HOOPS 4 HOPE
JANUARY 2010
HOOPS 4 HOPE
GLOBAL NEWS & UPDATES FROM OUR H4H CHAMPIONS JANUARY 2010
MEET THE CAPE TOWN 2010 TEAM DAVINA LEE HANSEN – LAVENDER HILL H4H LINDELE “LALA” KHETELO – H4H ALL STAR CURRICULUM MANAGER XOLANI “X” NTANDATHU – KHAYELITSHA S4H THABO MAROTOLA – H4H ALL STAR SPORT MANAGER LUVUYO MINYI – KHAYELITSHA H4H
MICHAEL “MYC” MAKANDA – GUGULETHU H4H EMMANUEL MAVOMO - VOLUNTEER
NOMAWETHU “WEWE” SOKOYI – ALL STAR CURRICULUM MANAGER AND KHAYELITSHA (HARARE) S4H
TARIRO MNANGAGWA - VOLUNTEER
LUCKY MFUNDISI – KHAYELITSHA H4H
RAVIC MUNGANGA - VOLUNTEER
THANDISWA HAARMANS – NYANGA H4H
HOOPS 4 HOPE
JANUARY 2010
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE FROM ABROAD WRITTEN BY MOLLY BLAIR, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, USA
YOUNG PHILANTHROPIST OF THE MONTH: GEORGIA GARDNER On Thursday, December 10th, the children of Khukanyile Primary School in the Khayelitsha Township received a special surprise. San Francisco champion GEORGIA GARDNER visited their school graduation, just before the youngsters were let out on their South African holiday break. Prior to visiting Cape Town, Georgia made an appeal to her 4th grade class to donate t-shirts that she and her family could take with them to South Africa and share with children participating in the Hoops 4 Hope Program. Inspired by her aunt, a native of Cape Town, and eager for an opportunity to connect with kids from across the world, Georgia enjoyed singing, dancing and playing with the children. Georgia gave a short speech about why H4H is important to her, her desire to give back to a community less fortunate than hers, then presented a large duffel bag of t-shirts that she collected as a result of her clothing drive at the Hamlin School. The children and their H4H All Star, Luvuyo Minyi, welcomed Georgia with open arms and a lively H4H cheer. Georgia will never forget the many happy moments she shared with these children and has already said she would like to come back to South Africa to work for Hoops 4 Hope someday. She and her family send their thanks to all who warmly welcomed them to experience the joy and light inspired by the Hoops 4 Hope program.
In December of last year, I had the great fortune of visiting our Hoops 4 Hope and Soccer 4 Hope action in South Africa. Though I had been to Cape Town briefly, many years, ago, I had never been as an H4H representative and team member. My two weeks spent there far surpassed anything I could have imagined. Upon entering the H4H offices at the Ikamva Labantu center, I was immediately met with great warmth, welcome, and smiles. This compassion continued for the remainder of my stay. What struck me most about our operations, and what I believe to be the key differentiating factor that sets H4H apart from other sport and development organizations or enterprises, was the commitment and sustainability of our leaders on the ground. Through the years, H4H has established a solid network of local community leaders, our All Stars (H4H Staff) and MVPs (volunteers), who deliver our curriculum and programs on a daily basis. They are dedicated to their craft, passionate about their work, and carry themselves with pride. They always have a sense of purpose, from attending team meetings and completing necessary paperwork in the office, to assembling a court or field with equipment, uniforms, and child formations. The H4H team members live in various communities surrounding Cape Town, most of them hailing from the townships. They are revered by the children in their programs and are everyday success stories in their neighborhoods. Being a part of H4H means being a positive influence, having a robust support network, and a foundation that reaches well beyond Cape Town. The enthusiasm that comes from an H4H session is explosive. Engaging the children through song, dance, call & response, hand movements, cheers, and drills, our team members create unique programs. Depending on the coach and children present, our staff gauges its audience, and delivers accordingly. Yet their messages remain the same. The basketball court or soccer field is a safe haven. The children know that where they see H4H or S4H, there is opportunity. They are off the streets, out of harm’s way, and amidst an environment of education and FUNdamentals. H4H is their home away from home. Thank you to my colleagues in Cape Town. I traveled to South Africa expecting to see young children being educated through sport, but my focus immediately went to you, our phenomenal staff. Your talents are remarkable, your dedication pervasive, and your VUMA contagious. I remain committed to generating awareness of your great work and am humbled to be with you in the business of HOPE. Hoops 4 Hope would like to congratulate one of our former Cape Town All Stars, Simphiwe Kenneth, who became an H4H success story last month. After being an integral member of the H4H team, Simphiwe recently informed us that he has chosen to pursue a great educational opportunity. He is now enrolled in the City Education Group, a private college in the area of Claremont, Cape Town, doing his BA (honors) in Business Studies through the London School of Business and Management. Best of Luck to you, Simphewe!
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HOOPS 4 HOPE
JANUARY 2010
In January, Luther College students from the US came to H4H to impart some of their basketball, soccer and community development skills to our MVP and All Star coaches during an open forum meeting and then a soccer match in Nyanga, Cape Town. The students also presented their school's recycled uniforms to the Nyanga Thunder girl’s basketball team to proudly wear for many games to come.
