Africa. December In December 2012 I went to South Africa with a plan to work with kids and teach football. These two things are my goals for now and I’ve made some progress towards them. Every morning in Cape Town I worked with a coach at Grass Boots – a small club in the city. In the afternoons we went out to Philippi to meet and spend time with the kids there and Onke who was to become my mentor and friend.

Grass boots Grass Boots is a very special football club. It is home to anyone who would like to play there from very young ages. Onke works at Grass Boots but he really works in his home town of Philippi. He is a very special and unusual person. He works with kids every day in Philippi, he has built a crèche so that mothers can get to work in the day and he inspires young people to get off the streets away from trouble and into school…and football. One of the highlights of the trip was a team day when my friends from the township spent the day with Coach Bobby and I at Grass Boots.

A team day out

Phillippi Philippi is a township an hour and a half outside Cape Town. Some people have homes there, some live under corrugated iron. Drugs, knives, and no education for kids are problems for young people. There is a lot of hope there though too. I met some amazing young people with dreams just like me and I was welcomed into their homes and lives for the week I was there. Onke has set up a Creche there as well as doing work with kids and football. Sadly the Creche became an ophanage because some of the little kids were never collected once they were dropped off.

Onke’s Creche

A street in Philippi

Getting to know each other

An individual story from Philippi

Waking up after a sleep with some cool moves

My Coach, My Mentor and Me!

Making new friends

Meet Ferai. My mate from Zimbabwe.

Tougher times There are some amazing families and some government homes in Philippi but many of the 150,000 people in this township live in shacks or on the streets. (Cambridge population is about the same) Drugs, guns, knives, rape, HIV are all very familiar to my friends there. They sung me a song about people they love dying and it moved me a lot. FOOTBALL GETS MY FRIENDS OFF THE STREETS. ONKE HELPS THEM EVERY DAY.

What do Onke and the kids need? With a bus, the footballers and my new friends can get to Grass Boots every week for training and to games too. Without a bus Onke has to pay for a driver and to rent the bus. Football twice a week sounds little maybe to many of you but I promise you because I have seen it that it will make the difference to Onke and his kids.

What is the plan? With my Coach and my Mentor by my side I had an extraordinary experience in South Africa and if I can, I will return this year but not until I have raised as much money as I can towards the bus. On Friday 19 April there will be FUN FOOTY FOR ALL on Parkers Piece at 3pm straight after school. Warm up for the teams will open up the afternoon with games starting at 4pm. I would like 1 or 2 games on at the same time divided by age. Sausages and cold drinks will be served at 5.15 pm.

Are you interested in supporting? If you are interested let me know and save the date. A player or a supporter will be asked for £2 in advance. Or if you are not able to come perhaps you might be able to give a small donation? On the flyers I will include a webpage for giving. Perhaps you are able to help me source bibs, goals and Refs for each of the games? EVERY SINGLE PENNY RAISED BEFORE OR ON THE DAY WILL GO TO ONKE’S BUS. MY GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE AS CLOSE TO £3000 AS I CAN TOWARDS THE BUS. REMEMBER THE DATE PLEASE FRIDAY 19 APRIL THIS YEAR AT 3PM ON PARKERS.

Thank you I would like to thank Parkside for letting me go to Africa in December. I would like to thank Bobby and Onke for being my friends and mentors and I would like to thank you in advance for your support. I will be sending out flyers and s in February and March this year as reminders. Thank you to my friends in Australia, South Africa and the UK who want me to do this for Onke and my new friends in Philippi whose lives will be really helped by the bus.