On the 5th of December Children and Youth from Khayelitsha, Langa and Hanover Park met in Hanover Park to celebrate World AIDS Day. During the festival grade R learners played games, the primary school and high school children played different sport.
The three communities are part of the Sport 4 Development project funded by Department of Education in South Africa and UNICEF South Africa. The aim of the project is to create safe spaces; safe schools and community areas. “We aim to create safer learning and living environment within these communities” says Trever Pedro, project manager for Sport 4 Development in SCORE. Targeted primary, high schools and Educare centres in Langa, Khayelitsha and Hanover Park is involved in the project and to a certain extent also community sport teams. During a school week teacher and community coaches are running sport activies and games with the children and youth. “When we reach a higher level of participation in sport we decrease the levels of engagement in other possibly, not as positive activities in the community” says Trevor in a diplomatic manner.
A Sport festival is meant to showcase the daily activities in the communities within the broader community where the project is implemented. The festival is organised to give a platform for the involved children and youth to have fun in a safe environment.
“The festivals such as this always emphasise teamwork to meet the challenges through the element of competition” says Trevor.
The festival was also closely followed by SuperSports social responsibility initiative “Let’s Play”.
In the picture below see one of the dancing boys from Langa being admired by girls from Hanover Park.