MVP PROFILE: ZOLANI “SNOOP” VOKWANA PERSONAL ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY ZOLANI, HIMSELF I’m Zolani Vokwana and I’ve been in the H4H program for 6 years. I will be turning 19 years old in June and my community is Gugulethu. H4H is a program that helps our communities to change in a good way. It helps the kids to see light. The light that I’m talking about is their future and H4H is giving kids hope. I’m teaching kids how to do things and how to act in life, but in a fun way. We teach kids skills for life through sport and I’m a hero in my community because I have changed lives by teaching them about HIV and drugs and other important things. I believe that this program has not only changed the lives of kids, it has changed mine too. I’m living in my grand parent’s house with my family. There are ten of us in the house and my grand mom is the breadwinner. My mother is not working and my father left me when I was young, so that meant I could not afford to get the things I wanted at home. Every time I sat with my friends, they had new clothes on and I used to feel peer pressure, my mind thinking about many ways to get clothes. I thought about doing wrong things just to get clothes so that I could look like the other kids. This program gave me a way to identify and fight it. Imagine what I would have been doing if I wasn't in this program. . .maybe I would be doing drugs or in jail just because I couldn't handle the pressure that my family is not like my friend’s families. I just want to say thanks to H4H because today I’m a coach and a teacher. Today I’m making a difference in my community. Today I’m a role model. All the things I've said are the things that keep me going in this program and in our communities. There are poor kids like me who may think of losing hope, and others who may want to take the easy way to get what they want. I want to teach and show the positive way. I told myself that I will be with H4H forever. 3
HOOPS 4 HOPE
JANUARY 2010
The Western Cape School of Sport is a training ground for the best athletes in the nation. But when they need to teach about HIV, crime and drug prevention or leadership, they call on the H4H Strike Team of All Stars to work with their students to insure they are the best they can be, on and off the court!
NEW S4H PARTNERSHIP:
KICKING & SCREENING Soccer 4 Hope is proud to announce a new partnership with the newly founded organization, Kicking & Screening Soccer Film Festival. The mission of Kicking & Screening is to bring together soccer fans and cinephiles to celebrate the beauty and passion of soccer as captured and expressed on film. Founded in April 2009, Kicking & Screening is a devoted solely to films and events about "the beautiful game." From narrative classics like Victory to insightful documentaries like Les Yeux dans les Bleus, K&S provides films and filmmakers with a forum to show their work and unites the fans who make soccer the international passion that it is. Founder and Director Rachel Markus recently invited us to participate in their second annual NYC Kicking & Screening premiere series festival in early June, where we can have an active presence and network with like minded soccer organizations, players and fans. We are honored to be a part of their efforts in the soccer world. Look for us on their website (www.kickingandsceening.com) and Facebook page too!
H4H HOSTS THE IKAMVA LABANTU EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT TEAM STAFF FOR TRAINING SESSIONS AT THE RAINBOW CENTER IN GUGULETHU!
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HOOPS 4 HOPE
JANUARY 2010
HOLIDAY PROGRAMS IN ACTION! Though the children of Cape Town were let out of school on their summer vacation from midDecember through mid-January, the Hoops 4 Hope and Soccer 4 Hope action was in full effect! Holiday programs were run throughout the days in each community, with our All Stars and MVPs actively recruiting children from the streets and onto our courts and fields. On Tuesday, December 15th Soccer 4 Hope All Star Manager Wewe Sokoyi transformed her front yard into a S4H Tournament Field. Complete with music, official referees, and prizes, WeWe held a day- long event that was a huge hit amongst the kids! Also present were many H4H All Stars, American visitors, and Chris Middleton from the Sport and Development organization. Thank You Wewe, for organizing such a memorable event!
HOOPS 4 HOPE IS A LEADER IN PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS FOR THE EMPOWERMENT AND POSITIVE CHANGE OF YOUTH IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES THROUGH BASKETBALL AND SOCCER BASED EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND SKILLS FOR LIFE PROGRAMS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. HOOPS 4 HOPE (H4H) IS A NON-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHICH GIVES OVER 10,000 CHILDREN IN SOUTH AFRICA AND ZIMBABWE EVERY YEAR A CHANCE TO BEAT THE ODDS IN COMMUNITIES PLAGUED BY POVERTY, HIV/AIDS, DRUGS & HIV/AIDS, DRUGS & CRIME. FOUNDED IN 1995, H4H COMBINES THE JOY OF SPORTS PROGRAMS WITH YOUTH FRIENDLY CURRICULUM THAT PROMOTES LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY, WHILE EMPOWERING YOUNGSTERS TO THRIVE IN THE BIG LEAGUES OF LIFE. MARK CRANDALL, FOUNDER AND INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Hoops 4 Hope
NGONI MUKUKULA, ZIMBABWEAN DIRECTOR
HOOPS 4 HOPE GLOBAL TEAM
Po Box 895
THIERRY KITA, SOUTH AFRICAN DIRECTOR Mobile: 631.774.0571 Hoops 4 Hope
Cape Town, South Africa 8000
Hoops 4 Hope
Mobile: (27) 82-728-9109
NY, NY 10014 Mobile: 917.414.0810 Email: moblair28@gmail.com
Mobile: (263)(91) 240-4067 Email: nmukukula@yahoo.com
PO Box 165
MOLLY BLAIR, US DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
34 Grove St. #1
19 Bates Street Milton Park, Harare
East Hampton, NY 11937
Email: hoops4hope@mac.com
Hoops 4 Hope
Email: thierrykitam@mac.com
RICK GILL, CANADIAN DIRECTOR Hoops 4 Hope Unit #18 - 6195 168 St. Surrey, B.C. Canada V3S-3X9 Mobile: (778) 836-5114 Email: gill_rick@sd36.bc.ca