Hoops 4 Hope
News & Updates From Our H4H Champions
March 2010 Hoops 4 Hope supports youth and community development in Zimbabwe and South Africa by combining the joy of playing basketball and soccer with an effective HIV/AIDS-prevention and life-skills curriculum.
Yoni is on a Mission!
Twenty-one year old Yoni Marmorstein, from Canada, is on a mission. Despite his youth, Yoni is a childcare professional, managing a city run youth facility and camp in Vancouver. After reading in his local paper about H4H’s incredible action by Rick Gill in Canada to support H4H efforts in Africa, Yoni was inspired to come and meet founder Mark Crandall during his visit to Vancouver at the end of last year. Mark was impressed with Yoni’s dream to come to Africa to help kids and see what is happening in this part of the world. Two months later, continuing on to Africa after a life changing experience during his Birthright trip to Israel, Yoni dove deep into the H4H action in Cape Town. But Mark had an extra secret mission for Yoni. As a writer and aspiring moviemaker, Mark saw the value of seeing the organization through “Yoni’s eyes” and sent the young man by plane to Zimbabwe for yet another life changing experience.
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Nyanga Poem by Patiswa "Patty", Hoops 4 Hope MVP "I think writing poetry is the best way I can express who I am and express different things about how I feel. The poem was able to do that for me."
The community of sorrows and happiness, our home of faith and hope, miracles of love are the past, crime, hatred and cruelness. In the house, our dreams exploded, disappear while we were underruled by the amateurs away from our native land. Let’s unite not to be remiss, but look forward to the future, because growth is in our hands.
March 2010
Hoops 4 Hope – www.hoopsafrica.org
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Yoni was immersed for 3 days into H4H Zimbabwe before getting on the Cool Bus with 10 H4H All Stars for their epic journey south to Cape Town, travelling 2182 km’s/1356 miles in the former East Hampton, NY little yellow school bus! The experience of seeing many faces of the organization across the globe, meeting the incredible coaches who work day in and day out to better their communities, playing with kids who flock to their courts, and traveling the length of southern Africa for the first international All Star training, can all be seen in Yoni’s movie, soon to be a YouTube sensation! Please visit the following link to see Yoni’s video sensation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSqPFGQTZVc
MVP Class of 2010
In Cape Town on March 7th, the H4H and S4H new recruits gathered for training at The Rainbow Center in Gugulethu, and prepared for the start of their leagues this school season! Congratulations, MVPs!
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March 2010
Hoops 4 Hope – www.hoopsafrica.org
H4H Zimbabwe goes Rural Written by Ngoni Mukukula, Zimbabwean Director Hoops 4 Hope is going rural here in Zimbabwe. We are calling our drive H4H Rural, Zim. Our aim is to teach our Life Skills Curriculum and basketball to areas that are far and wide in Zimbabwe. We wish to share our undying message of hope and teach skills to people that may not have access to information regularly. First the Hoops 4 Hope ‘Strike Team’ will tour Chinhoyi, a place to the West of Harare. The place has more than 10 High Schools. This time only those that are in and around the Chinhoyi High School area will benefit. Chinhoyi is well known for the Chirorodziva Caves. This place is both magnificent and historical. It has underground caves - the light and the dark caves. The dark cave is largely unexplored and is home to many bats. They say it has an opening or exit in Kariba, 265 KM away. Such Stories! In the middle of the light cave is a natural blue pool of water that runs deep until the eye cannot see. The pool opens up all the way into the sky in the middle of the mountains. The pool water runs deep underneath the surrounding mountains and is a favorite of many renowned Scuba Divers. Our own water-fanatic Mark Crandall took a dive into the tempting pool once in 2000, when we completed the bike ride. For the 2 minutes he was in the water our hearts skipped many beats. Yesterday, Mark sent me a text, "will you take a dive into that pool for me, if you dare". Such is the character of Hoops 4 Hope - creative, courageous and fun. At Chinhoyi High School, the Strike Team is expected to use some of the ideas freshly acquired from our Cape Town counterparts during the recently held Hoops 4 Hope International All Star Managers Training Workshop. After a day of hard work, then the team will tour the caves. In the next two weeks the team will be off to the Eastern Highlands - a land of beautiful green and misty mountains. The team hopes to walk in the footsteps of the original Hoops 4 Hope Strike Team that did the Bike ride around Zimbabwe with the rest of the world, tracking the events on the Discovery Channel. Though the current team will not have Mark Crandall, Jeff Gamble or Mark Gamble, it will have one available member of the pioneering team - Ngoni Mukukula, to help re-light the memories. The current Strike Team (ST) hopes to pass through Rukweza School in Rusape, en-route to Mutare. Eventually the team hopes to strike Honde Valley and Chimanimani. I cannot wait to re-do Resitu Mission, an area close to the Mozambique border. That area will always be on my mind, and to get back will be like full circle for Hoops 4 Hope and me.
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March 2010
Hoops 4 Hope – www.hoopsafrica.org
The Soccer 4 Hope Launch 2010
French Journalist Gives Letter of Thanks Dear Mark, I hope you're fine.
