , Mohodi (Limpopo Province)

-         Hhoyi and Marapyane (Mpumalanga)

-         Ganyesa (North West)

-         Mount Fletcher (Eastern Cape)

-         Mazabuka (Southern Province, Zambia)

-         Oshakati ( Oshana Region , Namibia) 

Click here to read more about each team.

For more information about visiting the tournament or about SCORE, please contact Henrietta Settler, Project Manager at henrietta@score.org.za  or +27 021 461 0466. 

South Africa scores twice in win against Uruguay

South Africa defeated Uruguay 2-0 during the SCORE Cup, a unique community-based football tournament aiming to bring the excitement related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup to the disadvantaged communities of South Africa.

South Africa defeated Uruguay 2-0 in Moshate, a rural community many miles away from the excitement and vibrance of Pretoria, the city that will be hosting the official matchup in just a few hours. And even though the Bafana Bafana local strikers went by the names of Ofentse Maaka and Mashishi Donald, and the audience totalled 100 spectators, spirits were high in this unique community-based football tournament.

This game, played a day ahead of the official confrontation between these two nations, is part of a broader holiday programme combining soccer, life skills training and a competition called the SCORE Cup. This community-based soccer tournament has been designed by SCORE, a South African-based Sport and Development non-profit organisation.

The programme is expected to involve and engage more than 9000 children and youth in more than 45 communities throughout South Africa, and thus ensure that the excitement related to the 2010 FIFA World Cup is also shared in the rural and disadvantaged communities in which SCORE operates.

The SCORE Cup competition kicked off on 9 June with a draw for the 32 teams to determine which country they will represent. The matches commenced on 10 June and will continue for 2 weeks until 25 June, with daily soccer skills and life skills sessions for the participants. The final tournament will be on 26 June in all the participating communities.

Anyone has the ability to follow the latest updates related to the SCORE Cup through an innovative online community launched last week. Making use of cell-phone technology, participating communities have been uploading pictures and updates directly from the field onto the Internet. This community-driven website will provide you with the most surprising facts and figures directly from the communities. Follow the SCORE Cup on http://scorefor2010.ning.com.

Local and overseas visitors are invited to experience a different side of football in South Africa by participating in an informative and interactive sport and development tour to one of the communities participating in the SCORE Cup. In addition, adventurous football fans travelling to South Africa can bring their soccer boots, sign up as a player and experience the excitement of the SCORE Cup by playing in the tournament.

Dutch Minister SCORE's in Hanover Park

While the Dutch fans partied in the streets and turned Cape Town orange as thousands of supporters of the Netherlands national team descended on the Mother City for their final group game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, Hanover Park welcomed an orange delegation of a different sort when the community hosted a high profile Dutch delegation led by the Netherlands Health, Welfare and Sport Minister, Mr Abraham Klink.

Hanover Park, an impoverished area on the outskirts of Cape Town notorious for drugs and gang related violence was the unlikely venue for this prestigious visit. Mr Klink’s visit to the community, which forms part of the Cape Flats, was to witness first hand the work being done in the area by SCORE, a South African based Sport for Development organisation that aims to change lives through sport.

The visit is part of the ongoing cooperation between the Netherlands government and SCORE.

Mr Klink arrived at the Lansport Pitch in Hanover Park shortly after 1pm where he watched the organisation implement its unique holiday programme, the SCORE Cup. Minister Klink eagerly participated in the SCORE Cup New Zealand versus Holland match much to the delight of the crowd.

Stefan Howells, Executive Director of SCORE said, “ The Dutch Government has been extremely supportive of SCORE for many years. We really appreciate that Minister Klink took the time to visit an event that is bringing the excitement of the FIFA 2010 World Cup to a community that-though part of Cape Town- is a world away from the stadium. The highlight of the visit was when the Minister joined the local “Dutch team” showing his skills and his commitment to changing lives through sport”.

Imtiyaaz Kader (16) has been a part of the SCORE Cup holiday programme since its start.
“I play the striker and have been doing very well. If there was no SCORE Cup, I would be sitting at home bored. I have made new friends and have learnt how to play different moves and get new skills. I will come back every year,” Kader said.

The surrounding community joined in the festivities and the Lansport Senior Club of Hanover Park entertained the crowd with two rousing dance items.
Jasmine Stephens and Pauline van de Rheede from the Lansport Senior Club were ecstatic that the Dutch delegation chose to visit Hanover Park.

“Normally we are always left out. This is a big day for us,” said Stephens.

