Sports and culture talent is what Better on Better aims to empower
PARKHURST – With a volunteer board of three, Bet on Better is an NPO which supports young talent by enhancing their connections with potential sponsors and donors.
South Africa is a cradle of young and upcoming talent, especially in sports, culture and academia. A Parkhurst resident, Nanine Levitz, shared information on how their non-profit organisation (NPO) Bet on Better aims to assist these young achievers.
The recently formed organisation is completely voluntary with all three board members aiming to give back to the communities.
“We aim to provide a positive interactive platform for SA’s rising stars to share their success stories and appeal for assistance or support from our amazing community in achieving even further heights. Too many of our top performers are stunted in their growth and development due to unbearable financial constraints. Our wish is to bridge the gap in communication between these amazing individuals and potential sponsors and donors,” said Levitz.
She added that they further aim to provide a support network for these budding stars to be empowered and to achieve their dreams in their chosen areas.
Levitz said it was difficult to get funding from the government when these upcoming achievers performed at the junior level. “The stark reality is that many of our national teams are simply not supported financially in attending national or international competitions and the burden of cost and responsibility of fundraising sits heavily on these individuals in their personal capacity. As a result, many of these youngsters are forced to withdraw from national team selection.”
Working with a crowdfunding platform called BackaBuddy, the NPO is pro-active in assisting young talent. Levitz said they thoroughly check to confirm if the money is going to a legitimate cause and that those requiring sponsorship really cannot afford it.
In July last year, the NPO started a BackaBuddy campaign for Caitlin Rooskrantz a former Parktown High School for Girls learner who will become the country’s first female Olympic gymnast in a decade to take the floor at Tokyo this year. Another campaign also currently being run by the NPO is to get Parktown Boys’ High School learner Daniel Billings to Zimbabwe to represent SA in the U18 water polo championships at the end of March.
Levitz said, “Our dream is that every single one of South Africa’s best and brightest are provided with the opportunity to represent their country with pride and dignity.”
Details: Residents can learn more about and support campaigns backed by the NPO on Facebook at Bet on Better or email betonbetter@mweb.co.za
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