Khayelitsha school gets kit from UK visitors

Staff and pupils from a UK school visited Khayelitsha on Mandela Day and donated soccer and netball kit to a primary school.

The St Edmund's College pupils and teachers also helped to clean the grounds of the Eluxolweni Public Primary School and they gave T-shirts to the Ikasi Soccer School for Girls, a non-profit that helped to organise the event.

Its founder, Dumisani Ntsodo, a former pupil at Eluxolweni Primary School, said the school was passionate about sport. Education was important but so was sport, he said.

The college was invited by African Impact Foundation, which works with Ikasi Soccer School for Girls.

The girls’ soccer programme had faced a lot of "no's" from the community when it had got off the ground six years ago, said Mr Ntsodo, but that had not discouraged him.

“Instead, we went outside of our communities to look for a 'yes', and when we got that, we knew that what we were doing was right.

“We want to encourage young girls and boys from the township that if they believe in themselves then they can make it in life and must never let any challenges pose a threat in their dreams. Your dreams as a young person from ekasi are valid and go for them.

“We must never glorify crime and criminals, instead we should support one another for the benefit of making Khayelitsha a better place.

“We want to encourage other football clubs in the township. That is not easy as we do not receive the kind of support we need, but we believe that if we continue to walk this journey things will eventually change."

Adam Cunnah, the teacher in charge of the St Edmund’s College tour group of 72 pupils and teachers, said they had come from London to experience Africa and the township and to help where they could.

They hoped the donation of netball and soccer kit would encourage togetherness, passion and unity through sport, he said.