The SCORE Cup was designed to share the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with ordinary South Africans in the rural and disadvantaged communities in which SCORE operates. The campaign was officially launched on March 31st in Khayelitsha, by the then Western Cape Director of Sport Mr Thabo Tutu, and will culminate in the SCORE Cup finals on June 26th in all participating communities.

The Minister witnessed more than 400 local children and community members taking part in the mini version of the World Cup. The SCORE Cup aims to involve more than 9000 children and youth in more than 45 communities throughout Southern Africa. This unique soccer tournament sees 32 mixed teams (boys and girls) drawn to represent one of the 2010 FIFA World Cup? nations. The holiday programme includes extensive life skills training, fun group activities, football coaching and matches that follow the official match schedule.

An eager parent of a participating SCORE “Cupper”, Zubaida Kahaar cheered her son on from the sidelines.
“This is a great event to keep our children safe and off the streets. Gang violence in Hanover park happens daily and we are scared to let our children play on the empty fields. Please SCORE come back and help our children be safe!” she said.

The police were a strong presence at the event and the local Community Policing Forum, Sector 2 were no exception.
“This is a very good thing because it keeps our children away from trouble. We are proud of SCORE and hope that they come back constantly!” said Kashiefa Mohammed, Community Police Forum sector 2 and Hanover Park resident.

Breath Foundation and SCORE spread the World Cup fever!

The rural communities of Thomo and Moshate, in Limpopo province, Libode, in the Eastern Cape, and Letabong in North West province, along with Mbekweni in the Western Cape had reason to cheer as they celebrated the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The sounds of soccer fans cheering, groaning and shouting resound and emanated from any place the community gathered to watch the live broadcasts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches on their new projector screens.

Huddled in blankets and dressed in their warmest clothing members of these rural and disadvantaged communities braved the bitter cold to gather under the night stars, under trees or in community halls, classrooms and other makeshift viewing areas to watch the games live. This opportunity to create their own mini-fan fests and share in the excitement of South Africa hosting Africa’s very first soccer World Cup was made possible by the Netherlands based, Breath Foundation in conjunction with SCORE.

Through the Breath Foundation, SCORE received a generous donation of five screens to be distributed to rural communities in South Africa. This was part of a broader campaign where the Breath Foundation, together with local in-country partners, worked to give children and youth across Africa the opportunity to watch the World Cup matches on big screens and thereby let them be part of this unique moment in history.

While South Africa and the rest of the world celebrated the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, there were those within the country’s borders who face the reality of being left out due to their lack of money and resources.  As these communities do not have the means of affording trips to the official fan parks or tickets to watch the matches live in the stadiums around the country, the Breath Foundation raised money from public donations in The Netherlands and the endorsement of several professional African football players playing in the Dutch league to purchase the equipment which would allow the fans in these communities and others across Africa to have access to the full match schedule where they are.

Breath Foundation founder, Nico de Borst, said, “Everybody was so extremely happy and proud that the FIFA World Cup™ came to Africa in 2010. But realistically there were hundreds of thousands of children left out of this historic event, who don’t even have access to on a small television let alone on a big screen, this is why I decided to approach the players and ask them to help make the games accessible to the children of Africa.” 

More than 20 screens were distributed in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Sierra Leona and Zambia. Together with local organizations like SCORE, the screens were installed and maintained during and also long after the final whistle of the World Cup was blown. Through this campaign, more than 600,000 children and youth were able to watch all World Cup matches in their own community, seeing their heroes take on the might of the other footballing nations.

Theresa Le Roux, SCORE South Africa National Manager said, “These screens not only gave SCORE a great opportunity to share the World Cup excitement with the children and youth in the communities during the event, it also meant that we as an organisation have extra resources to use in communities afterwards. The screens are now used to support the ongoing educational work of SCORE in the communities, for example during training and workshops.”

Henny, a sport leaders in Moshate, said, “Here in Moshate we were not feeling the fever until SCORE delivered and installed the big screen at Moshate Tribal Authority community hall. This meant that the people of Moshate could see and feel what the whole world was going through as a united community.”

The SCORE Cup Kicks-Off, bringing World Cup fever to disadvantaged communities

The excitement is here. Across the nation, football fans are experiencing the spectacle of a lifetime in their own country. But as the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ kicks-off, there will still be thousands of enthusiastic South Africans that will not get to attend a match, that live too far from a public viewing area, that will not benefit from upgraded facilities, newly built stadiums and big screen televisions enjoyed by large cities and towns.

