Two 4 Joy UNITED soccer team - pledge

This is a verbatim transcribed copy of a letter of motivation written by Seune Phiri, the captain of the soccer team at Masakhane. This letter was handed to me recently with the request to ‘please put it in our newspaper, maybe someone would like to help our soccer team to get going’.
(Sonja van der Vyver – Development Practitioner Masakhane)

This team is formed in Masakhane. We used to play our home games at Consu Engineering (a nearby farm) and some at Maanhaarrand (the nearby general dealer) because we didn’t have our own soccer field. Now we have found a place but it is not yet ready to be used because we are still looking for someone to help us with a scraper (grader) to remove the grass and to make it level.

Our team consists of 25 players and officials. We have no kit. When we play a game we borrow kit from the school. We have no sponsorship yet and no transport. Some of our away-games we are walking to and for some we hire cars to get there. Here at Masakhane are some good players, young ones, but we cannot get them to trials because we cannot afford the transport.

So maybe if we can get someone to help this team, then we can get to go far with football because it helps to keep us fit and away from crime, drugs and alcohol abuse. That someone will be highly appreciated.

Sometimes others (some of the players) play with (wearing) sneakers, shoes or even barefoot just to get the game moving. We really luv football and maybe one day we will make it to the top. We also (would) like joining league here but without the required equipment we can’t so please we are asking for your help.

Yours in Sports
Seune
(on behalf of Two 4 Joy UNITED)

Our first certificate ceremony

On Saturday 4 April 28 People from Masakhane received their certificates for having attended the Fire Training and First Aid courses which were presented by Firemed Training. Social worker Sam Savage from Village Power handed out certificate and congratulated participants on their achievemnts. The Masakhane Drama Outreach Group entertained visitors Jenni Gillies and Duncan Gordon from SABMiller plc and Paul and Sue West, volunteers from the Magaliesburg community, with an interactive drama scene which had HIV/Aids as focus. Everybody were laughing at the hilarious antics of Seune Phiri and Standford Sambo who skillfully involved Duncan (Gordon) McLeod in their little scene.(see more pictures on the Masakhane Drama blog,follow links).


Yvonne Kgope, the leader of the Masakhane Commitee was also presented with her cetificate in Public Management which she obtained through part time study from the University of Pretoria.
The 5 members of the Masakhane Participatory research team were presented with badges and letters of reference stating their involvement in the Masakhane Community research project.

A gift of a packet of home made biscuits were presented to each of the visitors and refreshing home brewed pine apple beer was passes arround.

A team of boys did a 'gumboot dance' and 5 girls did a traditional dance. All the children had made their own costumes.

It certainly was a wonderful day of celebration for this community and a great time was had by all.

Adult education and sustainable development of people and the community are high on the list of priorities for the Masakhane Project. The arrival of two edutainers of which one can be used for adult education while the community centre is being built has provided the perfect locale for the presentation of Adult education and training programmes. The SABMiller Life skills programme is currently being presented and is now in its third week. Eighteen participants are receiving valuable life skills training in modules such as STRESS MANAGEMENT, MOTIVATION, BUDGETING etc. More info on the progress of this intervention to follow.