another front page....

last week we launched our schools based sports outreach which takes place on monday and tuesday afternoons, from 2.15 at two local schools, pineview and katherine murray.

one of the HAN (dutch) students is working with a local township paper 'ons bekkie' during her placement and she wrote this 'front page story' which reads.


"Keep the children out of trouble

By Maaike Cnossen

Keeping them busy, working on their self-esteem and learn to respect each other. That is what the after school activities of the Village Of Hope are all about. Four times a week they organize all kind of sports and games for the children.

The Village of Hope started the program two years ago. At first it was only for kids who caused trouble in the classrooms. They started to teach them to have respect for each other and their self by doing activities with them in the neighborhood. “In the beginning some of the kids weren’t even used to saying thank you. But by learning them to have respect for me during the activities, they’ll get used to that,” tells one of the founders of the Village of Hope Tim Walker.

And now he even have more kids to say thank you. Nowadays it’s not only for the problem children anymore. A lot of children wanted to join the after school activities. Luckily, the Village of Hope recently arranged something with two primary schools. Kathleen Murray Primêr Skool and Pineview Primêr Skool let them use their fields and facilities. And that means a much bigger play ground than before, which leads to more room for more kids.

And it is a win-win-win situation, because also the primary schools benefit from it. “I am really grateful for the Village of Hope”, says deputed-principal Jeremy Ess of the Kathleen Murray Primêr Skool. “We do not have our own trained coaches, so I am very glad with the help we get from the Village of Hope.” He sees the kids really benefit from it, because it keeps them busy after school and out of trouble.

Tim Walker also wants to make a change in their lives. He always tries to get a message out each week by having different themes. This week is all about being together and looking out for one and other. They learn this by doing team sports like soccer. “They have to understand that they are a team. Playing soccer here is not about finding the new Beckham, but it’s about achieving something together”.

But the Village of Hope can’t do it all by itself. Every year they get some students of the Netherlands, who help them. “It’s always nice when new students come to join us. They are always really enthusiastic and come with new ideas. That also keeps us fresh to rethink about some activities or add some new ones.”

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