Far removed from the major centres, disadvantaged children and youth, many still living in poverty, will also have little to occupy them during their five-week school holidays this year. How will these children and youth experience this “once-in-a-lifetime” event?

“We have a moral obligation to assist in bringing the excitement and benefit of the 2010™ FIFA World Cup to communities across the country” says Betty Lallie, SCORE Strategic Partnerships Manager. “We don’t want people to feel left out. We want the children and youth in the communities in which we work to feel part of this big event, to be able to say ‘I was there!’ even if they never had the chance to go to a match”, she said.

In an effort to ensure this is an event for all South Africans, developed a unique holiday programme, incorporating soccer, life skills training and a competition called the SCORE Cup.

SCORE’s programme has been designed to share the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with ordinary South Africans in the rural and disadvantaged communities in which SCORE operates. The campaign was officially launched on March 31st in Khayelitsha, by the Western Cape Director of Sport, and will culminate in the SCORE Cup finals on June 26th in all participating communities. The SCORE Cup aims to involve more than 8000 children and youth in more than 45 communities throughout Southern Africa. This unique soccer tournament will see 32 mixed teams (boys and girls) drawn to represent one of the 2010 FIFA World Cup nations.

The holiday programme will include life skills training, football coaching and matches that follow the official match schedule taking place the next day. Making use of cell-phone technology, participating communities will easily be able to upload pictures and updates to an interactive website designed specifically for the campaign.

Local and overseas visitors are invited to experience a different side of football in South Africa by participating in an informative and interactive sport and development tour to one of the communities participating in the SCORE Cup.

In addition, adventurous football fans travelling to South Africa can bring their soccer boots, sign up as a player and experience the excitement of the SCORE Cup by playing in the tournament.

Connecting Rural Communities to the World

SCORE is excited to announce the launch of the SCORE for 2010 interactive web community, an innovative and exciting communication path from South Africa to the world. Through a series of forty seven interactive websites developed to represent each community taking part in SCORE’s unique holiday programme - the SCORE Cup, community members, sponsors and the public can share and exchange information as if they were side by side at the SCORE Cup events.  In this way audiences across the globe can share how community sports leaders trained by SCORE are changing lives through sport.

This new web community is distinctive and dynamic. With just mobile phones, a camera and, sometimes, a computer, community members in villages and townships will be able to keep the content on their webpages current directly from the playing fields. For the launch each site will contain general information about the community but once the games begin, the sites will give visitors the opportunity to write blogs, make comments and pose questions to the community they are associated with or interested in.  

This information sharing model will be piloted during the SCORE Cup which runs from 10 June to 26 June and will be used by communities as a platform for future community fundraising.

SCORE South Africa National Manager, Theresa Le Roux said, “These sites will begin to empower the youth to develop the skills and confidence to use technology that may previously have been unavailable to them, whilst showing the world the true passion and power of football in local South African communities. This is their time to shine on the world stage, by breaking down communication, cultural and technological barriers.”

For many supporters around the world, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is about watching football games, but through this innovative platform, SCORE can provide spectators the unique opportunity to interact with communities in the host country during this historic event.

There are three ways to get involved:

• Join a community’s Supporters Club and make a donation - this is the perfect way to help the community directly
• Companies, corporate sponsors and sports clubs can sponsor a SCORE Cup event and will be given the sole branding rights to that community for the duration of the SCORE Cup
• Donate to the campaign and help sustain future activities in communities across Southern Africa

Children of the Future

Wildlife photographer Sabina van Stralen was so inspired by her visit to one of the South African communities in which SCORE operates that she has created and produced a wonderful album documenting the happiness, pride and trust the children have for the future because of the work of organisations like SCORE.

Sabina briefly visited the Khayelitsha community in South Africa whilst on business. She was so taken by the joy and pleasure of the children as they played and participated in SCORE programmes that she drifted from the group and took lots of photographs. Once her feet were back on Dutch soil she decided to take action. Her dream was to create a photo book which showcases the positive impact SCORE’s Sport and Development work is having in the community.

In March 2010 Sabina returned to South Africa, where she stayed with a host family in Mapuve, a small town in Limpopo province. She spent her time shadowing a SCORE trainer and documenting the goings on in the community with her camera. Once back in the Netherlands she made her dream come true.

The book ‘Children of the future’ contains over 150 A4 pages of touching pictures and very personal stories from communities in which SCORE is active. The wonderful thick cover and high quality print makes it a collector’s item and would therefore make an excellent corporate gift. Sabina has decided very generously to donate a large part of the sales revenues to SCORE.

