Zandspruit youth empowered through sports
The organisers hosted a 5-a-side soccer tournament for the boys and netball games for the girls.
Emthonjeni Community Centre in Zandspruit was a hive of activity when an organisation fond of Zandspruit partnered with a local church and a business to host a spectacular sports event on 23 June.
The event was hosted by Impophomo, an organisation that aims to empower children in informal settlements through sports development, in partnership with Northpoint City Church and Umsizi, a company specialising in the design and implementation of socio-economic development programmes focused on rural communities.
The organisers hosted a 5-a-side soccer tournament for the boys and netball games for the girls. The local clubs battled it out in different divisions in pursuit of the ultimate prizes which were handed over by the former Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs player, Siboniso Gaxa; Impophomo director, John-Mark Kilian, and Zandspruit Sports Forum founder, Nhlanhla George Nkosi.
John-Mark, who has been behind this initiative for about 10 years, said the whole idea was to eradicate poverty, because his organisation loves Jesus. “The initiative was started as a partnership between Umsizi and Northpoint City Church, with the purpose of bringing about development, poverty eradication and empowerment in informal settlements in Johannesburg,” he explained.
Besides empowering the youth through sport, John-Mark said they also trying breach the poverty gap by providing skills development, career planning and job creation.
Nhlanhla, the founder of the Zandspruit Sports Forum, was pleased by the support which resembled his mission to uplift the community. “I’m pleased that this project will unite the young people of Zandspruit through sports so that they can take over from the old leadership. The forum also focuses on social matters such as abuse and encouraging education,” he said, thanking the organisers for pulling off such an amazing event.
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