The Soccer 4 Hope (S4H) girl’s soccer league launched on March 11th in Harare, Khayelitsha, with a great event at the FIFA Football for Hope Center. The launch of the league was full of fun and competition with special guests, the DSK German School of Cape Town. The Football for Hope field is an oasis of artificial turf, where S4H coaches led exciting drills for the girls throughout the day. Healthy snacks for all made for the perfect start to the S4H girl's league, while they sported donated uniforms from H4H Canada. Our German visitors were happy to be part of the excitement. It was a powerful display of sportsmanship and partnership, watching the German and South African girls compete in a friendly game. While the visitors won 1-0, there was much postgame UBUNTU and celebration for all!
Many thanks again for having taken Antoine & I in Gugulethu and Philippi to see some of your Hoops/Soccer for Hope projects. I was very moved by the projects, by the well-being of the youths we met and especially by your total devotion and dedication to the projects. I couldn't email you right after we met as I didn't know where to start, it was too much emotions! As I mentioned on my blog, it is the first time that I was really fulfilled and enjoying my time in SA, and it's because I met people like you, Helen and a few others, who make me optimistic about the future of this country. I also made a link to hoops for hope website on your name: http://ubumi.canalblog.com/ar chives/2010/03/13/17225782. html I hope you'll soon get blessed by new good cars for your projects... You're doing a great job, just carry on! Good luck for everything. Warm regards, Julie
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March 2010
Hoops 4 Hope – www.hoopsafrica.org
Team Argus 2010! The 33rd Cape Argus Bicycle race on Sunday March 14th was a challenge for most everyone riding, as they dealt with a howling, 45km southeast wind. The Cape Argus is the largest timed bike race in the world, with over 35,000 riders over a 109km route, around the beautiful Cape peninsula. This year’s race included Lance Armstrong who finished 9th, but only 16 seconds behind the winner at an unbelievable time of 2:30. The H4H elite cycle team, complete with the ‘bike hoop’, participated in this epic bike race. The first Argus by team H4H was done in 1999 by Directors Jeff Gamble and Mark Crandall, who just finished his 10th race. They were given a surprise entrance with only 2 days warning, but finished in well over 7 hours. This year, Team Hoops4Hope and Soccer4Hope riders were sponsored by Africa Centre and Spier Contemporary and really represented in this awesome event around the beautiful Cape. The race started in the heart of the city, with the wind in riders’ faces, all the way along the Indian Ocean towards Cape Point, the first of three major mountain passes at the tip of Africa. Then the wind went to their backs by the ostrich farms, to Misty Cliffs, and along the Atlantic Ocean to Chapman’s Peak. It was not long before they received another sandblasting from the wind, sheering across the highway in Oceanview, where the crowds and roadside party made up for it. The team then rode to the top of the infamous Suikerbossie Hill, where people offer to push you up or a beef roll, and then it is downhill all the way to the finish.
Team H4H and Spier had energy! We also got some serious TV time for our riders on the bike hoop, which made it almost around the whole Cape! Thanks to our welcoming squad, who cheered and gave their support near the finish in Sea Point. Well done to everyone on the team: H4H Team Riders Thabo, La La, Vuyo, Ravik and race finishers Aimee Hartley, Karl Voysey, Sue de Lara, Mark Crandall, Myc Makanda, Fred Steiner, and a special congrats to Kita for leading the pack in 2010!
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March 2010
Hoops 4 Hope – www.hoopsafrica.org
GTZ Launch in Gugulethu On Thursday, March 18th, Soccer 4 Hope participated in the launch of an extended South African - European partnership, sponsored by the German Youth Development through Football Project (YDF). Soccer4Hope is generously funded by GTZ, and together we celebrated at the Rainbow Center in Gugulethu for the EU's donation to the German Government Foundation. Guests arrived in the mid-afternoon to the turf field in Gugulethu and proceedings commenced with an opening by Master of Ceremony, Daniel Johnson - DCAS. Guests were then serenaded by a triumvirate of songs, the European Union Anthem, German National Anthem, and South African National Anthem. After the signing of the "Delegated Cooperation Agreement", our very own WeWe Sokoyi was asked to speak about the impact and effect that football has had on her life. Notable guests from the afternoon ceremony included Director General of Europe Aid Co-operations Office – European Commission, Koos Richelle, the Minister of Sport & Recreation South Africa, Makhenkesi Stofile, MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Sakkie Jenner, and GTZ Country Director of South Africa, Peter Conze. 2010 FIFA World Cup Ambassador, Ms. Desiree Ellis then “kicked-off” an informal street-soccer match between players of Soccer4Hope. Covered by SABC TV and press, it was certainly a memorable afternoon and the S4H Team was honored to be a part of the global festivities!
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Photos by Nikki Rixon Soccer 4 Hope Cape Town, South Africa
Molly Blair, Director of Development
Thierry Kita, South African Director
Hoops 4 Hope
Hoops 4 Hope
34 Grove St. #1
PO Box 165
NY, NY 10014 Mobile: 917.414.0810 Email: moblair28@gmail.com
Mark Crandall, International Director and Founder Hoops 4 Hope Po Box 895 East Hampton, NY 11937
Cape Town, South Africa 8000 Mobile: (27) 82-728-9109 Email: thierrykitam@mac.com
Rick Gill, Canadian Director
Mobile: 631.774.0571
Ngoni Mukukula, Zimbabwean 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
Email: hoops4hope@mac.com
Hoops 4 Hope
19 Bates Street Milton Park, Harare Mobile: (263)(91) 240-4067 Email: nmukukula@yahoo.com