Theresa Le Roux, SCORE South Africa National Manager said, "We are very grateful to Sabina for taking this fantastic initiative and for her generous support of SCORE activities. Not only is the book telling our story but it also shows the world the power of Sport and Development. The children, youth and communities in which we operate will benefit immensely from her work."

For more information download the following:
Flyer - Children of the Future
SportLokaal 3 - Juni 2010

Reserve your copy through: info@sabinavanstralenfotografie.nl

The price per book is €39.99 (discounts are available for bulk orders)

Partnerships for SCORE Netherlands

SCORE Netherlands is proud to highlight two partnerships: Sportstimulering Nederland and 3rd Half. Though both focus on different aspects of development, the new partnerships will help SCORE expand its programmes across the globe.

Sportstimulering Nederland

Sportstimulering Nederland is a young and innovative organisation that strives to offer children from all walks of life the possibility to play sports. Sportstimulering Nederland has developed programs through which Dutch primary school children can register for introductory courses with local sports clubs for only €6.

By reducing the costs and making it more accessible to enroll with a sports club, children are encouraged to try different kinds of sports and find out for themselves what they like. Sportstimulering Nederland also wants to create awareness amongst the participants about the power of sports in other parts of the world. Playing sports and being active is equally important for a child in the Netherlands as a child in Southern Africa.

Sportstimulering Nederland will donate €0.50 to SCORE for every child that registers for an introduction course

For more information, visit: www.sportstimuleringnederland.nl

3rd Half

The ‘3rd HALF partnership allows SCORE to join a network of organisations, companies, media and government partners focused on making a strong contribution to the social impact of the World Cup.

The 3rd Half is powered by NCDO (National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development) and informs sports clubs, companies, sports federations and Dutch supporters about the various opportunities to make a contribution to these sports programmes.

Examples of how to contribute are: matchmaking via the 1%Club, a business challenge, clublinking, exchange programmes and tailored partnerships. For more information about these programmes visit: www.3ehelft.org/nl/voorpagina/english/

SCORE is understandably excited about these new partnerships as they allow the organisation to grow and develop. These new links make new opportunities available to SCORE to expand its horizons and be recognised as a leader in Sports and Development in Southern Africa.

Cup of Heroes 2010

As preparations for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™ reach fever pitch, hundreds of South African youth from disadvantaged communities across 4 provinces will compete in a unique "scoring for social change" competition this weekend that showcases sports talent and the power of sport to change people’s lives and build communities. This year the theme is "Celebrating Diversity: A single bracelet doesn’t jingle"

This unique competition called The Cup of Heroes is organised by SCORE, a leading sports and development organisation in Southern Africa and is now in its 4^th year. Community teams register a team of 30 participants, players (under 16) and youth leaders (under 26), that competes in football, netball and volleyball on the field, as well as scoring points for cultural displays, fair play and community service. One of the highlights this year is the 2010 Partner Country project, for which each team has been assigned a country they must research and then present in a display of song, dance and drama, which is especially significant this year as the world comes to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup^™.

Download Press Release

Football combats exclusion

Chris Middleton, SCORE for 2010 Communications Coordinator, recently visited a community in Hillbrow and filed this report on the use of football to combat social exclusion, xenophobia and other related issues. The innovative programme is implemented by the Bidvest Wits Football Club Foundation, and is being supported and monitored by SCORE.

FOOTBALL has the capacity to unite… In this case, the beautiful game is used to address the marginalisation of children living in Hillbrow, a deprived quarter situated in the heart of Johannesburg.

Reaching out to the marginalised through football

Hillbrow is the inner city residential area situated in the heart of Johannesburg. Commonly known for its high level of unemployment, crime and poverty, the area is populated by people of various nationalities whom have been attracted to Johannesburg seeking employment opportunities which have not materialised. Risks of ethnic division and xenophobia are ripe in such a socio-economic context.

Against this background, an innovative programme is being carried out to address risks of the social exclusion of children living in Hillbrow; where football is used as a means to engage youth from the schools, the shelters and the streets of Hillbrow.

Soccer training sessions are provided on a regular basis for these youth, offering them the possibility to interact in a safe environment. Mr. Moyo, Head of Life Orientation at the Izenzo Community College said, "Through this project, most of our learners feel they’re part of this society. It gives them the opportunity to interact through football activities, and also meet children from other schools. Despite the fact that they are from different countries, they feel they fit into this society, and this is especially important in Hillbrow, where there are so many different backgrounds."

