Diepsloot Safe-Hub kick-starts the 2019 programme
DIEPSLOOT – The Diepsloot Safety-Hub launched the year with over 1 000 children from the informal settlement taking part in Kick-Off Week recently.
The Diepsloot Safe-Hub launched their new 2019 season with Kick-off Week for over 1 000 excited youngsters aged between five and 16, with the aim of building enthusiasm and participation in the Amandla EduFootball programme, and developing relationships with their coaches and each other.
The Safe-Hub was featured in the Fourways Review back in October as part of our Ordinary community members do extraordinary things feature (This is a hub for sport and safety in Diepsloot, published Week ending 19 October 2018) for the work they do for youngsters in the informal settlement.
Thato Molefe, Diepsloot Safe-Hub facility manager, said the key to ensuring that participants remain in the programme throughout the year is positive player and coach relationships.
“Kick-off Week goes a long way to building and strengthening those relationships while ensuring that both the PlayMakers – the young intern coaches – and the participants learn and understand the rules of FairPlay Football Leagues, the ‘Amandla way’, and the ‘player promise’, both from the Safe-Hub to the players and vice versa, while also having a tremendous amount of fun,” he said.
The ‘Amandla way’ incorporates teamwork, healthy lifestyle, ambition, excellence, a chance to learn and integrity. It ultimately has the potential to result in active youth with positive attitudes and a good quality of life. The ‘player promise’ covers behaviour expectations, values, respect and treatment of others as equals.
Molefe added that the participant’s response was great throughout the week. “They have come back in their numbers and we are close to reaching our target number of 1 400 for 2019.”
Each year, the Safe-Hub team runs a special campaign to recruit children from schools in their catchment area, which increases awareness of the programme offering for different age groups and has ensured successful retention of children.
The Diepsloot Safe-Hub programme has been operating at Muzomuhle Primary School in Diepsloot since February 2016 and is delivered by Amandla EduFootball through funding partnership with Montecasino, giving youngsters from Grade R to matric regular access to a safe environment for facilitated sports, arts, life skills lessons, personal development, accredited training courses, and the opportunity for a better future.
The PlayMakers, who are the frontline coaching staff at the Safe-Hub responsible for delivering the Safe-Hub programming to the various age groups at the facility, are all from Diepsloot and are committed to changing their communities and to being positive role models to children and youth.
Details: The Safe Hub Diepsloot Facebook page; 076 024 8170.
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