Grade 5 and 6 learners from the Three2Six and Mvelaphanda schools played together in a soccer and netball tournament on Saturday, 4 June, hosted by Sacred Heart College and Kaya FM. Making friends and exercising were the order of the day.
At the heart of the Three2Six educational programme, facilitated by Sacred Heart College, are children as young as five years old fleeing horrific situations. These could be children from war-torn and poverty-stricken countries, and children who have left their families, homes and their schools to escape to a place of safety and freedom.
Having no access to sporting facilities, the majority of children from schools in the township cannot and do not participate in any sport activities.
Parents do not have the financial means to enroll their children in sports clubs, even if the children display a sporting talent. Playing on the soccer fields and netball courts of Sacred Heart College was a wonderful experience for the children.
“There is a relationship between Kaya FM and Sacred Heart College, so in exchange for the involvement in a music festival which is also supported by Kaya FM, we brought those two elements together. We are assisting Kaya FM with providing support to Mvelaphanda, and Kaya FM is assisting us to provide support for Mvelaphanda,” said Mr Colin Northmore from Sacred Heart.
The sporting event was also held in the hope of changing xenophobic attitudes. Grade 5 and 6 learners who attend the Three2Six programme participated in a soccer and netball tournament against a school from Tembisa, Mvelephanda Primary School.
Being relieved from the pain of poverty, abuse and conflict, for just a few hours, is a gift made possible by Kaya FM and Sacred Heart College. The schoolchildren had an opportunity to just be children and make friends.
Kaya FM, a major sponsor of the Mvelephanda School, hosted this sports festival. The radio station is a media partner of the Sacred Heart College music festival, which will take place on Heritage Day.
The Three2Six educational project is a bridging programme, teaching the children English and mathematics. It is run by a co-ordinator who is ably assisted by six teachers and international volunteers. The project runs in the afternoons at Sacred Heart College.