There is a life after a football career

Weekly football training sessions are carried out by the Soccer Legends – former football players willing to give back to the community through what they know best: football. These community coaches deliver basic soccer and life skills training with children from the schools and shelters.

Sisters, doing it for themselves!

Leading figures in women’s football came together to discuss issues affecting the development of the sport in South Africa and the United Kingdom during the visit of adult and youth women leaders from The English Football Association (FA), in a seminar held at Cape Town’s Athlone Stadium, on 8th May. The was event organised jointly by Coaching for Hope, the British Council, SCORE and the City of Cape Town inviting representatives from sport associations, clubs and NGOS exchange stories, voice opinions and learn from each others’ experiences about the challenges facing the development of women’s football in the two countries.

A common theme throughout the day, echoed by the many speakers and leaders, was that there is still a huge funding gap in the development of women’s football. Described by the FIFA president Sepp Blatter, as one of the world’s “largest and fastest growing sports,” representatives from the FA confirmed that in the UK, budgetary spending for the sport has improved as sport administrators and sponsors realise the potential of women footballers, but that is far from being on par with the men’s game.

SAFA (South African Football Association) Cape Town President Norman Arendse agreed that men’s football is dominant in South Africa and that the funding and opportunities far outweighs those given to the women’s game. After hearing the passionate and determined voices of the delegates at the seminar, Arendse vowed to help bring this issue of disparity to the SAFA agenda for their AGM in July 2010. A unanimous conclusion of the seminar was that more pressure must be placed on SAFA, government departments, associations and clubs to provide opportunities for female footballers to play, both at a recreational and professional level and they must take responsibility for developing the “Beautiful Game”.

Representatives from inside the profession, included Astrid van Kesteren, goalkeeper of the South Africa national team, Banyana Banyana said, “I am thrilled to hear that sponsorship is now swinging from men’s football to women’s, significantly raising the profile of women’s football to new heights”.

Perspectives of the game were also shared by writer, activist and former athlete Cheryl Roberts, who was of the opinion, players should “show that you are the change.” Leadership and influence was a major theme during the day long event with calls for players to be role models to help encourage more women to play football but also to empower women to make a positive change in their own lives.

The inspiring day heard everyone from players to coaches’ share their challenges of playing a male dominated sport and left participants with practical actions to further develop women’s football.

Fund'racing' for SCORE

Motivation for competing in a sports event can be driven by anything from achieving personal goals to testing physical endurance. For Brian Kerby, Managing Director of adidas South Africa, the chance to share with others the opportunities that sport has given him, spurred him on to complete a gruelling 226 km Ironman triathlon race to raise funds for SCORE to build a multi-purpose community sports facility.

After visiting a community facility in Khayelitsha, on the outskirts of Cape Town in the Western Cape, which had been build in partnership with SCORE and adidas, Brian witnessed first hand the positive impact a sports facility can have on a community. He saw that the children in the community were provided with a safe environment in which to learn, interact and play with others. In addition it also encouraged children from the surrounding areas to be involved in organised sporting activities.

Sport remains an important part of Brian’s life and he said, "The wonderful people I have met; the successes on the field; my health; my fantastic job; the skills I use today; all these I owe to sport and it remains an integral part of my life."

Brian described his fundraising effort on behalf of SCORE as an incredible journey, which saw him dedicate months of hard work to training and fundraising.

After the race, Brian said, "It was hard work to get here and a huge feeling of relief, satisfaction and achievement. It has been a tough five weeks, where things didn’t go so smoothly. I am therefore very proud to have achieved a time of sub 12 hours." Despite injuries in the weeks prior to the race, Brain earned a respectable finish time of 11.56.06.

On the day of the event spectators were reminded that these powerful athletes are heroes. Dedicating endless hours to training despite juggling full time jobs, families and for many competitors, like Brian, fundraising for charity.

For Brian, the end of IRONMAN does not mark the end of his race. With over a third of his target complete, Brian said, "The drive to reach my fundraising target is still ongoing and I won’t stop until we hit the magical R324 000 mark. At the end of the day I’m really chuffed but I’ll be more chuffed when the guys start paying. They know what I’ve done now, and now they must do something."

Brian’s efforts on behalf of SCORE are truly admirable and SCORE would like to thank Brian for his continued support and for his superhuman effort to help us Change Lives through Sport.

You can follow the story of Brian’s fundraising journey and support his fundraising initiative at www.ironbrian.org

(PUBLISHED APRIL 2010)

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.

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Click here 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.

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.