Glenhills sport mentorship helps to stop substance abuse

GLENHILLS resident and founder of NPO, Each One Reach 1.org (EORO), Eshia Govender, is calling on the Durban North community to donate soccer equipment, including previously owned soccer boots and uniforms to the Zizi Striking Storm Football Club which meets every week at the Rinaldo Road park. Coach, Siphamandla Dlamini said he started the club in 2017 to offer the youth a healthy alternative to substance abuse.

The Northglen News visited the team on Thursday, 16 July to find out more.

“Soccer really helped me a lot. When I look at myself and the boys I grew up with, those that I used to play soccer with are like me- today I am substance free,” said Dlamini, a resident at the Malacca Road Informal Settlement who coaches children from the settlement as well as the Mathambo Settlement.

“I used to play soccer and I loved it, I played the game from 2012. When I got here in 2014, I saw that children in the area like soccer, but they were just kicking a ball in the street. I decided to form a team that is nearby, because most of the formal soccer clubs are far away. Due to the pandemic, we meet once a week on a Thursday from 3.30pm until 5pm. We used to meet at Rivers Church everyday from Monday until Thursday,” he added.

Also read: Glenhills NPO calls on volunteers to mentor youth

Dlamini hopes the soccer training will help to keep children in the community fit an healthy as they face the Covid-19 pandemic.

“What has been said is that Covid-19 can affect your immune system and the strength of your body. Having exercise once a week helps to keep your immune system strong,” he said.

Govender visited the team on Thursday to deliver a meal after the practice session.

“This is also about holistic development. Ideally, we want to provide the boys with mentorship. So they know there is someone they can go to if they have questions. We also help wherever there are resources needed. We try to take the team to games if they play any matches,” she said.

For Govender, the health benefit of sport goes beyond physical fitness, equipping children with self discipline.

In case you missed it: Grow the Malacca Road community for Mandela Day

“This teaches them self management skills. They learn self discipline through sports and that helps them to apply self discipline in their school work and to manage their time in the day. Ideally that’s what we want to teach them- skills building. If they know how to manage their mind through sport, then they are on the winning side. They won’t depend on substances whenever they are stressed,” she said.

For more information, contact Eshia Govender on 082 503 5170.

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