AmaPiano FC TO THE RESCUE

  


By: Sylvester Raraza

Email: sylvesterraraza@gmail.com

Twitter: @Sylvester_tut




Amapiano FC. (Picture: Facebook)
Football is an international language understood by billions of people around the world and it has been used to foster tolerance, understanding and drawing people together. The story of Amapiano FC is similar in purpose. Amid a surge in substance and alcohol abuse amongst the youth in the community of Palmridge Extension 3, in Ekurhuleni, a football team was established in the hopes of getting the youth out of the streets and into the field. Not only did this team bring hope to the community, but it gave former drug users a second chance at life.


Amapiano FC Founders. (Picture: Facebook)
The team’s founders, Sibusiso Nhlabathi (30) and Junior Mosolo (27), say the team has had a positive impact on the youth in the community. “When we established Amapiano FC, we thought the team must have a name that appeals to the youth”, said Viki. “Our goal was much greater and important. Get the youth out of street corners where they are vulnerable to picking up bad habits like drug and alcohol abuse”, added Mduduzi Cindi.

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, and elements of crimes such as house break-ins, robberies and theft are sometimes motivated by drug use. A user resorts to criminal activity to feed their drug or alcohol addiction. Amapiano FC wants to try and hinder that effect on their community’s youth. The team has players who are former drug users.

Amapiano FC has been going strong since its establishment in 2019. It saw a significant growth in numbers after it was founded, with youngsters joining it shortly after it was established. Community members are grateful for the team because it keeps their young population busy and it gives them hope.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NOT ENOUGH BLOOD AT THE BLOOD SERVICE

Image
by Sylvester Raraza Email: sylvesterraraza@gmail.com Twitter: @Sylvester_tut It should be of grave concern that in a population of about Sixty million (60 million) people, South Africa has low levels of blood donors. According to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), “less than 1% of South Africans are active blood donors.” These are astoundingly low active blood donor figures, for an organization that was established in the early 2000s. South Africa is a low blood donor country, and this was worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic  and subsequent lockdown regulations (people’s movements were restricted). Fortunately,  there are now eased regulations under the ‘Disaster Management Act’, and these allow for  the free movement of South Africans, and it makes easy for blood donors to visit donor  centres. Blood donor centre | Picture: Jarryd Subroyen The South African National Blood Services (SANBS) made changes to the Covid-19 donor  deferral measures, allowing for people who have
Read more

MAMELODI TAXI DRIVER TURNED SABC RADIO SENSATION

Image
By Sylvester Raraza Twitter: @Sylvester_tut Email: sylvesterraraza@gmail.com David Mashabela at a panel discussion | Image: David Mashabela via Instagram His is a story of a typical black child: he grew up in a township northeast of Pretoria in Apartheid South Africa, single parent home and living hand to mouth. David Mashabela remembers his childhood days in the 1980s. He is Pedi by birth – Bapedi are a Southern African ethnic group that speak Sepedi, but despite being brought up in a Bapedi household, his early learning years began at a Setswana-speaking Primary School in Mamelodi. So, he never got the chance to learn in his mother tongue because the only available school and the closest to his home, at the time, taught in Setswana. PW Botha (Prime Minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and State President between 1984 to 1989), declared a countrywide state of emergency because of internal resistance to Apartheid and international pressure. David has vivid memories of seeing
Read more

SHINING A LIGHT ON AGRICULTURAL WRITERS SOUTH AFRICA

Image
By Sylvester Raraza Email: SylvesterRaraza@gmail.com Twitter: @Sylvester_tut The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in partnership with Agricultural Writers South Africa, hosted a workshop at TUT’s Department of Journalism – Soshanguve North Campus. Agricultural Writers South Africa is a non-profit organization (npo) that promotes the public image and standards of agriculture journalism in South Africa. The NPO was established in 1977 and it is a member and associate of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Liza Bolmann, Chairperson Agricultural Writers SA Agricultural Writers South Africa, as an organization, represents agriculture journalists who work for agriculture magazines, newspapers, radio and television. It also allows qualified members to extend membership to people who are agriculture journalism friendly, meaning, people who want to grow the sphere of agriculture journalism, people who invest in the growth of activities that are associat
Read more