The streets of Khayelitsha and seven other neighbourhoods in the City of Cape Town came alive as 768 girls under the age of 13 took part in the Street Netball series.
The event was organised by Sporting Chance in partnership with the City of Cape Town and Sunbet Cares.
The event, which will run for eight weeks, marks the countdown before the Netball World Cup, which will take place in Cape Town on July 28.
The series will see weekly matches being played in communities such as Grassy Park, Elsies River, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Langa, Mfuleni, Ocean View and Nomzamo. Teams that perform well will take part in the regional finals, which will be held on Youth Day, June 16.
Mayco member for community services and health Patricia van der Ross said although this can be viewed as a build-up to the netball tournament, “we want to leave lasting effects on these kids by giving them an opportunity to express themselves and explore the opportunities that come with playing sport”.
“Ultimately, we are starting a legacy and building relationships with schools and communities where we hope to achieve great things in the future. We also want to build confidence in these young girls and make sure that they reach their dreams,” said Van der Ross.
The event was graced by a local marimba band, which kept the kids entertained throughout the event. However, it was not all fun and games; there were serious issues that were discussed and taught to the girls.
Nomfundo Eiland from Emthonjeni Counselling and Training taught the children between the games about the importance of making good decisions in their lives, as they always tend to affect them in the future.
“We are also teaching the girls about self-esteem, decision-making, surviving or thriving under difficult circumstances, sexual and reproductive health, and how to manage stress, anger and anxiety,” said Eiland.
Brad Bing, the managing director of Sporting Chance, said the event gave them a perfect opportunity to market netball in these communities and to instil a love of the game. He said part of this initiative was to bring change into the girls’ lives through netball.
“Tickets for the Netball World Cup will probably be expensive, and as you know, many of these kids come from disadvantaged backgrounds. So we want them to experience the World Cup and to feel like they are part of it while they are unable to attend,” said Bing.
One of the girls who took part, Esethu Mgogwana, 12, from Khayelitsha, said she was excited to be part of this initiative.
“I believe being here will teach me a lot of things that I didn’t know about, and one of those things is how to interact with different people and build meaningful relationships,” said Esethu.