ON THE BALL: A mentor from PeacePlayers International teaches children from Merry Hill Primary School, in Chatsworth, Durban, how to play basketball. The game is used as a channel for helping young people open up about their problems |
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SOUTH African research shows that teenagers face complex life challenges, such as drug abuse, early sexual experimentation and the threat of contracting HIV-Aids.
And peer pressure makes it difficult for them to make the right decisions.
PeacePlayers International SA, established in South Africa in 2000, aims to assist teenagers with these problems through its sports and life-skills workshops.
Its primary aim is to teach young people about HIV-Aids and make them aware of ways in which they can prevent the disease.
One of their recent initiatives, in association with Sasol, has been to build basketball courts in KwaZulu- Natal schools. The children are not only encouraged to play sports to keep fit and healthy, but also to attend regular, interactive life- skills classes.
More than 25000 children from 60 schools in Durban have been taught how to play basketball. Seven thousand of them, between the ages of 10 and 14, take part in inter-community leagues, life-skills clinics and tournaments, and are members of clubs.
The youngsters are encouraged to pass on their new-found skills to other children who have little knowledge of sports and life skills.
Siphindile Radebe, from Durban, said PeacePlayers has helped her develop more positive and healthy relationships.
“At PeacePlayers, we interact with people from various walks of life and I have learnt a lot from that,” said the 16-year-old.
Radebe, who was born in the Durban township of KwaMashu, says she has acquired more knowledge about sexual abstinence, contraception and HIV-Aids.
“It’s difficult to approach our parents about sexual issues, but with the assistance of the organisation and my mentors there, I have received essential information and honest advice,” she said.
PeacePlayers makes use of basketball as a channel for helping young people open up. Some of them have suffered sexual abuse and find it difficult to communicate their emotions.
“We have more female coaches coming on board so there are now young girls, between the ages of 10 and 14, being coached and mentored by young female adults between 18 and 24, which makes a huge difference,” said Matt Gescke, managing director of PeacePlayers in South Africa.
The teens find it easier to be mentored by other girls, who not only spend time with them playing basketball and having informal chats, but are also closer to their age.
“The small age gap makes it easier for the younger girls to share information honestly,” said Gescke.
Young basketball player Sihle Cele supported Gescke’s statement: “My coach is my role model. He is a caring and understanding person. He teaches me basketball and life skills.
“I know and understand many things about my life because of him. He’s more like a brother to me because he understands my problems.
“When I am feeling down, I go to him,” Cele said.
For more info about PeacePlayers, visit www.peaceplayersintl.org.
Your Poem
My Heritage by Mbali Nkosi Grade 7 pupil from Bethany Combined School.
I am a girl of heritage, born to be part of heritage.
When I was young, I suffered for heritage.
I cried for heritage, waiting for the day to come.
So we could be free. So I could be free.
Our great grandparents left us with pain, a wound which cannot be healed.
A small mind with no knowledge, Knowledge which cannot be found.
Awe!!!!
We found heritage.
We found heritage.
We have much to be thankful for.
We have mountains to climb, animals to take care of.
Our heritage has arrived at our door step.
We are as free as blue cranes, so spread your wings and fly away.
’Cause you and I need to celebrate today’s heritage, not tomorrow, not yesterday, but today. | 
Learning to play the game